ModCloth is an online clothing company that you can visit here: Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes. Now before you go "yawn" another clothing manufacturer, check out their very clever function called "Be the Buyer". Here, as the customer, you can vote on what garment ModCloth will make next. It's democratic customer centric fashion. The item(s) with the highest votes are manufactured and rolled out to the general public. As the voter, you get an email notifying you when the item is being released so you get first dibs on the new couture.
Now isn't this a great idea? Talk about the ultimate in customer engagement. Imagine this concept at a campus store. Soft goods buyers could whittle down the endless array of choices. Say the top ten or twenty new items that they might carry in the store for the upcoming season. Pop up some pics of the garments, broadcast on your social networking sites, and get students to vote on what they would like to see. Pretty cool huh? Imagine the excitement and engagement you could generate from this idea. All with just a little discipline and future planning.
Talk about bringing the store of the future to you now.
Showing posts with label Products and Services. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Products and Services. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Business Book Olympic Medal Round
Seems like the last week or so, it's all Olympics all the time. I try desperately to understand the nuances of curling, or the judging of skating, or what Ice dancing is all about. In between the 1800 heats of 723 individual speed skating events, I had some time to catch up on my reading and found some medal contenders for fine business book reads.
Gold Medal
Goes to "Switch: How to Change Things when Change is Hard" Written by Chip and Dan Heath (columnists with Fast Company magazine), the book is a brightly written tome on how to bring about change in everyday life, both personally and work related. A whole host of analogies and examples are given, centering around the concept of getting the rider and the elephant he is on, to go in the riders direction of choice. Although there is a dearth of these enthusiastic "I can do it!" books out there, this is one of the smarter, and more sound choices in the field, although I'm not completely sold on the whole Angelina Jolie change example as being one that any of us can emulate in any practical way.
An exclusive excerpt is available on the Fast Company Website HERE, as well as some handy hints from the authors, about handling everyday elephants in the workplace, HERE.
Silver Medal
Awarded to Lewis Maltby, Author of "Can They Do That?", a summary of rights in the workplace and employment law. Maltby is founder of the National Workrights Institute, so his dialogue skews decidedly pro employee. Yet, his true employee examples are fascinating and often frightening to hear. A good read for anyone in the workforce. Lessons to be learned, for employees and employers about basic rights and appropriate actions. You can hear Maltby talk about his book, and read more of his examples, HERE
Bronze Medal
Is slipped around the necks of Robert McChesney and John Nicols, for their book "The Death and Life of American Journalism" . Both authors set out to illustrate the free fall of national news media, detailing the loss of city newspapers, journalists, and news bureaus. The numbers are staggering, and they point out that the level of journalism and news reporting of the past is all but gone and not being replaced by on line content.
Of course the decline in news publishing is all about money. Corporations demanding higher and higher profits, as advertising revenues shrink. I'm not sold on their proposal to save the newspaper industry, but that aside, it is highly recommended for anyone wondering about the fate of newspapers and journalism in America.
Also noted
Not true medal contenders, but the Dallas news has a good article HERE on the Container Store Co Founder going undercover in his store to assess customer service and staff sales ability. A practical and interesting article, clearly on the heels of the new TV Show "Undercover Boss". I figure every CEO in the country will be going undercover soon, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The article has some good basic advice for any store manager, just ignore some of the hokey sales pitches that are touted.
Finally, all medals aside, I couldn't help but find a couple of things that, well, just fall into that weird and wonderful category. The first is the American Academy of Pediatrics wanting manufacturers to redesign the hot dog. Presumably the lowly dog, already much maligned for it's contents, is the number one choking hazard for children. Now that's a concern yes, but adding warning labels to the packaging and making the dog less cylindrical? Hmm.
Second, I found this great, lovely, kitchy song from the 1970's by the group "Buddy and the Boys", called "Working at the Woolco Manager Trainee Blues" Remember Woolco? Woolworths? - well this song brings back memories of the store for me. Hard to find a lot of retail type songs, but this one is on my play list, for evoking memories of $1.44 day specials and bad cafeteria food.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Ten4Ten - The Muse predicts 2010
"The Retail Muse" has hauled out the crystal ball, blown off the dust from January 2009, and peeked through the haze to predict the future. In the murky depths, "The Muse" complies a list of predictions for 2010. Covering retail, culture, society and ephemera. A veritable "10 four" of thoughts for the coming months, as we name 2010 the year of:
RATIONALIZATION. Mainstream retail will focus on rationalization and retrenchment. After 18 months, battled by the economy, retailers are running out of gas. Major chains will look at their business models. Close unprofitable locations, reduce expenses and keep inventory levels low. To combat consumer unrest, look for retailers to cautiously discount, preserving profit margins into 2011.
AUTHENTICITY. Consumers will only part with hard earned dollars when the product and the store provides an authentic, and new experience. Look for specialty retailers (like campus stores), to provide new products and services, that are just a little bit outside the norm. This gives customers an authentic, newer than new experience. Customer service will also play a role in the authenticity arena, as those that provide compelling levels of service, will stand out in the customer's eyes, from those that just go through the motions.
ECOCENTRICITY. If the environment and global warming seem to be endlessly cliche, this is the year for retailers to pounce on environmental and eco issues. 2010 brings about the death of the plastic shopping bag. By the end of the year, reusable totes will be the norm as Americans embrace the tote as the bag of choice for most trips to the store. Eco friendly products will continue to grow, and the 100 mile diet will gain traction into the general public. The electric car will be the big story for automakers in 2010, as they recover from the Annubis Horribus of '09. Everyone will want an electric car. Save for Al Gore, no one can get one.
SIMPLICITY. Forget the Dubai infused glimmer of last year. Urban and industrial design will focus on simplicity. But not the cold hard edges of the past. Simple design with an encouraging warmth. A sense of home, evoking the spirit of Bauhaus architecture. Look for less emphasis on the bling, but a greater spartan design aesthetic on everything from clothes, to general merchandise, to urban development.
ECOMMERCE-CATION. Six weeks ago, and the news was full of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While Friday was a bit of a sales yawn, Monday was a surprise. Double digit sales growth from many major merchants on Cyber Monday, says that something big is going on. Look forward to the final quarter of 2010, and check out the major retailers re-acquainting themselves with the possibilities of E-commerce. Customers have finally grasped buying on-line as a safe, simple and secure way to buy. It's not the same E-commerce of the past. Now retailers are embracing like products and industries, driving the trend of E-Commerce shopping plazas. A trend that should send Campus Stores scurrying to their IT developers to capitalize on.
REVIEW-A-NATION. If you are a retailer suffering from out of stock situations, bad customer service or restrictive operating polices, then Review-A-Nation is the trend for you. With the ubiquitous build up of social networking sites like Twitter, and the power of instant good and bad reviews, retailer operation assessment is now in the hands of your customers. Deny a refund? Confusing and anachronistic sales policies? Crabby and angry cashiers? Don't worry, your customers will tell everybody, before you have a chance to even notice the drawbacks in your business. Use January to review your polices and operations. By the fall of 2010, your customers will have your number, and will be letting everybody (and their dog) know.
EREADING. 2010 will be the year of the E-Reader. By September, every major news source will see the E-Reader as the next big product development. Time will name the new Apple "itablet" as the Man of the Year. Everyone company, from Amazon and Apple, to Microsoft and Zoom will have an E-Reader. Talk of sales figures will be all the rage. Battles will ensue on which reader is the best. Consumers, including Universities, will be confused and leery. By the end of the year, E-Readers will be all the next big thing. Of course the question will not be who is buying, but rather, who's reading?
EIGHTIES-CATION. With Pantone naming turquoise as the color of the year, expect more than a few manufacturers to jump on the color bandwagon. Turquoise was one of "THE" colors for the eighties, so look for designers to capitalize on this color flavor with a bevy of Eighties infused fashion and design statements. It must be time for narrow ties, big hair and Santa-Fe Prairie skirts to make their way down the runway.
