Should department stores go back to the future?
The thought that "Nostalgia" could play a role in a department store illustrates how creatively bankrupt the concept may be. Jack Welch wrote "If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of...
View ArticleCould Starbucksization mean a Krispy Kreme comeback?
Third place ought never be a goal. Find a void. Reinvent. Think differently. Be first at something! For example, serve Juan Valdez, a great coffee that is superior and attractive to Latin Americans. Or...
View ArticleDick's Sporting Goods hires Olympic hopefuls
Olympic athletes are celebrities. The benefit of having celebrities in the store are substantial. Dick's, when selecting the athletes, was particularly aware of who was trainable and who would be an...
View ArticleShould Cyber Monday be retired?
Never kill a reasonable narrative. Retailers need "stories to tell" to incent traffic. There will always be a Cyber Monday because that's how we think, merchandise, market and brand.
View ArticleWill a less is more strategy solve Target's out-of-stock problem?
There's something missing here. It's impossible to believe Target lacks the technology to master replenishment.
View ArticleAre retailers being helped or hurt by low gas prices?
Shifts in the marketplace, such as lower gas prices, create opportunities for smart merchants. It's a stagnant market that we should all fear.
View ArticleDid Restoration Hardware CEO's customer service rant go too far?
Some companies are managed by fear, employees get used to it. Perhaps this is the only way to get his employees to respond. He knows his culture better than those of us on the outside.He built it, he...
View ArticleAre yesterday's department stores ready to make a comeback?
Before we're too critical, let's not forget Abercrombie & Fitch.
View ArticleAre mass e-mail campaigns here to stay?
Personalization is merely a step in a medium that has hit its peak. Most consumers and executives are inundated with emails. In a period where few have unlimited time, emails are the first to...
View ArticleWalmart's grocery biz is driven by demand, not by do-gooding
Walmart, like all retail businesses, exists to serve their customers. Any suggestion that they should push what's good for clients over what clients want is folly.Do-gooders fail their employers,...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....