Archive for the ‘Product’ Category
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 |
[Big Idea] You don’t even need to buy magazines to learn what’s hot, stylish, or what you & your customers like. This research is free! Find what you like and adapt it to your store. ##
Tanya Irwin | Source: Online Media Daily
The people at Time Inc. have launched MyHomeIdeas.com, a home and garden portal featuring original content, plus material from magazines including Cottage Living, Coastal Living, Southern Living, Southern Accents and Sunset as well as Oxmoor House books.
The portal includes 60 in-house staffers with expertise in design, décor, architecture and landscaping who share their knowledge on the site. MyHomeIdeas.com offers decorating basics, interior design trends, how-to videos, step-by-step instructions for home and gardening projects, virtual tours, new products, “before and after” images, resources, polls and blogs.
Posted in Internet, Niche Marketing, Product | No Comments »
Thursday, February 21st, 2008 |
[Big Idea] Seize every opportunity — even “little” ones — when they present themselves. Considering the lifetime value of even just one customer, it’s worth it! An ounce of perceived “good will” can become a quart of great results. ##
by Nina M. Lentini | Source: Marketing Daily
MARKETING LOVES A VACUUM. IN the wake of Starbucks’ announcement that it will close all of its 7,100 company-owned stores on Tuesday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in order to refocus more than 135,000 employees on its espresso standards, other coffee vendors are leaping to the fore.
Stew Leonard’s, which roasts its 20 varieties of coffee in-house and brews more than 2,000 pounds of beans every day, on Wednesday said it will offer free cups of coffee, espresso and cappuccino while Starbucks is closed. (more…)
Posted in Business Success, Lessons in Marketing, Niche Marketing, Product | No Comments »
Thursday, February 21st, 2008 |
Source: Forbes.com
Direct retailer Lillian Vernon Corp. (Web: LillianVernon.com) on Wednesday filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code, a week after it laid off half of its year-round work force.
Lillian Vernon sells low-cost gifts and gadgets through its catalog and Web site.
Full story at Forbes >>
Posted in Business Success, Legal, Niche Marketing, Product | No Comments »
Thursday, February 21st, 2008 |
James Temple | Source: San Francisco Chronicle
The 184-store chain “is in a severe liquidity crisis,” according to a Chapter 11 filing submitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., on Tuesday, signed by Chief Financial Officer Rebecca Roedell. The company is seeking permission from the court to shutter 90 stores and sell off inventory.
Sharper Image’s declining financial state “may be attributed, in significant part, to its air-purification products,” the filing said. Such items represented 9.4 percent of the company’s revenue in fiscal 2007, down from 27.7 percent in 2005, it said. The company, which has about 2,246 employees in the United States, listed $251.5 million in assets and $199 million in debts.
In addition to challenges on the Ionic Breeze front, high-tech products have lost much of their novelty and have become the purview of discounters like Target Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp., said Kurt Barnard, president of Retail Forecasting LLC of New Jersey. The company also has faced growing competition from stores with similar models, including Hammacher Schlemmer and Brookstone Inc., which introduced a less-expensive air purifier.
“The Sharper Image is no longer alone in pioneering the field of new and exciting items,” Barnard said. “They have found it increasingly difficult over the last couple of years to hold onto their customers.”
He said it’s unlikely the company will ever emerge from bankruptcy protection.
The slowing economy and growing fears of a recession are contributing to Sharper Image’s woes, as shoppers become increasingly cost conscious, said Nina Gruen, executive vice president and co-founder of San Francisco research firm Gruen Gruen + Associates.
“They’re not going out and spending frivolously right now,” she said. “Impulse today is gasoline. They’re not about to buy Sharper Image.”
Get the rest of the story at the San Francisco Chronicle >>
Posted in Business Success, Legal, Niche Marketing, Product | No Comments »
Saturday, February 16th, 2008 |
AP | Source: MSNBC
Overall, the U.S. retail industry is bracing for its bleakest times since the 1991 recession.
…. “We are looking at recession levels of spending for consumers,” said Frank Badillo, vice president and senior retail economist at consulting company Retail Forward. “It’s clearly a difficult environment for retailers that is going to continue for the better part of the year.”
Consumers — weighed down by rising gas and food prices, an escalating credit crisis and slumping housing prices — are expected to hunker down for at least the first half of the year.