PINK FATIGUE. There is something admirable about raising money for breast cancer, and supporting a worthy cause. What is not admirable, and even a little cynical, is the products brought to market simply to capitalize on what seemed like a nice colorful cause. Now everything in pink for breast cancer month. From hammers and Handi-Wraps to Monopoly and Triscuits. Enough already! it's all so cliche now, and customers must be tired of it. If "The Muse" is seeing pink products sitting sadly on the dollar store shelves, well then the fatigue has set in and the trend is over. Better just send your money directly to breast cancer research than wasting your time on the pink fruit juice carton.
AVATARNATION. James Cameron might not win an Oscar for his ground breaking, multi-million dollar film, AVATAR, but he single handily has created the biggest entertainment trend for the year. 3D Televisions will be available by springtime. Cable networks are planning to offer 3D programming. Even wine makers are offering 3D bottles of wine. With 60 plus films being released in 3D format, it's the 1950's all over again.
Will Oprah be in 3D? Will we need to don glasses to watch 3D-CNN? The winner will be the creator of the first 3D Ebook reader, made from reclaimed materials, and endorsed by Al Gore.
We guarantee it.
RATIONALIZATION. Mainstream retail will focus on rationalization and retrenchment. After 18 months, battled by the economy, retailers are running out of gas. Major chains will look at their business models. Close unprofitable locations, reduce expenses and keep inventory levels low. To combat consumer unrest, look for retailers to cautiously discount, preserving profit margins into 2011.
AUTHENTICITY. Consumers will only part with hard earned dollars when the product and the store provides an authentic, and new experience. Look for specialty retailers (like campus stores), to provide new products and services, that are just a little bit outside the norm. This gives customers an authentic, newer than new experience. Customer service will also play a role in the authenticity arena, as those that provide compelling levels of service, will stand out in the customer's eyes, from those that just go through the motions.
ECOCENTRICITY. If the environment and global warming seem to be endlessly cliche, this is the year for retailers to pounce on environmental and eco issues. 2010 brings about the death of the plastic shopping bag. By the end of the year, reusable totes will be the norm as Americans embrace the tote as the bag of choice for most trips to the store. Eco friendly products will continue to grow, and the 100 mile diet will gain traction into the general public. The electric car will be the big story for automakers in 2010, as they recover from the Annubis Horribus of '09. Everyone will want an electric car. Save for Al Gore, no one can get one.
SIMPLICITY. Forget the Dubai infused glimmer of last year. Urban and industrial design will focus on simplicity. But not the cold hard edges of the past. Simple design with an encouraging warmth. A sense of home, evoking the spirit of Bauhaus architecture. Look for less emphasis on the bling, but a greater spartan design aesthetic on everything from clothes, to general merchandise, to urban development.
ECOMMERCE-CATION. Six weeks ago, and the news was full of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While Friday was a bit of a sales yawn, Monday was a surprise. Double digit sales growth from many major merchants on Cyber Monday, says that something big is going on. Look forward to the final quarter of 2010, and check out the major retailers re-acquainting themselves with the possibilities of E-commerce. Customers have finally grasped buying on-line as a safe, simple and secure way to buy. It's not the same E-commerce of the past. Now retailers are embracing like products and industries, driving the trend of E-Commerce shopping plazas. A trend that should send Campus Stores scurrying to their IT developers to capitalize on.
REVIEW-A-NATION. If you are a retailer suffering from out of stock situations, bad customer service or restrictive operating polices, then Review-A-Nation is the trend for you. With the ubiquitous build up of social networking sites like Twitter, and the power of instant good and bad reviews, retailer operation assessment is now in the hands of your customers. Deny a refund? Confusing and anachronistic sales policies? Crabby and angry cashiers? Don't worry, your customers will tell everybody, before you have a chance to even notice the drawbacks in your business. Use January to review your polices and operations. By the fall of 2010, your customers will have your number, and will be letting everybody (and their dog) know.
EREADING. 2010 will be the year of the E-Reader. By September, every major news source will see the E-Reader as the next big product development. Time will name the new Apple "itablet" as the Man of the Year. Everyone company, from Amazon and Apple, to Microsoft and Zoom will have an E-Reader. Talk of sales figures will be all the rage. Battles will ensue on which reader is the best. Consumers, including Universities, will be confused and leery. By the end of the year, E-Readers will be all the next big thing. Of course the question will not be who is buying, but rather, who's reading?
EIGHTIES-CATION. With Pantone naming turquoise as the color of the year, expect more than a few manufacturers to jump on the color bandwagon. Turquoise was one of "THE" colors for the eighties, so look for designers to capitalize on this color flavor with a bevy of Eighties infused fashion and design statements. It must be time for narrow ties, big hair and Santa-Fe Prairie skirts to make their way down the runway.
PINK FATIGUE. There is something admirable about raising money for breast cancer, and supporting a worthy cause. What is not admirable, and even a little cynical, is the products brought to market simply to capitalize on what seemed like a nice colorful cause. Now everything in pink for breast cancer month. From hammers and Handi-Wraps to Monopoly and Triscuits. Enough already! it's all so cliche now, and customers must be tired of it. If "The Muse" is seeing pink products sitting sadly on the dollar store shelves, well then the fatigue has set in and the trend is over. Better just send your money directly to breast cancer research than wasting your time on the pink fruit juice carton.
AVATARNATION. James Cameron might not win an Oscar for his ground breaking, multi-million dollar film, AVATAR, but he single handily has created the biggest entertainment trend for the year. 3D Televisions will be available by springtime. Cable networks are planning to offer 3D programming. Even wine makers are offering 3D bottles of wine. With 60 plus films being released in 3D format, it's the 1950's all over again.
Will Oprah be in 3D? Will we need to don glasses to watch 3D-CNN? The winner will be the creator of the first 3D Ebook reader, made from reclaimed materials, and endorsed by Al Gore.
We guarantee it.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sometimes a Great Notion - Wild Rumpus Edition
While The Retail Muse was glued to the tube watching the increasing bizarre saga of "Balloon Boy", a riot broke out at the Burlington Coat Factory, Wal-Mart starts a book price war, Kindle comes up spades, and, with all the pomp and circumstance of a visit to the Magic Kingdom, Disney might actually get their retail presence right this time.
All this, including ER Iphone apps, and of course, Maurice Sendak and the Wild Things Let the wild rumpus begin notions!
There's a Riot Going on.
Another one of those "you can't make this stuff up" articles, concerning one Columbus, Ohio Burlington Coat Factory, a stretch Hummer limo, a lottery winner, and a riot in the racks.
Showing up in a giant stretch Hummer Limo at the Burlington Coat Factory, Linda Brown walked into the store, telling the shoppers that she had just won 1.5 Million in the lottery. To celebrate, she was buying everyone in the store a coat - up to $500. Naturally, bedlam ensued with 500 customers lining up at the registers, cashiers ringing up sale after sale, and another 1000 customer waiting outside to get in and take part in the freebie winter wraps.
Brown, who it turns out had not won the lottery, had her limo driver take her to a bank machine, and then returned to the store empty handed. admitting she had no money to pay for all the merchandise.
Customers acted in the most sensible manner possible, grabbing merchandise, demanding their free stuff and throwing merchandise on the floor. Store employees called in 2 dozen police officers to handle the crowds and restore order. Too late. As one Detective commented, "it was like Hurricane Katrina had swept through the store"
Talk about crying wolf coat.
How low can you go?
Wal-mart.com, drove new book prices down to $8.99 for upcoming hardcover releases. Amazon matched the price point, and an all out price war hasdeveloped, driving hardcover books down 50% to 70% off the publisher suggested list price.
Publishers and booksellers responded that this price dumping wasn't good for the industry, and puts some publishing houses and authors in peril. Other industry observers noted that this price discount model on new titles rarely works, and only further erodes a fragile industry.
Kindle on campus? The results are mixed.
