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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
BrainTrust Query: Time and Choices
Among the teachings of Joe Girard, identified by The Guinness Book of World Records as “The World’s Greatest Salesman,” are focusing on the customers’ time and their choices — both…
Walmart Moves Black Friday Up to Thanksgiving Night
Who needs to wait for Black Friday to kick off the holiday selling season when you can open your stores on Thanksgiving evening? Walmart has announced that it will open…
BrainTrust Query: How to Increase Marketing ROI in the Digital Age
If an advertiser could, they would drop impressions selectively for each consumer closer to the next purchase than the last one. Now, in the digital age, they can do exactly…
Technology and Inspiration in New York
One of Steve Job’s gifts, his biographer Walter Isaacson told an audience at ad:tech in New York yesterday, was his ability at “connecting emotion to technology.” With the desire to…
Amazon Offers Strong Support for Tax Bill
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was on the record back in May in support of federal legislation that would straighten out the sales tax mess associated with online sales. Now that…
FD Buyer: Do Target’s Customer Counts Seem Lower on the Food Side?
Industry observers generally like what Target is doing with its PFresh remodels, which add more space for food than in its traditional stores. But one perception — whether fair or…
Burberry, H&M and Macy’s Launch on Google+
There’s a lot being said about the potential for retailers and brands to drive business through social networks. Now comes news that Google’s social media answer to Facebook, Google+, is…
Japan’s Amazon Buys Kobo’s E-Reader Biz
With all the press around Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Apple’s iPad and Barnes & Noble’s Nook, it’s not hard to see why Kobo has been out of the headlines. Now, the…
Walmart.com Goes All Click & Mortar in SoCal
According to several reports, Walmart.com has opened a couple of pilot locations that showcase key items throughout, such as toys and consumer electronics, but direct people to the internet to…
Finnish Grocer Testing Slow Checkout Lanes
K-citymarket, a supermarket in the city of Espoo, Finland, is experimenting with a slow-track checkout lane. The checkout is aimed for the elderly, mentally disabled, or any other customer who…
Retail Jobs Picture Seems Merrier Heading to Holidays
Retail hiring has picked up recently. According to a USA Today report citing Labor Department numbers, retailers added 17,800 jobs in October. The industry has been adding an average of…
CSD: Motivating Employees in a Challenging Economy
Over the last few years, many employers have not had the funds for raises and bonuses. Employees are increasingly asked to do more with less — often with little thanks…
The Purchasing Power of Om
More stores are offering complimentary drinks, posh private events after hours, and cushy seating in order to get shoppers to relax enough to pull out their wallets. Increasingly, there is…
Showdown in the Produce Aisle
According to a Wall Street Journal story, fresh often equates to high-margin in the area nearest the store entrance where shoppers often spend most of their budget and that “stores…
BrainTrust Query: Debunking The Myths Of ‘Path To Purchase’
The prototypical path to purchase is evolving away from a simple linear model of “pre-store, in-store, in-aisle” to a multi-stage web. Where a purchase is made marks the beginning of…
Sears/Kmart Deploy ‘Mobile Shopping Walls’ to Drive Sales
It’s been working for Tesco in South Korea. Procter & Gamble has been testing it in Prague. Now, Sears and Kmart are using QR codes to extend beyond their stores…
Walgreens Puts ‘Health Guides’ to Work with iPads
Retailers are going a little iPad crazy, as recent reports show many equipping sales associates with iPads to help improve performance in stores. The most recent chain to test the…
Retailers Largely Ignoring Customers on Facebook
According to research by Conversocial, a company that helps businesses improve interactions with consumers on social media sites, some of the largest retailers in the U.S. are ignoring consumer complaints…
Hollister Keeps Shoppers in the Dark
Abercrombie & Fitch’s subsidiary, Hollister, is keeping British shoppers in the dark by turning lights so low that customers can’t see sizes, prices, the cash register or even “the point,”…
Syms and Filene’s Basement to Close
Educated consumers are going to have to find somewhere else to shop and brides are going to have to find somewhere else to run now that Syms and Filene’s Basement…
Retail Touchpoints: Three Steps to Bridging the Gap Between Online Conversions and Buyer Intent
Since online conversion rates have been tracked by the industry, the average has hovered between two percent and three percent. Yet according to the Fireclick Index, 10 percent of visitors…