Read the full story at MSNBC >>
Posted in Business Success, Niche Marketing, Product, Statistics | No Comments »
Friday, February 15th, 2008 |
[Karin's Take] A conflict not entirely unlike what independent retailers go through at the hands of their suppliers… whether it’s one-size-fits-all marketing (that doesn’t fit!) or devaluing through no marketing at all. The classic struggle between vendor and seller carries on… ##
by Nina M. Lentini | Source: Marketing Daily
DUNKIN’ DONUTS FRANCHISEES IN NEW England and New York are publicly opposing the company’s partnership marketing strategies involving P&G, Sara Lee and Hess, asserting they will “ultimately devalue the iconic coffee brand,” that franchisees’ cash flow is down and shows “little sign of improving,” and that the partnerships will have a negative impact on Northeast markets.
In a statement released on Thursday, the DD Independent Franchise Owners (DDIFO) said 98% of surveyed franchise owners oppose the Sara Lee partnership that calls for the installation of self-service stations in office building break rooms, cafeterias and other venues with large food-service operations.
It also said that 97% oppose the Hess partnership, which calls for the installation of self-service coffee, hot chocolate and donut stations within Hess gas-convenience stations from New Hampshire to Florida.
Last year, Dunkin’ Brands partnered with P&G to sell packaged coffee in supermarkets, drug stores and off-price retailers. DDIFO says those 12-ounce packages of coffee compete directly with the 16-ounce packages sold at Dunkin’ Donuts shops. “To date, franchisees have received no financial benefit from P&G sales,” it says.
“These deals will negatively impact their businesses and the Dunkin’ Donuts brand over the long run,” said the franchise owners group. (more…)
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Thursday, February 14th, 2008 |
By Evan Clark and Kristi Ellis | Source: Women’s Wear Daily
Apparel and accessories specialty stores saw sales advance 1.4 percent from December, driven in part by clearance of holiday merchandise, while the struggling department store sector registered a 1.1 percent decline. Compared with a year earlier, sales at apparel and accessories stores dipped 0.1 percent to $18.8 billion and department store sales fell 4.8 percent to $17.1 billion. The overall retail sales got a boost from a 2 percent rise at gasoline stations and higher car sales.
Despite the sales gain last month, Brian Bethune, U.S. economist at Global Insight, said the first quarter could still be a tough one with February sales reports tilting toward the weak side and consumer confidence declining.
“We still expect real consumption spending to track below 1 percent in the first quarter,” Bethune said in an analysis. “Real consumption spending is in the process of slowing down further. Combined with another very large negative contribution from housing investment, this will ultimately lead to a negative real [gross domestic product] growth rate in the first quarter.”
Full story at Women’s Wear Daily >>
Posted in Product, Statistics | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 |
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Knowing January would be tough, many retailers slashed prices to draw customers.
It wasn’t enough.
Despite extensive discounting, many department stores, women’s apparel sellers and even discounters turned in lackluster sales in January. Just about all of the companies missed analysts’ same-store-sales expectations for the month. Overall, same-store sales rose a mere 0.3% in January from the year-earlier period, the worst monthly showing since March 2003, according to an index compiled by Thomson Financial.
Virtually nothing that stores tried was able to boost sales during January. Gift cards promoted heavily during the holidays proved disappointing.
Full story at the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) >>
Posted in Business Success, Lessons in Marketing, Niche Marketing, Product | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 |
By Jayne O’Donnell, USA TODAY
In recent weeks, some people who seldom shopped at Wal-Mart, for reasons ranging from a perception of low quality to poor customer service, say they’ve put aside those concerns in favor of saving money. Others who normally favor attractively displayed merchandise and a wide selection now say they find off-price retailers a way to shop down without sacrificing style or brands.
That shift, suggests Marcy Syms, CEO of off-price retailer Syms, is “something we’ll see more of, and it’s consistent with past harbingers of recession. It takes a lot for people to change buying patterns. It usually has to be something they feel significantly in their home budgets.”
Marcy Syms notes that the 1990-91 recession actually helped lift sales at Syms.
Phil Rist, a vice president at consumer insights firm BIGresearch, notes: “Consumers are shopping around more. … You’re definitely seeing more activity at the discounters than you do in economic boom times.”
Retail analyst Bill Dreher of Deutsche Bank Securities notes that Wal-Mart emerged from the 2001 recession in stronger shape than it entered it.