Two hundred students, who received free Kindle book reading devices from Amazon this year, have less than stellar reviews for the device. Many mentioned that the traditional textbook still seems to work. While the Kindle was praised for being a light and handy device, many students found the highlighting and note taking features to be lacking, confusing and not necessarily a good format for learning information.
Still, one student pointed out that using Kindle to listen to her textbooks while sitting in a traffic jam was a great feature, raising the possibility that Kindle could play an important role for students with disabilities in accessing and understanding material from textbooks.
While the jury is still out on the effectiveness on Kindle in the classroom, Amazon plans to use the information culled from this trial for further enhancements and modifications, with an eye of making Kindle an essential part of the student learning experience.
Disney Does Retail (again)
Been to a Disney store lately? No we didn't think so. Once profitable and engaging, Disney stores have fallen on bad times. Poorly and cheaply merchandised, and lack of customer service, the chain has struggled to regain its footing in the malls of America.
Now, with a little help from their Apple friend, Steve Jobs, Disney has launched a new prototype store called "Imagination Park" Gone are rows of merchandise. Instead, a new entertainment theme has been developed. Children can now watch movie clips, chat with Disney stars live via satellite, and sing along to their favorite Disney song.
Microchips in products would unveil hidden entertainment within the stores, fiber optic trees would come alive through the space, and cashiers would be equipped with handheld wireless devices to ring up purchases on the sales floor.
A dramatic change? For Disney retail, definitely a new outlook. Inspired by Jobs comments to "think big", access to Jobs wildly successful Apple stores, and a desire to re emphasise entertainment within a traditional store setting, Disney is setting it's sighs high.
With each store costing a reported $1 million to create and overhaul, it's a big risk for Disney, but has been met with overall enthusiastic response from industry watchers.
DID YOU KNOW?
Apple Store sales average a whopping $4,700 a square foot. By far the highest for a chain retailer. By comparison, Best Buy clocks in at $1000/sq foot. How does your store compare?
Doctor Doctor, Give me the news.
If you are driving down the freeways of Florida, and wondering how long it would take a doctor to see you at the local ER, well you are in luck! Hospital Corporation of America (East Florida Div) has installed large billboards which include an RSS feed showing the estimated wait times at your ER. (Hmmmm says the Muse.....Didn't we talk about this as a good idea recently?)
The company has developed an iphone and texting app (called itriage) that allows you to send a request, and receive information on the closet ER, access to a ER nurse and of course the estimated waiting time.
This is not going to work when you are having a heart attack! The company is quick to point out that 911 should be your first call in critical situations. Yet, it is an intriguing and smart use of technology. Dancing on the line between brilliant and gimmicky; which all great marketing campaigns are made of.
Wild Thing..you make my heart sing.
Offer a children's literature course on campus? Then time to head to the textbook stacks and brush off your copies of "Where The Wild Things Are", Maurice Sendak's Caldicott award winning book. Considered one of the finest children's picture books ever, (although the Muse has a soft spot for Brown's Goodnight Moon"), Sendak's magnum opus is getting big press as the movie adaptation opened in theatres this weekend.
It's a curious amalgamation of the best in children's literature, one of the best directors in the country (Spike Jonze), and a script penned by McSweeny's founder and "Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" author David Eggers.
Reviews have been lukewarm for the film, but displaying the book in your store along with a few plays of the Troggs hit "Wild Thing", and you are sure to attract attention and re-live those moments when you wanted to be just like Max.
Happy campus rumpus!
All this, including ER Iphone apps, and of course, Maurice Sendak and the Wild Things Let the wild rumpus begin notions!
There's a Riot Going on.
Another one of those "you can't make this stuff up" articles, concerning one Columbus, Ohio Burlington Coat Factory, a stretch Hummer limo, a lottery winner, and a riot in the racks.
Showing up in a giant stretch Hummer Limo at the Burlington Coat Factory, Linda Brown walked into the store, telling the shoppers that she had just won 1.5 Million in the lottery. To celebrate, she was buying everyone in the store a coat - up to $500. Naturally, bedlam ensued with 500 customers lining up at the registers, cashiers ringing up sale after sale, and another 1000 customer waiting outside to get in and take part in the freebie winter wraps.
Brown, who it turns out had not won the lottery, had her limo driver take her to a bank machine, and then returned to the store empty handed. admitting she had no money to pay for all the merchandise.
Customers acted in the most sensible manner possible, grabbing merchandise, demanding their free stuff and throwing merchandise on the floor. Store employees called in 2 dozen police officers to handle the crowds and restore order. Too late. As one Detective commented, "it was like Hurricane Katrina had swept through the store"
Talk about crying wolf coat.
How low can you go?
Wal-mart.com, drove new book prices down to $8.99 for upcoming hardcover releases. Amazon matched the price point, and an all out price war hasdeveloped, driving hardcover books down 50% to 70% off the publisher suggested list price.
Publishers and booksellers responded that this price dumping wasn't good for the industry, and puts some publishing houses and authors in peril. Other industry observers noted that this price discount model on new titles rarely works, and only further erodes a fragile industry.
Kindle on campus? The results are mixed.
Two hundred students, who received free Kindle book reading devices from Amazon this year, have less than stellar reviews for the device. Many mentioned that the traditional textbook still seems to work. While the Kindle was praised for being a light and handy device, many students found the highlighting and note taking features to be lacking, confusing and not necessarily a good format for learning information.
Still, one student pointed out that using Kindle to listen to her textbooks while sitting in a traffic jam was a great feature, raising the possibility that Kindle could play an important role for students with disabilities in accessing and understanding material from textbooks.
While the jury is still out on the effectiveness on Kindle in the classroom, Amazon plans to use the information culled from this trial for further enhancements and modifications, with an eye of making Kindle an essential part of the student learning experience.
Disney Does Retail (again)
Been to a Disney store lately? No we didn't think so. Once profitable and engaging, Disney stores have fallen on bad times. Poorly and cheaply merchandised, and lack of customer service, the chain has struggled to regain its footing in the malls of America.
Now, with a little help from their Apple friend, Steve Jobs, Disney has launched a new prototype store called "Imagination Park" Gone are rows of merchandise. Instead, a new entertainment theme has been developed. Children can now watch movie clips, chat with Disney stars live via satellite, and sing along to their favorite Disney song.
Microchips in products would unveil hidden entertainment within the stores, fiber optic trees would come alive through the space, and cashiers would be equipped with handheld wireless devices to ring up purchases on the sales floor.
A dramatic change? For Disney retail, definitely a new outlook. Inspired by Jobs comments to "think big", access to Jobs wildly successful Apple stores, and a desire to re emphasise entertainment within a traditional store setting, Disney is setting it's sighs high.
With each store costing a reported $1 million to create and overhaul, it's a big risk for Disney, but has been met with overall enthusiastic response from industry watchers.
DID YOU KNOW?
Apple Store sales average a whopping $4,700 a square foot. By far the highest for a chain retailer. By comparison, Best Buy clocks in at $1000/sq foot. How does your store compare?
Doctor Doctor, Give me the news.
If you are driving down the freeways of Florida, and wondering how long it would take a doctor to see you at the local ER, well you are in luck! Hospital Corporation of America (East Florida Div) has installed large billboards which include an RSS feed showing the estimated wait times at your ER. (Hmmmm says the Muse.....Didn't we talk about this as a good idea recently?)
The company has developed an iphone and texting app (called itriage) that allows you to send a request, and receive information on the closet ER, access to a ER nurse and of course the estimated waiting time.
This is not going to work when you are having a heart attack! The company is quick to point out that 911 should be your first call in critical situations. Yet, it is an intriguing and smart use of technology. Dancing on the line between brilliant and gimmicky; which all great marketing campaigns are made of.
Wild Thing..you make my heart sing.
Offer a children's literature course on campus? Then time to head to the textbook stacks and brush off your copies of "Where The Wild Things Are", Maurice Sendak's Caldicott award winning book. Considered one of the finest children's picture books ever, (although the Muse has a soft spot for Brown's Goodnight Moon"), Sendak's magnum opus is getting big press as the movie adaptation opened in theatres this weekend.
