Welcome back. I’m assuming you’ve read the Four Large Takeaways. At least I hope you did, because interactions between retailers and shoppers as well as those between retailers and manufacturers are important ones. You are now ready to graduate to the “Grande.” This final observation is of the “Do Not Pass Go” variety. There are a few golden rules in marketing, and this is one:

Listen and do
With apologies to Vincent Van Gogh, it’s symbolic that we all have two ears and one mouth: it’s an indication as to the proportion… read more.

I had the pleasure of going on a retail leadership tour in New York earlier this week. I came home with a blown-up pair of Bass Weejuns and five takeaways that are important for any retailer looking to thrive. Well, sort of.  I should say that I came home with a single really big takeaway – one that you simply cannot live without – and four other important ones.  It’s like George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm: “Some animals are more equal than others.” Same goes for observations and the stores they came from.

As advanced as we are with search engines and expensive research initiatives, oftentimes the best lessons come from where… read more.

Day three at NRF’s 2012 BIG Show kicked off with a new term that will soon be common jargon among the retail industry: Boundaryless Retail.

Mindy Grossman, Chief Executive Officer, HSN, Inc. introduced the concept of boundaryless retail. It implies that through innovation and collaboration, companies can leverage the power of technology to create an engaging experience for customers. It goes beyond omnichannel strategy and marketing; it’s about creating stories that cross channels and media.

One retail… read more.

The Brand Show joined 22,000 retailers from around the world in New York City today for the kick-off of the National Retail Federation’s 101st Annual Convention and EXPO, better known as The BIG Show.

This year’s theme is “Retail’s New Rules: Engage and Evolve.” Retail heavy weights and rising stars are sharing priceless secrets and strategies for delivering better value and meaning to the shopper.

Immediacy is the underlying theme of day one. For the past three years, the concept of shopper control and shopper demand dominated the… read more.

When I was about twelve, my oldest brother made a post-college trek to Europe. I gave him a few bucks and a plea to bring me back a Swiss Army Knife. A real one. From Switzerland. Screwdrivers, tweezers, a saw, a corkscrew (for all those corks seventh-graders need to unscrew) and even a magnifying glass.

The funny thing about Swiss Army Knives, though, is no one really gives a rip about the knife part. Even though it’s called a “knife,” the reason to get one is to have all those other tools, the things we need to get things done. Mobile phones are that way, too, but in a much bigger way. Rather than gut a fish, tighten some screws or magnify… read more.

If moms of any age are a target for your retail brand, download our newly released report to gain access to exclusive mobile-shopping insights that will increase engagement and drive purchases inside your store.

Download the Report

How can retailers complement their in-store experience with mobile solutions and offerings for the shopper? Share your thoughts below or on our… read more.

Loyalty is a very tricky term to define. And even trickier to achieve.

So, let’s level the playing field here. Brand loyalty is a shopper’s preference for a particular brand, be it a retailer or product, and a commitment to repeatedly purchase that brand in the face of other choices. Traditionally, retailers establish loyalty programs that offer rewards to repeat customers. This allows retailers to keep track of preferences and buying habits, but is this loyalty defined?  It could just as easily be understood as opportunism, transient and fleeting, driven by a transactional relationship rather than long-term engagement.

To… read more.

When we’re young, the pressure to keep up with the in-crowd is one of which few of us escape. And as adults, the pressure remains – but instead of emulating the hairstyle of Susie Q., captain of the cheerleading squad, we now work to emulate the white picket fence lifestyle of the Jones’ across the street.

Retailers are not immune to this innate drive to gauge against what is accepted in the industry to be accepted, savvy and profitable. Only now it’s called benchmarking. And there’s nothing wrong with it… most of the time.

When it comes to deploying digital technology in retail, however, it’s not one-size-fits all.