The trend could carry long-term implications for all the retailers. People who try — and like — stores in shaky economic times are more likely to stick with them after the economy rebounds.
About 85% of people with household incomes of more than $100,000 reported in WSL Strategic Retail’s new How America Shops survey that they were already shopping at Wal-Mart at least once in the prior three months.
Read the full story at USA Today >>
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Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 |
[Karin's Take] Don’t be turned off by this article’s references to supermarkets and grocers. The target audience of the article is grocery, but the principles of private labeling and why it’s working apply to any specialty retailer who sells food, and specifically private label items. ##
By Janet Groeber | Source: STORES Magazine
Gone are the lackluster generics of yore, when a retailer would knock off a leading national brand right down to the packaging and cut the price by 20 percent. Mainstream supermarkets – pinched on price by Wal-Mart on the low end and on exotic/organic offerings by the likes of Whole Foods Market on the high end, are responding with comprehensive programs to reach shoppers of all stripes.
Supermarket brands now sport slick and sleek packaging that is becoming harder for customers to peg as private label.
Two words – increased margins – make it easy to understand why private label is gaining traction. Retailers that source new products to their specifications can usually eliminate the middleman, boosting profits.
Read the full story, trends at STORES Magazine >>
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Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 |
[Karin's Take] It’s always interesting (and a bit reassuring) to see larger retailers taking common-sense cost saving measures that we “little” retailers took long ago.
Are there any measures they’re taking that you can apply to your business? ##
By Jenn Abelson | Source: Boston Globe
Customers are visiting stores less frequently and buying fewer items at the office supply chain’s 1,430 shops. In recent months, businesses have cut back delivery orders, especially for high-priced merchandise like office furniture and computers. And last summer and fall, Staples Inc. saw sales drop for two straight quarters at stores open at least a year for the first time since 2000.
So, the Framingham retailer is trimming costs everywhere it can, reducing advertising, delaying new hires and renovations, curtailing employee travel, and saving gas with devices that limit the maximum speed of its delivery trucks.
Read the full story at the Boston Globe >>
Posted in Business Success, Product | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 |
by Sarah Mahoney | Source: Marketing Daily
IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, retailers seem to be caught up in one do-the-right-thing spasm after another.
While the trend certainly isn’t new, observers are impressed with the sudden escalation. Maybe, in a soft economy, it’s a way for retailers to build a little extra trust–or to deflect attention from all those depressing “sales are down” headlines. Either way, they say, it’s what consumers want. (more…)
Posted in Business Success, Marketing, Niche Marketing, Product | No Comments »
Monday, July 23rd, 2007 |
by Tanya Irwin | Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
CONSUMERS CONDUCTING ONLINE HEALTH-RELATED RESEARCH favor general health information Web sites and specific ailment-focused sites rather than pharma company sites, a survey shows.
The survey, conducted by Woburn, Mass.-based Prospectiv, shows that of the 800 nationwide consumers who responded to the online poll June 20-22, 54% favor general health Web sites and 37% prefer specific ailment-focused sites, while only 4% prefer pharmaceutical company sites. (more…)
Posted in Internet, Marketing, Niche Marketing, Product | No Comments »
Monday, July 23rd, 2007 |
Source: MSNBC
BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, said Monday it is cutting prices on more than 16,000 items starting this week in a bid to turn around sales for the critical back-to-school season.
The price cuts, which range from 10 percent to 50 percent, will be backed by a new ad campaign on how to save money as gas prices remain high and kids head back to school. The cuts are deeper and involve even more items than in the year-ago period and top the 11,000 items discounted right before last year’s holiday season kicked off, according to Melissa O’Brien, a company spokeswoman. (more…)
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Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 |
7-Eleven Offers Free Slurpees To Celebrate 80th Birthday
Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
LAST SATURDAY, EVERYONE HAD THEIR lucky day when the date hit 7/7/07. Today, though, is one convenience store chain’s lucky day every year: 7-Eleven, the world’s largest convenience retailer with more than 32,400 stores.
This year, the chain is celebrating its 80th anniversary by following the tradition of offering consumers free 7.11-ounce Slurpee drinks for free. Birthday cups will be available as well.
A news release sent out this week promotes the chain’s birthday, noting that a loaf of bread cost 9 cents, a gallon of milk was 56 cents, a dozen eggs cost 46 cents, and ice was sold in blocks rather than bags when 7-Eleven opened its doors in 1927–little more than an ice dock.
