I recently attended Chain Store Age’s 49th annual SPECS conference where they debuted a brand new Real Estate Development segment. While I always come away from SPECS with plenty to think about, this new track provided some interesting insight into subjects impacting retailers and developers specifically, and I was privileged enough participate in the new […]
Jeff Green Partners
Retail Rap: 2013 Outlook
Any discussion about what’s on tap for 2013 has to start with the economy and consumer spending. Even though there are signs of recovery, including recent successes by the Dow and an improving housing market, consumers still appear to be nervous to open their wallets. In the latest edition of my Retail Rap column with […]
The Price is Right?
Target made headlines recently by announcing that the price-match guarantee that we saw during the holiday shopping season will now be a full-time offer throughout the year. I’m sure I wasn’t the only retail analyst who saw how big of a deal this could end up becoming. But a closer look at the fine print […]
Shades of Gray on Black Friday
While actual sales on Black Friday dipped by about 2 percent, overall sales (including Thanksgiving night and the duration of the weekend) rose by 2 to 3 percent. In my opinion, that’s the real news because Black Friday has turned into more than just a one-day event. But I think retailers need to think critically […]
Going mobile
Coming into the holiday shopping season, there has been a lot of talk about consumers utilizing their smartphones and mobile apps for shopping. I think this is a fascinating area with a lot of potential, but for now the number of shoppers actually using their smartphones to make purchases is unimpressive. In my latest Retail […]
Christmas in September?
Summer was barely over before retailers began putting holiday decorations on display and announcing layaway program incentives. In the latest edition of Retail Rap, I look at what this early push could mean for the holiday shopping season and how it could impact consumers. While the specific terms of each of these layaway promotions vary, […]