It's a curious amalgamation of the best in children's literature, one of the best directors in the country (Spike Jonze), and a script penned by McSweeny's founder and "Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" author David Eggers.
Reviews have been lukewarm for the film, but displaying the book in your store along with a few plays of the Troggs hit "Wild Thing", and you are sure to attract attention and re-live those moments when you wanted to be just like Max.
Happy campus rumpus!
Monday, October 05, 2009
Sometimes a Great Notion - Halloween Horrors
Potato chips, candy, dressing as vampires! Has The Retail Muse gone all Halloween three weeks early? Seems like it, and as the muse gorges on salty snacks and tightens his cape, he checks out student bloggers, Vooks, silly walks and "who loves yeah baby". All this and more in the Muse's personal Zombieland.
The economic pillar of salt.
Presumably, an indication of how bad the economy is, can be measured by the quantity of potato chips consumed. Not an economic theory yet, but salty potato chip snack sales have risen 22% since the economy tanked. As the economy recovers, sales will rise a modest 4% per year.
Why? Experts say it's because salty snacks are a good value (which The Muse thinks means "filling"), and a growing trend to chop down on chips between meals. Although 2/3 of shoppers say they want healthier alternatives to chips, with over 300 new salty snacks hitting the market in the last year, it's clear that wants, and needs are not translating into increased sales.
Candy Land
If your idea of a good time at the store is slipping into a diabetic coma, then Dubai is the place for you. Candylicious is the name of the worlds largest candy store, recently opened in Dubai, UAE, spanning 10,000 square feet of sweet fun. Pillars embedded with candy and a candy airplane flying overhead are just two of the out of the world experiences at this candy haven.
The Twilight of True Blood
Even if consumers are going all frugal this Halloween season, Vampires are the #1 choice for adults as a costume. The success of True Blood, and excitement building for the new Twilight movie, have made vampires a must costume this season. Pirates, costume choices. Nurses and politicians have fallen down on the list of most popular.clowns and the Muses' favorite, - Wenches/tarts/vixens, round out the top five Health Care Fatigue?
Recruiting Student Bloggers
MIT has ramped up the blogging of students, encouraging enrolled students to blog on anything and everything about their campus experience. There must be a few good nuggets about campus retail in these blogs, one guesses, but recruiters are using these blogs to appeal to High School students, and prospective recruits to show the
human fun side of college life. MIT has grasped it in a big way, but Amherst, Yale and Vasser are all seeing these blogs as an effective recruitment tool for new students.
When panic sets in
Book publishers, checking out their financial statements, are developing multi media applications for popular ebooks. After years of trying this with college textbooks, publishers are embedding video, charts and music within popular fiction and non fiction titles to ride the Kindle craze. The moniker for all this multi media mania is "vooks" (Video Books), one of the most unpleasant product names of all time.
Silly Walks.
It"s been forty years since the first episode of Monty Pythons Flying Circus sketch show, but interest and enthusiasm still runs strong. New documentaries, a stage show with the 5 remaining cast members, and a host of products are hitting the bookshelves and theaters in the next month. Interest in Python has never waned, with 12 year old to college students still reciting the lines of "bookshop" and "dead Parrot" and "ministry of Silly Walks" to anyone that doesn't roll their eyes in tedium. Still, a great and fun product line to sell in many a campus store.
Who loves yeah?
According to Internet Retailer the most talked about companies online include Amazon, Target and Ikea. The new survey tracks references to the retailers name over 100 million blogs, including analyzing the tone of each reference. Other most talked about retailers, include discounters like Wal-mart, Costco and Kmart. Other top fifty references include tech retails like BestBuy, and fashion depots such as H&M.
Pop up in Airports.
Campus retailers can always look to airport retail as a good example of what might come their way some day. In Glasgow, Scotland, pop Up retail has taken on a new form with the company Planeshop. This company is setting up pop up retail sites throughout the airport with the intent of changing the brand and product selection on a regular basis. A carousel of ever changing products for consumers. Customers can vote for the brands they would like to see in the store for the future, and as each brand "pops" up, the outside graphics change to lure new shoppers in.
Walgreen's Basics
Rather than roll out more locations, Walgreen's is taking a new tack, renovating existing stores and reducing inventory. Many of the nations Walgreen's will be renovated to update the in store experience. Additionally, Walgreen's is reducing the amount of products they carry, reducing a typical 22,000 item Walgreen's by some 5000 items. The hope is to make products more visible, weed out slow selling products and make the shopping experience more worthwhile for the customer.
Now, when was the last time you thought a campus store could take a page from Walgreen's?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sometimes a great Notion - September 14
Happy wedded bliss notions!
There's (not) an App for that.
Randall Stross, Business instructor at San Jose State University, took a hard cold look at reading textbooks on the apple Iphone. Using the apple Iphone app etextbooks, developed by CourseSmart, Stross found that reading a traditional textbook, on a small six square inches of display, was tiresome and tedious. The traditional paper book still wins in his eyes. While he sees some benefits of Kindle applications for textbook reading, until the price drops, he doesn't see students swooping into ebooks in big numbers.
Publishers who founded CourseSmart, sell up the convenience factor of etextbooks, but Stross points out that as a practical application, there is not an app for the textbook / Iphone marriage.
Cranking out the DVDs
Every few years in the retail landscape, someone comes up with a new vending machine that will change the world. Most fail or never live up to expectations, but Redbox might be changing that. Redbox is an Illinois company that rents DVDs through a fully automated vending machine, charging $1 for the rental. By the end of the year, Redbox plans to have 22,000 machines placed in supermarkets, WalMart and convenience stores.
Redbox is not the only player in this opening market. DVDPlay and MovieCube are two others, with Blockbuster, about to launch their own version of vending movie rentals. Citing convenience, ease of use, and a wide range of popular titles, consumers are gaining acceptance of this fast form of rental. Retailers see this service as a way to draw regular traffic into stores.
Seems like campus stores would be a great place for a Redbox or two.
Epaper Shelf Tags.
A Seattle natural food market will begin testing the latest invention, the epaper shelf tags from ZBD Solutions. Instead of paper shelf tags, the tags utilize small LCD displays to broadcast price, description and promotional information. While the company is touting this technology innovation as an environmentally friendly solution, the other major benefit is the ability to update information quickly and easily. The tags are clear, easy to read and a size that is perfect for all that textbook course information. Something that most campus retailers pull their hair out trying to manage.
Tote a billboard
Target is always a clever and ingenious retailer with an artistic flair. Pairing up with designer Anna Sui, Target plans to reuse their Times Square billboards into trendy exclusive tote bags. Certainly a great recycling of otherwise disposed of advertising material. The totes will be sold in target stores nationally, beginning January 2010.
99 cent vows.
The Hollywood, California (well where else?) Cents Only dollar store wins the prize for best in store promotion ever, inviting nine couples to be married in their store for the princely sum of 99 cents. After the 5 minute wedding ceremony, behind dented cans of chicken noodle soup, the newly married couples attended a reception, entirely made up of 99 cent lunch items, and then were whisked off to a luxury hotel for the honeymoon.
Over 500 entries were received for the promotion, so it seems that the pursuit of frugality knows no bounds these days. No comment on what exactly the buffet was with 99 cent luncheon items. We'll leave that to your imagination.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Sometimes a Great Notion - Sept 7. 2009
Oh the post Labor Day malaise! After laboring all weekend, The Retail
Muse dons his mop top wig, sings Christmas with Dylan, gets tangled up
in blue receipts, checks out the lost symbol, gets blinded by OLED lights, and channels his inner Steve McQueen.
Happy Musical Notions!
Labor Day 2009
Nothing like the Labor Day weekend (or Labour Day for those north of the 49th). The unofficial end of summer, and packing the school, and
college kids back to school and academia. Did you know that Labor Day was actually started in Canada? In the 1870's in Hamilton and Toronto. Noticing a good idea, and dropping a vowel, the first Labor Day rally was held in the US in 1882. To celebrate, The Retail Muse listened to cheesy 80's song's from Loverboy, especially "Working for the Weekend". You can check out the video, and headbands, here.
