By Jeff Green—Most retailers have already begun rolling out their holiday shopping programs and initiatives to try to get shoppers thinking earlier—and more often—about the holidays. Despite this effort, I’ve seen several key indicators recently that could signal a flat holiday shopping season for retailers, including soft back-to-school shopping numbers and sluggish Halloween figures. Regardless, […]
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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 […]
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.
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.
Back-to-School Special
As parents and students begin preparing for the upcoming school year in the coming weeks, retailers have already begun rolling out their back-to-school shopping strategies and promotions. This year, several specialty retailers like Apple, Pottery Barn Kids and Bed, Bath & Beyond have dug in a little harder with back-to-school promotions, with Bed, Bath & […]
Windows© of Opportunity
Best Buy and Microsoft recently announced an agreement to open Windows “stores” in 600 Best Buy locations across the country. Initially, this seems like a good strategy—Microsoft gets their products in front of more consumers while Best Buy becomes more experiential and better utilizes its large store footprints. In my mind, there are some clear […]
