Nicole Friedman/The Oregonian—Hundreds of Portland State University students boarded buses to CityTarget in downtown Portland Tuesday night to buy dorm-room essentials and hang out with friends at the store’s first Back to College Night. More than 800 students — mostly freshmen — showed up, said store manager Vincson Green. From 10 to 11 p.m., Target […]
Archives for 2013
Retail Rap: More of the Most Wonderful Time
By Jeff Green—The fall season only just officially started and retailers are already beginning to move forward with their holiday plans. After a disappointing summer shopping season and underwhelming back-to-school numbers, many retailers are figuring the earlier the better to get consumers thinking about holiday shopping. And with only 26 days and four weekends of […]
Black Friday lesson in Target’s Phillip Lim launch
Kelli Grant/CNBC— This year, Black Friday shoppers may want to take a leaf from 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target devotees. Some social media savvy shoppers were able to beat the crowds by hours to snag coveted items. Signs pointed to Target’s collaboration with designer Phillip Lim selling out quickly when it launched Sunday. Oh boy, […]
Retail Rap: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
By Jeff Green—Despite some very key indicators that the economy is improving,retailers like Target, Wal-Mart and Sears have reported weak second quarter earnings, or revised their projected Fall numbers down. This is certainly alarming news as we approach the holiday shopping season. But in my mind, the question is whether this is a blip in the radar, or a more alarming trend. In the latest edition of my Retail Rap column, I take a deeper look at some of these economic issues affecting retailers and what it means for retail growth in 2013 in the midst of what is supposed to be a true economic recovery.
New Outlets For Growth
Joel Groover/Shopping Centers Today—Minutes after the July ribbon-cutting for The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta, Barbara Moore stood before the store directory, grinning at the sight of a 99-brand lineup brimming with the likes of Kate Spade, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th and Talbots. “I live in western North Carolina and drove a little over a hundred miles to come down for this opening,” the shopper said. “This is so important to us, because we don’t have stores like this where we live. Even though I do a lot of online shopping, I like to come and see for myself and get the look and feel.”
Retail Rap: When Customer Focus Gets Blurry
J.C. Penney’s recent issues highlight a trend that I’ve been seeing for some time—retailers placing more of an emphasis on finances and real estate while focusing less on the customer. Retail used to begin and end with the customer, but for many brands, it’s clear that customers are no longer the focus. In this edition of my Retail Rap column, I take a look at some brands who could benefit from shifting their focus back to customer satisfaction, and brands who are already doing this very well. Retail isn’t about just selling goods that customers want or need. Now, it’s also about the experience that customers get in stores, too.