Can't Buy Me Love.
It's time for the 21st century Beatle mania this week, as a host of products hit the shelves starting September 9. (9/9/9 - get it?). All the Beatles recording are being released on CD, re-mastered with new
liner notes, videos, and exceptional sound quality. Considering that the last releases on CD, sounded like the Beatles recorded the tracks
in the back garden loo, Beatles fans young and old, are eagerly
awaiting the new releases. Box sets, including a true mono set, are being released, along with the new Beatles Guitar Hero where you can channel your inner Beatle and rock out to"Octopus Garden". Now doesn't this sound like a fun lunch time activity on campus?
Pundits are betting on the Beatles single handily reviving the CD format, and boosting CD sales for the first time in years. Seems like a tough order to save free falling CD sales, but the Beatles still have legs even 40 years later, and expect these products to be must haves from now, through the holiday season.
Little Dylan Drummer Boy.
In the, "you can't make this stuff up" category, the latest news from the Bob Dylan camp is the October release of his first Christmas Album! Yes that's right, Dylan will growl, grumble, and mutter his way
through a host of traditional Christmas classics, all in the name of raising money and awareness for Feeding America. A guarantee to provide 4 million meals to families in need, is included in the press
release.
It's such a strange item, for such a worthwhile cause. The Retail Muse is hoping stores will look into stocking this CD, with proceeds going to support student food banks this holiday season. After all, If there is one item to buy for the Christmas season, this is it!
Tangled up in Receipts
The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article on the growing length of customer receipts. Buying a pack of gum these days, seems to generate a novella of information.Everything from bar codes, product descriptions, return policies and feedback opportunities abound.
Customers seem a little disenchanted with the lengthy paper trail, questioning the value of the information and the waste of paper. On the flip side though, Customers respond to comment requests and coupon offers on receipts at a much greater level than traditional comment cards and mail outs.
A Lost Symbol?
Next week is the big Dan Brown, Lost symbol week for booksellers.
Brown's follow up to the Da Vinci Code, hits the street September 15, with a 5 million copy print run from Knopf. Amazon and Barnes and
Noble are going gangbusters with early orders, with independent booksellers concerned about price discounting and the book available everywhere. Booksellers are looking for ways to market the book, including giving it away with a $100 in store purchase.
Blinded by the OLED Lights
OLED Lights, or Organic Light Emitting Diodes, are being touted as the next great environmental lightning solution with a wide range of
applications. These new lights not only exist as one single light, but can be manufactured into large sheets of light for use in commercial and retail applications. Although the cost is high, the price will come down as designers and manufactures begin looking to this new technology as a viable and illuminating solution for environmentally sustainable lighting solutions.
Steve McQueen and the Fast Machines
Sheryl Crow crooned a few years ago about being "like Steve McQueen,Needs a fast machine". Now the fashion industry has caught up, and
Steve McQueen is the new icon fashion face for a number of designers.
Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, and Michael Kors have all launched menswear items featuring, or inspired by, the long lost "king of cool" Although aimed at the over 50's crowd that remember McQueen, the designers see
the actor gaining traction with the 20 something crowd.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sometimes a Great Notion - August 24
With Fall 2009 back to school rush hitting campuses right about now, The Retail Muse stands in some lineups, reads the NYT, wonders about those new discounts at Abercrombie, thinks about the campus tour, and pauses to consider voice recognition for finding textbooks.
Shuffling through the long line, The Retail Muse practices some shadow puppets, to lighten the mood and keep all amused.
Happy lineup notions!
The waiting is the hardest part.
You don't have to tell a campus retailer that the biggest challenge during rush, is managing the lineup and wait times. Still, according to the Wall Street Journal, the biggest, ongoing checkout lineups continue to be with your local grocery store. And it's driving customers nuts. The biggest complaint mentioned by customers, outside of waiting time, is fairness. No matter what line you take at the checkout, you will end up in the slowest one.
Now retailers are moving from individual checkout lines, to one large line. Just like banks, airlines, and College Stores!
Buffing the price.
After insisting that they would stand firm on their pricing strategy, no matter what the economy was doing, retailer Abercrombie and Fitch has finally blinked. After a recent quarterly loss, Abercrombie is revisiting it's retail prices, and looking for ways to add value, and appeal to cost conscience buyers. Not sure if this is too little, too late, but desperate times calls for desperate measures, even in the buff world of A and F.
Backwards, forwards.
Colleges are looking at ways to improve the college tours says the New York Times. Besides focusing on more dialogue with the attendees, the biggest change for college tour guides is to walk forwards! That's right, auditors of college tours noted that being a tour guide, walking backwards all the time, resulted in a rather challenging conversation, and the risk of hitting trees.
Sensible markdowns.
BusinessWeek has an interesting article on the perils of discounting, focusing on the top three rules of sensible markdowns. Discount briefly, discount credibly, discount creatively. An excellent article for all buyers, merchandisers and managers to consult before slashing prices.
The death of the textbook.
It must be August, when the media goes to print with the latest and greatest ideas to avoid purchasing textbooks. The New York Times has an exhaustive article on publisher direct textbook rentals, while a recent article from canwest news service voices enthusiasm over the virtual textbooks as convenient as a students' iPhone.
Speak to me.
If customers are getting lost in your store, searching out the required titles for this fall, then this might be for you. Ace Hardware is rolling out a pilot program to tell customers where in the store items are located, via their cell phone, and voice recognition software. The customer says the name of the product, and then, the system tells the customer where the product is located in the specific store. Presumably this will make shopping for nuts and bolts that much easier, but imagine if this worked for your textbooks!
Bunnies
Only the cold hearted dislike bunnies and shadow puppets. US Cellular has just launched a new ad that has nothing to do with cell phones, but everything to do with charm. you can check out the video below, which should put a smile on anyone's face.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Frugal Notions
Sometimes a Great Notion Week of Aug 10 , 2009
Ah the discount days of summer! With overall retail sales slumping in July, the trend to follow right now appears to be frugal shopping. Back to school season is all about savings, discounts, and cutting back on the BTS budget. Cheap is the new black.
Amongst all the doom and gloom, THERETAILMUSE checks out at the latest in restaurant trends, orders a coffee from McDonald's, tries to use the laptop in NYC, and hangs out with Sears (Sears?!), to choose some new dorm room accouterments.
Happy frugal notions!
Getting Chopped
A Tuscon, Arizona couple have opened a new restaurant concept called “chopped” . With two locations in Arizona, the couple hope to take their concept nationwide through franchising. The concept is pretty simple. Fresh, big, made to order salads, with fresh soup and sandwiches. Customers can choose from created salads or create their own by filling out a card, and ticking off their favorite ingredients. Salads range from 6.99 to 9.99. It’s a healthy, leafy version of 31 flavours ice cream. A perfect fit for campus food services.
A Cup of McJoe
McDonald's Corp should be happy these days. While all their competitors try to ride out the recession, McDonald's global sales have increased 4.3% in July. Most of this increase comes on the back of McDonald's coffee sales, including the espresso and latte’s, under the new McCafe banner. This low price, coffee alternative, is pulling people away from Starbucks and other premium brands, making a simple inexpensive cup of coffee a consumer delight.
Not always welcome.
Coffeehouses in New York City have had enough of people using their restaurants to dwell in, and use the free wireless service. Stating that customers take up tables that are needed for lunch rushes, one coffee shop owner has stopped offering wifi service in the café, and others are following suit. Although this appears to be happening only in NYC, it is likely to spread as owners and operators look for ways to maximize their investment. It reminds me of the trend to put chairs in Bookstores, then take them out, then now bring them back again. Keeps customers guessing I guess!
Radio Waves.