Posted in Marketing, Product | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 |
by Nina M. Lentini | Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
IF YOU HAVE A HEADACHE, you take a pain reliever. If the headache persists, you can either keep taking aspirin or start doing something about your long-term health.
That’s the kind of trade-off described in a new report out from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) that focuses on decisions made by consumer products companies as they consider short- and long-term marketing strategies. Sunil “Sunny” Garga, global services president at IRI, used the health care analogy in discussing with Marketing Daily the results of the newly released IRI report, “Long-Term Drivers Consortium Study.” (more…)
Posted in Business Success, Marketing, Media Trends, Niche Marketing, Product, Statistics | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 |
MSN and Microsoft Live’s U.S. search query volume showed a 67% increase from May to June, according to a new report.
By Thomas Claburn | Source: InformationWeek
Microsoft’s search efforts may finally have found some users.
MSN and Microsoft Live’s U.S. search query volume jumped from 8.4% in May to 13.2% in June, a 67% increase, according to Internet metrics company Compete, Inc.
The key to Microsoft’s success? Prizes.
“A good portion of the additional Live searches are coming from the Live Search Club, where you can apparently play games for points which you can redeem for fine Microsoft products,” said Steve Willis, a Compete analyst, in a blog post Monday. “All of the games involve using Live’s search engine — to get the points, you have to search with Live.”
Blingo.com, powered by Google, has been using prizes to woo searchers since 2004.
Full article at Information Week >>
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Friday, July 6th, 2007 |
By Evan Schuman | Source: Storefront Backtalk
The average time it takes a consumer to make an E-Commerce purchase decision has jumped from about 19 hours in 2005 to 34 hours and 19 minutes this year, according to a report that is slated to be published next week.
The report, created by a security service called ScanAlert and based on about 128 million visitors to 470 web sites, makes the reasonable conclusion that the increase is based overwhelmingly on the increase in the number of E-Commerce sites today. In theory, this allows for much more extensive—and time-consuming—comparison shopping. (more…)
Posted in Internet, Marketing, Niche Marketing, Product, Statistics | No Comments »
Friday, July 6th, 2007 |
Note: “trolley” is the Australian term for “shopping cart.” 
by Daniella Miletic | Source: The Age (Australia)
HAVE you ever wondered why you go to a supermarket with a small list of essential items and end up with a trolley full of stuff?
New research may help shed light on this contemporary dilemma.
It has found that when we shop for groceries, we go into four distinct modes of behaviour, depending on what we see on the shelves.
When we are buying sugary things regarded as treats such as chocolate, energy drinks or yoghurt, we go into “buzz mode”. At this point, we are most likely to experiment and are most open to advertising triggers. (more…)
Posted in Marketing, Niche Marketing, Product, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, July 6th, 2007 |
by Hitha Prabhakar | Source: Forbes.com
Dany Roussel, a personal shopper at Canadian luxury department store Holt Renfrew, has had his fair share of bizarre requests from clients.
“The other day, a guy called me up in panic about a tight-fitting tuxedo he had to wear for a black-tie event,” he says. “He wasn’t sure what type of underwear he should wear with the pants, so I sent five different options to his apartment.”
Decades ago, personal shopping was a fee-based service luxury department stores provided for wealthy women. Now retailers have actively started to target men, offering free wardrobe consulting and personal shopping services for anyone who needs help choosing a suit or coordinating the color of a belt to a pair of shoes. To remain competitive, personal shopping departments will go to great lengths to make sure clients keep coming back to their store. (more…)
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Friday, July 6th, 2007 |
by Karlene Lukovitz | Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
ICED TEA IS HOT-AND DUNKIN’ Donuts isn’t about to miss out on the latest beverage craze.
America’s No. 1 coffee retailer (selling nearly a billion cups per year) has now introduced freshly brewed iced teas in its restaurants throughout New England and upstate New York, and plans a nationwide rollout for early next year.
The teas are available made to order, sweetened or unsweetened, in three flavors: original, raspberry and peach. Suggested retail prices range from $1.69 for small to $2.09 for large.
Marketing support for the regional introduction will include 30-second and 15-second TV spots, two radio spots, billboards and bus wraps, online banners on targeted Web sites, and out-of-shop sampling, according to Dunkin’ Brands spokesperson Michelle King. (more…)
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Thursday, July 5th, 2007 |
It’s a vexing tug-of-war: Sears has lost relevance with consumers, new Sears Holdings chairman is holding the line looking for ROI, and the malls that Sears anchors are pulling their hair out about wide-reaching lost rental revenues as a result.
