There's drive-to-web and there's drive-to-retail. For a handful of smart retailers, a good blog can do both. Chris Anderson of Wired examines the trend: We've been through lots of experiments in giving companies a human voice, few of them successful. Paid pitchmen and celebrity endorsements. Awkward commercials featuring the aw-shucks CEO. Quirky corporate styles and creation myths. In the end they all feel as …
Yo, This Widescreen TV Has Blood On It. Can You Reduce The Price?
You may have heard that Black Friday was a particularly dark day for Wal-Mart. A contract worker at a Wal-Mart store on Long Island was trampled to death in a stampede for low priced merchandise. Consequently, …
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For Circuit City, It’s Lights Out
I called it. From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Circuit City announced plans Monday to close 155 stores, including all 16 of the electronics retailer’s metro Atlanta locations. The company will also close stores in Macon, Warner Robins and Athens. The store locator on the Circuit City Web site now lists only three stores within 100 miles of Atlanta — Rome, Columbus and Chattanooga, Tenn. The company said in a …
Haggling Over Price And Cheapening A Brand
With the economy taking a dive, many consumers are now trying to haggle for everyday items--much like the way car buying has traditionally been. The Chicago Tribune has more: Their ranks are growing. Half of consumers surveyed in April by BIGresearch reported they have started haggling over auto repairs and appliance and electronics purchases. More recently, nearly 60 percent of Britons surveyed said they are now …
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Retail – The Place Where People Buy Things of a Branded Nature
I find it refreshing to read John Wilkins' prose on the opportunities in retail. To maximize retail’s potential, marketers need to develop a deeper understanding of the visual, physical, and interactive aspects of the shopping experience. Unlike traditional media, which is linear and one-directional, the store is an explosion of stimuli. Retail is an opportunity to tell a story, to drive trial-and-repeat purchases …
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Unusual Retail Signage
Fairly Honest Bill's is a used furniture place on MLK and Burnside in Portland. Bill wants to let you know where he's coming from before you enter his environment. …
Revolution Number 9
As someone with experience in point-of-sale advertising, I've said for years that POS can be dramatically improved. Yet, that's not all that can be upgraded—the retail interaction itself can also benefit from new thinking. According to Atlanta Journal Constitution, Coca-Cola is working on a proprietary fountain system that can dispense more than 100 beverages from a single unit. Increased choice might be considered …
Daddy’s Credit Card Accepted Here
Roughly 18.3 million students will enroll in U.S. postsecondary institutions this fall, up 26% from 14.5 million a decade ago. The discretionary spending of these 18- to 30-year-old students is estimated to reach $53 billion this year, a fact which is leading several aggressive retailers to establish pop-up retail locations on college campuses. According to The Wall Street Journal, flip-flop maker Havaianas, a brand …