Presumably Radio Shack is still in business! To celebrate this fact, and to remind customers that they are still around, Radio Shack is re-branding as “the Shack”. Well, sort of. Word from Radio Shack CEO is that “the Shack” moniker will be used in marketing and branding statements, but the stores will remain as “Radio Shack” for the time being. Will this change confuse people, or just seem be ignored?
Old School Marketing
Since all the marketing money these days seems to be spent on E pursuits, a new study suggests that old school newspaper insert marketing may be just the way to go. According to MORI research, 59% of adults use newspaper inserts to review, analyze, and make purchasing decisions on products. Certainly bucks the conventional wisdom. Wonder if this holds true for the 18 to 25 year old crowd on campus?
Booksellers Unite.
Barnes and Noble has purchased B and N College Inc for 596 Million. The college division was separated from B and N in 1986. Interestingly, while B and N store sales are down 3% this year, the college division have seen sales increase averages of 6.2% over the past three years.
Powell’s City of Books is revamping its website to stay competitive, and remain a force within the online book purchasing world. Although significantly smaller than Amazon and Barnes and Noble, Powell’s attributes 25% of their yearly 45.2 million revenue through their online site. Plans to revamp the site include adding new product categories, and have resulted in new store positions, including an e-commerce store manager, an e-commerce marketing manager and technology specialist.
Dorm Room Chic
Sears has entered the dorm room business in a big way with a facebook application called “campus ready”. It includes, among many things, an interactive dorm room design tool that allows users to drag and drop furnishing into the space, getting a chance to see what their selections will look like in their new dorm. Of course, they can then choose color combinations, order online, and pick up from the Sears store nearest their campus. Smart idea, if somewhat utilitarian.
If Sears is not for your customers, check out an interesting article from the Hartford Courant: Dorm Décor on a Dime. The article describes a number of strategies students are using to ensure frugality (there is that word again), is not frumpy. Students are loading carts at dollar stores, checking out discounts on facebook and twitter, and browsing overstock.com.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Blink or miss it Notions
Remember last week when tales of retailers gearing up for BTS was all the rage? This week the mass merchants are price slashing deeper than ever before. Seems pretty difficult to compete on pricing right now, so The Retail Muse” searched out some weird and wonderful products, which might distinguish your store from all the rest. In the process, we found a few interesting tidbits on pop up retail, and how to keep up with changing trends.
Blink or you’ll miss it notions!
Sometimes a Great Notion Week of Aug 3, 2009
The $300 laptop
Both Wal-Mart and Best Buy have launched major back to school laptop promotions, breaking the $300 retail price point. Best Buy is offering an entry level laptop at $299. Not to be outdone, Wal-Mart started offering its laptop this weekend, at a price of $298. Both companies are offering national branded product, although the laptops are definitely entry level, with low levels of RAM and Hard Drive size. At $300 though, customers will be giving some serious thought to these offers, and might have some trouble understanding the large price difference between these models, and laptops needed by college students.
Weird and Wonderful
Looking for products and services that make you stand out? Here are a few weird and wonderful ideas for the upcoming sales season:
- Web sites promoting handmade and unique items are gaining in popularity. Madeitmyself.com, Etsy, and Silkfare, are three web portals linking local artisans with interested buyers. As customers search out new and different products to buy, these sites have gained rapidly in popularity. Etsy, saw sales rise from $166,000 in their first year of business, to now over 87 million. Opportunities for retailers to hook up with these sites are growing. This allows stores the chance to stock, and sell items that customers can’t find elsewhere.
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- Harry Potter is so July 2009. This fall it is all about Twilight, as the second movie of the wildly popular book series hit the theatres this October. There are many opportunities for selling Twilight merchandise, including of course, the books! Nordstrom has just launched a new fashion line in their stores inspired by the movie, called Twilight: New Moon collection. Except every other retailer to ride the Twilight bandwagon in the fall.
- Mosquito repellent as the big seller? How weird is that! The new Proctor and Gamble clip-on mosquito repellent has become the must have item this summer. According to P and G, sales for the plastic clip-on mosquito repellent fan, sold under the “off” brand name, have exceeded sales projects by 400%
- Stores are sold out, customers are searching far and wide for one, and P and G can’t keep up to the orders flooding in for this $9 geek clip on fan. Sometimes you got to wonder what grabs the attention of people.
Pop goes the Store
Pop up retail is back. The action of setting up stores in un-used spaces for a few days or weeks has had some success in the past. Now retailers are back to experimenting this summer, opening in old museums, abandoned store fronts and other, unused buildings. The key is to create excitement for the customer and emphasise scarcity. Buy it today or we are gone tomorrow.
No word on retailers considering college campuses, like they did in some places last year. But, worth keeping an eye out on your campus in case the big Target bulls-eye is suddenly draped across your campus commons.
Track it all
Now you can track everything in the world of trends through trendrr.com it’s a free service that bills itself as a real time social and digital media tracking service. You can track up to ten trends from all the top social networking sites, and track twitter searches to see what is hot, and not, every hour of every day. It’s an interesting site, proving again that mass culture trends come and go in the blink of an eye.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sometimes a Great Notion - July 19 Edition
What a week for the Retail world! It seems like just yesterday that everyone was packing away their 2008 holiday wares, and focusing on the spring, when what do you know? Christmas in July 2009! For those that can’t stomach the idea of Christmas music in your store this early, a great deal of activity as retailers gear up for the 2009 Back to School season. Finally, a cautionary tale of what happens when you break someone’s guitar. And, how online viral video can send your business into a tailspin.
Happy holiday notions!
Sometimes a Great Notion
It’s beginning to look a lot like....
Christmas? Well, that seems to be the plan with Sears and Kmart, both launching Christmas promotions on their respective web sites. Sears has launched Christmas Lane departments in 372 stores, encouraging shoppers to buy early (while they have a job I guess), and take advantage of Sears and Kmart layaway plans. Is this a good idea? One analyst suggests that it is desperation, rather than retailer inspiration.
In other Holiday news, look for retailers to push harder on holiday shopping this year, as they try to clear inventory levels and respond to slumping spring and summer sales. Word on the
street is that Black Friday will start earlier this year with greater discounts, pushing up the sales blitz to Columbus Day, six weeks earlier than the traditional Thanksgiving weekend.
It’s starting to be a gloomy......
Back to school! After lackluster June sales, retailers are already gloomy about the BTS shopping season this year. According to a recent National Retail Federation (NRF) survey, parents expect to spend about 7.7% less this year on back to school items, most noticeably in apparel. It reflects the continued lack of consumer confidence in the economy.
Two bright spots in the survey however. Technology and electronic products are still a must buy, and the survey estimates as much as an 11% increase in consumer spending in these areas. College bound students and families expect to spend 25% MORE than last year, a huge increase that raises the question, will this expectation actually translate into greater sales at the campus store register?
With BTS the second biggest shopping season, expect retailers to respond accordingly. JCPenny has recently launched a new website for teens to shop and choose their own clothes, and big box discounters like Target, Wal-Mart, and TJ Maxx all have campaigns in the works to woo parents and teen shoppers to their stores. Staples is taking an aggressive tact (isn’t this short for “tactic”?) this BTS season, lowering the prices on 250 core school supplies. Additionally, Staples is planning to bring back its well know “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” commercial spots in an effort to spark consumer enthusiasm. Expect to see Alice Cooper dancing through the Staples aisles on your tube soon!
If all else fails....
Dress like Cows! Chick-Fil-a, the rapidly growing chicken fast food chain, has a habit of creating interesting and humorous promotional campaigns. The latest, allows customers who show up at their restaurants in cow regalia to receive a free meal on “cow appreciation day.” Sort of makes you wonder if you can’t convert this idea to the campus store with the college mascot.
Chick-Fil-a has a Labor Day weekend promotion planned for this year, giving away a free chicken sandwich to any person showing up wearing a sports logo shirt (professional or amateur). Sounds like a way to partner and move some branded merchandise!