By TERRY PRISTIN | Source: The New York Times
When Kmart acquired Sears in 2005, many people predicted that Edward S. Lampert, the hedge fund investor in Greenwich, Conn., who engineered the merger, was primarily interested in the real estate occupied by the faltering chains. But Mr. Lampert, the chairman of the Sears Holdings Corporation, the parent of Sears and Kmart, vowed to revive both retailers.
Since then, Sears Holdings has prospered as a company, but the sales performance of its chains has continued to decline. As the retailing industry has grown increasingly competitive, Sears Holdings has poured relatively little capital into its stores and has cut back on marketing and other expenses. The low level of spending has been particularly vexing for mall operators, analysts say. Once the nation’s leading retailer, Sears has 861 mall stores, 518 of them owned and 343 of them leased.
“The operators feel short-changed because Sears is not putting the money in to enhance the stores, and that affects other nearby stores,” said Sean Egan, the managing director of Egan-Jones Ratings in Haverford, Pa. “It’s akin to somebody refusing to cut their lawn or paint their house.” (more…)
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Thursday, July 5th, 2007 |
Looking at the buying decisions behind hybrid vehicles. If you know why they want to buy a product, you can more easily target those hot-button desires in your marketing and promotions.
By MICHELINE MAYNARD | Source: The New York Times
A riddle: Why has the Toyota Prius enjoyed such success, with sales of more than 400,000 in the United States, when most other hybrid models struggle to find buyers?
One answer may be that buyers of the Prius want everyone to know they are driving a hybrid.
The Prius, after all, was built from the ground up as a hybrid, and is sold only as a hybrid. By contrast, the main way to tell that a Honda Civic, Ford Escape or Saturn Vue is a hybrid version is a small badge on the trunk or side panel.
The Prius has become, in a sense, the four-wheel equivalent of those popular rubber “issue bracelets” in yellow and other colors — it shows the world that its owner cares.
In fact, more than half of the Prius buyers surveyed this spring by CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore., said the main reason they purchased their car was that “it makes a statement about me.” (more…)
Posted in Marketing, Niche Marketing, Product, Statistics | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 |
Source: Examiner
WASHINGTON (Map, News) – The Supreme Court on Thursday abandoned a 96-year-old ban on manufacturers and retailers setting price floors for products.
In a 5-4 decision, the court said that agreements on minimum prices are legal if they promote competition.
The ruling means that accusations of minimum pricing pacts will be evaluated case by case.
The Supreme Court declared in 1911 that minimum pricing agreements violate federal antitrust law. (more…)
Posted in Business Success, Legal, Marketing, Product | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 |
Source: STORES Magazine
Washington, June 29, 2007 – The most successful retailers in the industry are constantly reinventing themselves to stay one step ahead of the competition, according to the STORES Top 100 Retailers ranking, sponsored by SAP and featured in STORES Magazine’s July issue. The report, which is an annual snapshot of the retail industry, ranks companies by revenue and groups them on one chart regardless of the segment or segments in which they operate. STORES is the monthly magazine of the National Retail Federation.
“It’s not enough anymore for retailers to carry the same merchandise as their competition,” said Susan Reda, Executive Editor of STORES. “From their own brand of food to an exclusive line of tools, today’s retailers will get ahead by differentiating their merchandise and offering products that consumers cannot find anywhere else.” (more…)
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Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 |
by Sarah Mahoney | Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
COLE HAAN IS THE LATEST retailer to jump into the luxury sunglasses market, announcing that it would unveil a line of shades priced between $125 and $500. And Tiffany has announced that its first-ever line of sunglasses (in partnership with Luxxotica) will be available early 2008. Coach, of course, already has a well-established line.
“Eyewear is an essential luxury accessory for our consumer,” says James Seuss, Cole Haan’s CEO. “This category is a natural extension for the brand, with our heritage in footwear and accessories. It allows us to further our image as a lifestyle brand.”
