Category: Retail Growth

Time for the Shoppers to Bounce Back

10/10/2022

Retailers are notable for their optimism and their resilience.

And the last couple of years have provided ample opportunities to showcase their ability to bounce back.

But now, it's 2022. Time for those customers to pick up the slack. And here's an idea for helping them get started. Without costing a penny in advertising!

Print up some "bag stuffers" (you know, conspicuous notes) inviting them to come back in November.

As you add it to their bag following their purchase this month, point out that when they "bounce back" to your store in November,they will save 20% off one item.

What to Expect This Holiday Season...and From Whom?

10/3/2022

"Consumer confidence rises to five month high."
That headline from Chain Store Age* brings smiles to retailers.

Consumer confidence is a key indicator of retail sales, and this increasing confidence as we head into the holiday season is very welcome indeed.

“Concerns about inflation dissipated further in September—prompted largely by declining prices at the gas pump—and are now at their lowest level since the start of the year,” according to Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators at The Conference Board.
"Looking ahead, the improvement in confidence may bode well for consumer spending in the final months of 2022," added Franco.

But of course, there is no one-size-fits-all upside here.

Digital-First Retailers Discovering Merits of Physical retailing

6/20/2022

The basic definition of retailing is "selling to the ultimate consumer."

As you know, HOW that is done, and in what location or format, continues to change and evolve.

So, we were intrigued by this recent post on the Shopify Retail Blog: The Future of Physical Retail in a Digital-First World.*

The "retail digital-first world", of course, is either the "pure play e-commerce retailers," those who sell only online, or the "brands" (what we used to call manufacturers) who have embraced the "DTC model," selling direct-to-consumer.
And as you know, Shopify is one of the largest platforms for e-commerce businesses. Definitely a leader of the retail digital-first world.

To us, the blog post was essentially a wide-ranging journey of discovery(and perhaps even some new-found respect for those "physical retailers".)

In Pursuit of the Wily Customer

5/16/2022

photo: Greg Gilbert/Seattle Times

Recently we read of a "bookshop on wheels" launched by a college English instructor. While certainly not the first retail variation on a food truck, this one has gained praise for its authenticity.

"What’s most surprising when you walk into Blue Kettle Books for the first time is how cozy and, well, bookstore-ish the tiny space feels."*

Online Merchants Get Comeuppance

4/25/2022

👀 New Respect for Brick-n-Mortar Retailers!
Retail IS detail. And some of those pesky details are increasingly cropping up to torment online sellers.

For example, there's the matter of managing returns. As Chris Jarvis wrote in DMM/ShoppingCenters.com*:

"We return roughly 30% of all online purchases compared to only 10% from brick-and-mortar."
"In 2021 retail returns jumped to an average of 16.6% versus 10.6% a year ago."
"Research suggests that a single online return can cost two-thirds the original price to handle when we include labor, transportation, and warehousing costs."

Meanwhile, the pure-play online retailers are confronting the ever-demanding customer expectations.

Explaining Trends by Lifestages. You Can!

4/18/2022

Just this morning we saw yet another article speculating about the staying power of online shopping, in this instance, grocery shopping.

"Right now, the direction is … unclear," admitted the reporter.* "I have been scouring data on online grocery shopping in the U.S., and I will be humble and say that I don’t have a clear picture."
"My wishy-washy analysis is that Americans haven’t fallen head over heels for buying bananas over the internet, but we aren’t rejecting it, either."

Of course, it's not just media pundits who are looking for answers to this question about online versus in-store shopping. Retailers are living with this issue, and they have to make decisions.

It's Award Season. And your winners are...?

3/21/2022

"And the award goes to...."

No, Not About People This Time
While we typically think of people as recipients of recognition – and we trust you already are doing that, right? – this is a different challenge.

Ready? Here we go! Of your merchandise, which products are Award Winners?!

Silent – yet engaging – addition to your sales team?

3/14/2022

Ready to add a bit more fun to your store, AND generate incremental sales? Consider this friendly Tortoise, a "tap to pay mobile smart store."

Here's how it works. You choose items to sell that can be boxed, and held at room temperature. Maybe it's a dozen cookies. Or a book. Coffee mugs? Mobile phone rechargers. Whatever makes sense for your store. (And apparently, higher priced goods do especially well.)

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Tips, Tactics & Insights from Retail Strategists