The greening of Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart stores just announced a new environmental initiative, telling over 100,000 suppliers that they will be expected to provide full environmental costs for a new labelling initiative on store shelves. Suppliers will be required to provide information on waste generation, community involvement, and resource use in manufacturing products.
As the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart’s gambit is significant. Compliance by manufacturers will be a requirement of doing business, and the expectation is that this initiative will roll out as early as 2011.
In terms of supplier transparency and sustainability, this is big news for the campus store. Expect to see suppliers providing this environmental information to all accounts in the next few years, as they change their packaging to meet the Wal-Mart initiative.
And finally,
A cautionary tale of consumer power. After United Airlines broke his guitar on a flight from
Monday, June 22, 2009
Changes in Convenience Categories
As convenience categories continue to prove profitable for many campus stores, I thought you might be interested in some statistics on year-to-year changes (2007-2008) for some lines. All these come from The Neilsen Co. via a March 30, 2009 article in Convenience Store News (www.csnews.com):
Packaged Beverages: The full category had only 1.3% change, but was -3.6% in unit volume. The leader in this category, clearly, was the Alternative sub-category--"energy" drinks.
Beer: Just kidding!
Candy: The category had a 3.9% change, but a -4.3% change in unit volume. The non-chocolate bars/packs sub-category lead in $ sales change (6.3%), but still fell in unit volume (-1.5%). More on this sub-group later. The novelties/seasonal sub-group had 5.3% change and 1.3% in volume...but most campus stores don't do too much in this area.
Salty Snacks: The full category had the best reported change in dollar sales at 4.4%. And the change in unit volume, while still negative, was only -0.9%. A winner in this category was "packaged ready-to-eat popcorn" at 13.9% change in dollar sales and 7.3% in unit volume.
Alternative Snacks: Another ho-hum set of results at 2.6% in sales and -2.8% in unit volume. However, the "granola / yogurt bars" sub-group came in at 5.6% change in sales and 1.0% in unit volume. Maybe the healthy eating trend is indeed here to stay.
I promised more about cereal and granola bars. A sidebar item in the same issue of Convenience Store News offered some interesting statistics from Mintel Int'l Group Ltd.:
Packaged Beverages: The full category had only 1.3% change, but was -3.6% in unit volume. The leader in this category, clearly, was the Alternative sub-category--"energy" drinks.
Beer: Just kidding!
Candy: The category had a 3.9% change, but a -4.3% change in unit volume. The non-chocolate bars/packs sub-category lead in $ sales change (6.3%), but still fell in unit volume (-1.5%). More on this sub-group later. The novelties/seasonal sub-group had 5.3% change and 1.3% in volume...but most campus stores don't do too much in this area.
Salty Snacks: The full category had the best reported change in dollar sales at 4.4%. And the change in unit volume, while still negative, was only -0.9%. A winner in this category was "packaged ready-to-eat popcorn" at 13.9% change in dollar sales and 7.3% in unit volume.
Alternative Snacks: Another ho-hum set of results at 2.6% in sales and -2.8% in unit volume. However, the "granola / yogurt bars" sub-group came in at 5.6% change in sales and 1.0% in unit volume. Maybe the healthy eating trend is indeed here to stay.
I promised more about cereal and granola bars. A sidebar item in the same issue of Convenience Store News offered some interesting statistics from Mintel Int'l Group Ltd.:
- Among users, granola and cereal bars are thought of as snacks (85% and 75%, respectively)
- Cereal bars are more often chosen as a "meal replacement" (59% vs 39%) and use highest among 18- to 24-year-olds (66%). You hear that campus store folks with a traditional aged student population?!
- Consumers 18-24 and 25-34 are most likely to consume both types of bars while working and traveling. Between class and studying?
- Cereal bars are more likely to be consumed at breakfast (96% vs 78%), while granola bars win out at lunch time (41% vs 62%)
- Survey respondents ages 25-34 were more likely to eat either type bar for breakfast.
- Men are more likely than women to eat bars for lunch and dinner.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Keep it Green by Recycling Unwanted Books
From one of the NACS discussion lists comes a referral to Green Earth Book Recyclers.
If you and your students have unwanted books throughout the year, consider partnering with this company. They do not sell books online and provide certificates of destruction for all batches of books sent to the grinder. Other books in good shape, especially children's books, are batched and donated to charitable organizations.
Find out more about Green Earth Book Recyclers on their web site: http://www.greenearthbookrecyclers.com/index.html.
The Retail Muse
If you and your students have unwanted books throughout the year, consider partnering with this company. They do not sell books online and provide certificates of destruction for all batches of books sent to the grinder. Other books in good shape, especially children's books, are batched and donated to charitable organizations.
Find out more about Green Earth Book Recyclers on their web site: http://www.greenearthbookrecyclers.com/index.html.
The Retail Muse
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Everything's Coming up COLOR!
Color is one of the most important concepts to selecting, buying, and presenting merchandise.
And thanks for one of the content leads in NACS' recent online course, In-store Marketing, we've found a fun and powerful way to experiment with color via a new web site: http://www.colorblender.com/.
At colorblender.com you can:
- Choose a preferred color using the color picker
- View a 6-color matching palette (a "blend") that is automatically calculated
- Switch to to Direct Edit mode to tweak or edit individual colors of your blend
- Save "blends" for future use on your computer (uses cookies)
- E-mail "blends"
Enjoy this cool online tool!
The Retail Muse
And thanks for one of the content leads in NACS' recent online course, In-store Marketing, we've found a fun and powerful way to experiment with color via a new web site: http://www.colorblender.com/.
At colorblender.com you can:
- Choose a preferred color using the color picker
- View a 6-color matching palette (a "blend") that is automatically calculated
- Switch to to Direct Edit mode to tweak or edit individual colors of your blend
- Save "blends" for future use on your computer (uses cookies)
- E-mail "blends"
Enjoy this cool online tool!
The Retail Muse
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Display Supplies
Looking for a source for display supplies (or inspiration)? Try Rose Brand at RoseBrand.com.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Create Your Own… .
The advertising marketplace is all a flutter this week as The Gap brings back some heavy duty advertising for the fall after a 2008 ad hiatus. Instead of the usual Gap marketing onslaught of high dollar big name entertainers in a pair of khakis, Gap has chosen more niche focused musicians, actors and celebrities to anchor the new “create your own…” campaign.
With visuals in relaxed black and white visuals and strong GAP graphical statements the new campaign is in stark contrast to the Madonna electric disco ball feel of past campaigns.
All of this got me to thinking that there is a reason Gap chose these slightly recognizable faces. They are all early adopters and trend setters and what better way to get customers in the store than suggesting that you too could be a trend setter?
My first thought for the campus store was how about bringing this concept to the campus community? Find some early adopter trendite student browsing the aisles of your store this fall. Offer em a chance of Campus fame and fortune and before they change their mind dress them up in some new campus wear and letting them loose with the campus photographer.
You’re very own campus ad focusing on your store’s mix and match selection, individual expression and recognizable campus faces.
Someone should try this – At least to prove me wrong.
Mark Patten
With visuals in relaxed black and white visuals and strong GAP graphical statements the new campaign is in stark contrast to the Madonna electric disco ball feel of past campaigns.
All of this got me to thinking that there is a reason Gap chose these slightly recognizable faces. They are all early adopters and trend setters and what better way to get customers in the store than suggesting that you too could be a trend setter?
My first thought for the campus store was how about bringing this concept to the campus community? Find some early adopter trendite student browsing the aisles of your store this fall. Offer em a chance of Campus fame and fortune and before they change their mind dress them up in some new campus wear and letting them loose with the campus photographer.
You’re very own campus ad focusing on your store’s mix and match selection, individual expression and recognizable campus faces.
Someone should try this – At least to prove me wrong.
Mark Patten
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Summer, Festivals, and Clever Ideas
I just love festivals--music, art, and food festivals to be specific.
So summer is a wonderful time for me. Many Saturdays are spent wandering up and down canopied aisles at one of the hundreds of community festivals that pop up during the few warms months in Cleveland like dandilions in my lawn.