But just how many pairs of $500 sunglasses does America need? Plenty. In fact, it turns out that the style mavens who have been christening sunglasses as the new affordable luxury for months now may know more about U.S. shoppers than economists do. (more…)
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Wednesday, June 27th, 2007 |
by Sarah Mahoney | Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
WANT BRAND SUPREMACY? RESEARCH FROM the Natural Marketing Institute suggests that the most successful product strategies will offer consumers a two-fer, layering a slightly selfish payoff over a fundamental core value. “Consumers are aspiring to achieve the double pay-off of exclusive experiences while supporting guilt-free and eco-friendly goods and services,” says Gwynne Rogers, business director for NMI’s lifestyles of health and sustainability division. (more…)
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Thursday, June 21st, 2007 |
By Gary McWilliams and Rachel Dodes | Source: The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Wal-Mart’s struggles in fashion apparel appear to be worsening.
Stacks of unsold clothing are clogging store aisles and pressuring profits. Now, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s first designer line, by designer Mark Eisen, has been pulled from several hundred of the more than 3,000 U.S. stores that carried it, according to a person close to the situation. A Wal-Mart spokeswoman confirmed the line had been pulled from some stores but didn’t know how many.
Wal-Mart’s chief financial officer says clearing out stocks of unsold clothing is going to be a chore and could pressure margins all summer.
Posted in Bookkeeping, Business Success, Product | No Comments »
Thursday, June 21st, 2007 |
Prices have climbed 55 percent this year
By Alex Davis | Source: The Courier-Journal
A sharp rise in the cost of cheese this year is spreading concern in the pizza industry, from mom-and-pop operators to the nation’s biggest delivery chains.
Block cheddar cheese hit $2.06 a pound this week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, a 55 percent increase from the end of 2006 when it was $1.33 a pound. Cheddar is the benchmark for mozzarella and other types of cheese, which typically make up the largest single ingredient for pizza companies.
“It’s definitely a major concern,” said Rob Mooney, president of Louisville-based Bearno’s Inc., which has 16 restaurants in Indiana and Kentucky.
Full Story at Courier-Journal >>
Posted in Bookkeeping, Business Success, Product, Statistics | No Comments »
Friday, June 15th, 2007 |
[SS NOTE] Don’t read this and think you have to cut your own throat to keep up with the Joneses — you don’t. The Bigger Lesson is in the idea behind their customer reward system. Then adapt the idea (preferably profitably!) however you can. /ss
Source: MSNBC
SEATTLE – Amazon.com Inc. has taken more than a million pre-orders for the final “Harry Potter” book due out in July, but the world’s largest Web retailer won’t make a profit, Chief Executive Jeff Bezos told shareholders at the company’s annual meeting Thursday.
Amazon’s handling of the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” release — a $17 discount off cover price, a free shipping offer and guaranteed on-time delivery — showed yet again that the company is willing to take a hit to cement customer loyalty.
Bezos hammered on Amazon’s “customer-centric” approach during the meeting. (more…)
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Friday, June 15th, 2007 |
BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO | Source: Miami Herald
Forget the $350 stilettos. Shoes with status these days come with $1,000 price tags. And $600 handbags are so bourgeois — A-listers these days don’t want anything costing less than $5,000.
It’s no secret that luxury sales have boomed over the past six years. But at a time when the average American is grousing about meager wage growth, the super rich are seeking new heights in pampering, price tags and the one-of-a-kind items that set them apart.
`INSATIABLE APPETITE’
”There’s this insatiable appetite for the most luxurious,” said Faith Hope Consolo, (more…)
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Friday, June 15th, 2007 |
Troop support drives it, some say
BY DARRELL HUGHES | Source: Detroit Free Press
U.S. flag sales are rebounding this Flag Day, retailers say, as citizens replace worn flags, get ready for the Fourth of July and show support for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sales hit record levels after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the beginning of the Iraq war in 2003 but had slumped by 2004, retailers say. Now, though sales appear to be rebounding, some store owners said the increases will not approach the levels of early in the Bush administration. (more…)
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Friday, June 15th, 2007 |
Source: Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
With about 19 million people in the U.S.–or roughly 9% of cell phone users–highly interested in purchasing Apple’s iPhone, AT&T is looking at a possible windfall of new customers, two new consumer surveys show.
Two-thirds of mobile-phone users who are interested in purchasing the iPhone would be willing to switch from their current carriers to obtain the device, according to a survey of about 11,000 cell phone users by M:Metrics. 12.5% of T-Mobile USA customers express a high interest in the phone; followed by 8.1% for Sprint Nextel; and 6.7% for Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile is seen as especially vulnerable because it has a high share of users in the 18-to-24 age group.
In a separate online survey of 680 people who were shopping for iPods on the Internet, research firm Compete found that 12% of respondents said they have postponed their wireless-phone purchases to wait for the release of the iPhone. An equal percentage said they had postponed buying an MP3 player.
Posted in Marketing, Niche Marketing, Product, Statistics | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 |
Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
AFTER A BIG DOWNTURN, THOSE dresses women everywhere are wearing are creating a retail phenomenon: NPD Group reports that dress sales are up 30.4% in the 12-month period of May 2006 to April 2007, to $5.06 billion.
Last year, sales were down from the previous period by 9.4 %.
A report in Women’s Wear Daily predicts dresses will say hot at least through next spring, based on the latest runway collections.
Posted in Business Success, Product, Statistics | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 |
by Karlene Lukovitz | Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
TODAY’S DADS ARE NOT ONLY spending more time with their kids; they’re actively involved in making buying decisions about products and services for them, a new study from the youth market research and strategy firm Smarty Pants confirms.
The firm conducted 20-minute online surveys with more than 750 fathers of kids between infancy and 12 years of age, as well as individual and small-group interviews.
Turns out that most kid-related purchases, across a wide variety of categories, are jointly made by parents/partners. Furthermore, particularly in certain categories, significant numbers of dads call the shots alone. (more…)
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 |
By Bruce Horovitz | Source: USAToday
Restaurants used to be where folks went to sit and eat. But in a nation whose citizens are increasingly too busy, too impatient and perhaps even too lazy to sit down and eat a meal out, more restaurants than ever are evolving into something few could have predicted even two decades ago: packaged-goods emporiums.
America not only has become a takeout nation, it’s increasingly picky about what it brings home. Takeout lunch or dinner no longer is limited to the neighborhood McDonald’s or Pizza Hut, the supermarket deli or the prepared-food section of an upscale grocer such as Whole Foods. Now, in a trend that’s reshaping the $537 billion restaurant industry, consumers are demanding takeout from casual and even fine-dining eateries.
Full article at USA Today >>
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 |
by Emily Burg | Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
BURGER KING AND VISA ARE encouraging diners to pay with plastic when they dine at Burger King restaurants this summer by offering them the chance to earn a free meal.
The companies have joined forces to launch the “Fastest Way to a Free Meal” promotion, running through Aug. 31 at more than 7,500 participating Burger King locations nationwide, under which customers will have the chance to earn a Visa card statement credit for the amount of a free meal (up to $7) for every 10th purchase.
This is a new partnership for both companies. (more…)
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Friday, June 8th, 2007 |
by Karlene Lukovitz | Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
THESE DAYS, WE HUMANS EXPECT convenience elements to be built into virtually every product we buy for ourselves, even when it’s generic or bargain-priced. But when it comes to our pets, we’re being successfully trained to equate convenience with luxury-which in turn, of course, equates to paying premium prices.
The number of convenience-oriented pet product lines grew nearly 20% between 2005 and 2006, and the number specifically positioned as “upscale” increased six-fold, from seven to 41, between 2002 and 2006, according to data cited in a new report on pet travel and convenience products from the Packaged Facts division of MarketResearch.com. (Convenience products are those touted as being single-serve, disposable, quick, reusable, refillable, no-odor, instant, hand-held and/or microwaveable. Yes, microwaveable.) (more…)
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Friday, June 8th, 2007 |
by Nina M. Lentini | Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
TYSON FOODS, THE WORLD’S LARGEST processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork and the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500, is launching a $70 million campaign aimed primarily at mothers who feel guilty because they can’t or won’t put a “traditional meal” on the family table.
The campaign, which is called “Thank You” for no apparent reason, “will communicate to consumers in a fun, engaging way how Tyson products help make ‘Mom’ a hero at mealtime,” says Carolyn Rehbock, vice president/Insights and Innovation, in a press release. (more…)
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Friday, June 8th, 2007 |
by Sarah Mahoney | Source: MediaPost’s Marketing Daily
L.L. BEAN–THE MAINE-BASED RETAILER BEST known for canoes, fly-fishing gear and signature duck boots–is starting a new adventure: The company plans to open a 700-acre outdoor education theme park near its flagship store in Freeport.
The park would offer visitors the opportunity to learn more about a wide variety of outdoor passions, from snowshoeing and cross-country skiing to kayaking, orienteering and skeet shooting. (more…)
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