And, as usual, I picked up some interesting product and display ideas that I thought worthy of sharing with you. The following are from a local arts and music festival held a few weeks ago.
Local retailer Luxe Goods (http://www.luxegoods.com/) offers jewelry and other cool accessories for hip chicks. The purse (left) is 
made out of clear plastic with beer bottle carriers cut up and used as the artwork. They also had the clever earring displays (right) made out of old LPs. The challenge would be to find LPs!
A little further down and I found another clever jewelry fixture. The natural wood stump display (left) really accentuated the artisan's wood-bead jewelry nicely. 
And another artisan had some unique window vases (right) that I could see selling nicely to female resident hall students and sorority house residents.
Finally, Mary Juhasz, of burnin beads/artglass jewelry (burninbeads@adelphi.net) had some fun little pins. The GrumBuster (below) would surely be a great seller during mid-terms, finals, and other times in students' lives!
I'm sure you check out similar events in your own area. What a fun way to gain new ideas and discuss potential partnerships with local artists and others for unique new products.
Sadly, summer is quickly coming to a close. I have not hit near as many festivals this year as I'd like. I do have an important one coming up this weekend. The Burning River Festival is a put on by Cleveland's very own Great Lakes Brewery and is a full day of beer tasting and socializing.
Okay, perhaps not the best place to get ideas for college stores, but I'll let you know if I find anything!
Tony Ellis, CAE
tellis@nacs.org
So summer is a wonderful time for me. Many Saturdays are spent wandering up and down canopied aisles at one of the hundreds of community festivals that pop up during the few warms months in Cleveland like dandilions in my lawn.
And, as usual, I picked up some interesting product and display ideas that I thought worthy of sharing with you. The following are from a local arts and music festival held a few weeks ago.
Local retailer Luxe Goods (http://www.luxegoods.com/) offers jewelry and other cool accessories for hip chicks. The purse (left) is 
made out of clear plastic with beer bottle carriers cut up and used as the artwork. They also had the clever earring displays (right) made out of old LPs. The challenge would be to find LPs!
A little further down and I found another clever jewelry fixture. The natural wood stump display (left) really accentuated the artisan's wood-bead jewelry nicely. 
And another artisan had some unique window vases (right) that I could see selling nicely to female resident hall students and sorority house residents.
Finally, Mary Juhasz, of burnin beads/artglass jewelry (burninbeads@adelphi.net) had some fun little pins. The GrumBuster (below) would surely be a great seller during mid-terms, finals, and other times in students' lives!
I'm sure you check out similar events in your own area. What a fun way to gain new ideas and discuss potential partnerships with local artists and others for unique new products.
Sadly, summer is quickly coming to a close. I have not hit near as many festivals this year as I'd like. I do have an important one coming up this weekend. The Burning River Festival is a put on by Cleveland's very own Great Lakes Brewery and is a full day of beer tasting and socializing.
Okay, perhaps not the best place to get ideas for college stores, but I'll let you know if I find anything!
Tony Ellis, CAE
tellis@nacs.org
Friday, August 01, 2008
The Mass Market of One
"Mass customization"
This is not a new term or idea to anyone that has been following retail trends for the last decade or created their personal, customized tennis shoe, neck tie, rugby shirt, automobile, ....
Our customers a now accustomed to being able to make their own version of just about anything (known to some trend-watchers as "customer co-creation"). But how do college stores keep up with that kind of expectation?
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Check out http://www.cafepress.com/cp/customize/ to learn how you can create your own custom products in minutes and order without any minimum quantity.
Why, you could use this to get those 6 imprinted tees that the "Men's League of Chess and Scuba Affectionados" wants. ;-)
--The Retail Muse
This is not a new term or idea to anyone that has been following retail trends for the last decade or created their personal, customized tennis shoe, neck tie, rugby shirt, automobile, ....
Our customers a now accustomed to being able to make their own version of just about anything (known to some trend-watchers as "customer co-creation"). But how do college stores keep up with that kind of expectation?
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Check out http://www.cafepress.com/cp/customize/ to learn how you can create your own custom products in minutes and order without any minimum quantity.
Why, you could use this to get those 6 imprinted tees that the "Men's League of Chess and Scuba Affectionados" wants. ;-)
--The Retail Muse
Friday, July 25, 2008
Seeing is Believing
Insight into what your customer is shopping for, buying, and not buying is like an ace up your sleeve.
Problem is, shoppers rarely tell you what they really buy and don’t buy when you ask them in focus groups and interviews. In fact, research has shown that they often tell you what they think YOU want to hear and actually do the opposite when they are actually shopping.
But I learned a clever way to get the real story not long ago…while talking to one of your college store colleagues.
It’s a simple, Saturday afternoon exercise:
1. Request/Sign for $40-60 from petty cash.
2. Go to the local mall or shopping center—preferably one with at least a few of the hot retail brands for our primary customer segment (e.g., Hot Topic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Old Navy, and/or American Eagle).
3. Identify a student-ish shopper that has shopping bags (has completed purchases).
4. Offer them $20 to review what they purchased, from where, and why. (A short, polished intro of who you are might lessen the shock-factor in their reaction.) :-)
5. Repeat 1-2 times.
Go get ‘em!
--The Retail Muse
Problem is, shoppers rarely tell you what they really buy and don’t buy when you ask them in focus groups and interviews. In fact, research has shown that they often tell you what they think YOU want to hear and actually do the opposite when they are actually shopping.
But I learned a clever way to get the real story not long ago…while talking to one of your college store colleagues.
It’s a simple, Saturday afternoon exercise:
1. Request/Sign for $40-60 from petty cash.
2. Go to the local mall or shopping center—preferably one with at least a few of the hot retail brands for our primary customer segment (e.g., Hot Topic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Old Navy, and/or American Eagle).
3. Identify a student-ish shopper that has shopping bags (has completed purchases).
4. Offer them $20 to review what they purchased, from where, and why. (A short, polished intro of who you are might lessen the shock-factor in their reaction.) :-)
5. Repeat 1-2 times.
Go get ‘em!
--The Retail Muse
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Make 'em try it!
A younger friend of mine works at Old Navy. Since he's in their target audience, he (and other employees) are great judges of the styles, colors, prints, and fit of the clothing that Old Navy carries.
Yesterday he was grumping about having to try on clothes all day at work.
"What?!" I asked.
He replied by explaning that Old Navy is doing a company-wide evaluation of new styles that they just released to their stores. They have asked that every store ask a group of employees (in the target demographic, of course) try on the clothes in the new line and provide feedback to management. That feedback will be sent in, consolidated with other stores, and result in some outstanding information for Old Navy merchandise planners and buyers.
So you know what's coming next... .
- Do you have your student employees try on your new fashions?
- Do you involved your student employeers and customers in reviewing new styles in the vendor catalogs?
- Do you take students along to CAMEX and other buying events?
Just how involved are your student customers in your merchandise selection, planning, and evaluation?
If you want to meet their needs, you should start by talking to them.
If you want to engage them as customers...engage them as partners in the process!
Tony Ellis, CAE
tellis@nacs.org
Yesterday he was grumping about having to try on clothes all day at work.
"What?!" I asked.
He replied by explaning that Old Navy is doing a company-wide evaluation of new styles that they just released to their stores. They have asked that every store ask a group of employees (in the target demographic, of course) try on the clothes in the new line and provide feedback to management. That feedback will be sent in, consolidated with other stores, and result in some outstanding information for Old Navy merchandise planners and buyers.
So you know what's coming next... .
- Do you have your student employees try on your new fashions?
- Do you involved your student employeers and customers in reviewing new styles in the vendor catalogs?
- Do you take students along to CAMEX and other buying events?
Just how involved are your student customers in your merchandise selection, planning, and evaluation?
If you want to meet their needs, you should start by talking to them.
If you want to engage them as customers...engage them as partners in the process!
Tony Ellis, CAE
tellis@nacs.org
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