Retailing Spring

Spring has sprung! As the sun shines and the unpronounceable Icelandic volcano quiets down, The Retail Muse has found a few weird and wonderful items while trend spotting. Garden postcards, Heart attack burgers, runway sounds, bra sizes and carstaches. Nothing says spring like carstaches!

Monster Fast Food
The latest foodie trend seems to be the heart attack inducing burgers peddled by fast food companies. After the 2007 introduction of the mega Wendy's Baconater, now KFC brings out the "Double Down", a concoction of bacon and cheese and sauce between two pieces of chicken. These fatty, enormous calorie sandwiches are part of an extreme junk food movement. While definitely not healthy, they seem to be more of a shock fad than an actual dietary suggestion. Still, even the New York Times food critic got in the act, chowing down on the KFC burger, calling it a "new low". Is it any wonder that people are getting bigger and bigger? Which brings us to:

Bra Sizes
Yes it's true. Bra sizes are getting bigger. Manufacturers and retailers report there is a growing demand for bigger and bigger bras in response to the whole obesity epidemic. The median bra size a decade ago was 36C. Now demand is growing for DD, DDD, G Cups. According to "Fashion Gossip Weekly" some bra builders are looking to manufacture a K Cup.

Life in On Line Grocery?
The on line grocery business is growing. Well for FreshDirect anyway, a company that has built a profitable online business in delivering groceries to urbanites in New York and New Jersey. Unlike all the other companies that tried and failed, FreshDirect has been successful in focusing on heavily urban areas where convenience and lack of a car, makes shopping on line a great deal of sense. They are planning to expand into other high density areas in the country. Interestingly, the overall profits for FreshDirect is almost 10% - much higher than the 6.2% reported by Kroger, the largest US Supermarket. There's money in those online apples.

Fashionable Sounds
Wondering what to play at your next fashion show? Bach? Beethoven? Air Supply? Agenga.inc compiled a list of the most played songs at fashion shows in Paris, Milan, New York and London. The top ten list included songs by Iggy Pop, Franz Ferdinand, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran and even the Beatles. Top songs (with video links) include:
Dimestore Diamond by Gossip
Shoes by Tiga
No You Girls by Franz Ferdinand

Tori and Dean and IKEA
IKEA is teaming up with Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott in their latest reality show venture. Tori and Dean will travel the country on a road trip (watch out all!), and somewhere along the way (at least for two episodes), IKEA will perform a kitchen makeover for a happy guest. Will Tori and Dean put the IKEA kitchen together themselves? Stay tuned.

Scratch and sniff
Germany is releasing scratch and sniff postage stamps (you remember postage stamps and letters right?). In four fruity flavors like lemon and blueberry. They even raise money for charity. You can see them here. Order some today and send a scented letter to your loved one.

Macho Grills
If smelly postage is not manly enough for you, check out http://www.carstache.com/. Another of the ever growing category of "you can't make this stuff up", is giant mustaches that can be affixed to the grill of your muscle car. You can order the "Classic Black Stache", or the Hulk Hogan like "legendary Blonde", and so much more.. One can only marvel at the business acumen to come up with this idea, and who the buyers are. Slap on your stache and gun your engines!

Garden Postcards
Here's a great little product. It's a gift card that opens up to create a 3D Victorian garden. Sprinkle the included seeds and display in a sunny spot. Viola a small little postcarden. Great idea. You can find out more about this company (including wholesale orders) at http://www.postcarden.com/

Retailing Community

Cathy Langer is the lead buyer at the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver. Speaking on Bob Edwards radio show this week, Langer was asked why people should continue to buy books from their independent bookstore. Langer mentioned the obvious. Knowledgeable staff and independents keeping money in the community. She also stressed the importance of community. Local bookstores play a large role in knitting people together in a central welcoming environment.

I twigged on this this simple phrase "community". It seems that in the past year or so, there is a noticeable shift going on. Retailers moving out of the mass merchant business model of the past, now focusing their attention on a new strategy - that of developing a sense of ownership with the customer. Connecting to clients on another level, and seeing the customer as their friend and partner.

There is nothing new here. This strive for community, linking your business to higher aspirations of customers, has been going on for years. It used to be that retailers developed stores around the concept of the "third place". Work, home, the big mega shopping experience. But this fell out of favor, not only because retailers started to feel that customers were not spending enough within this sparkling "third place", but that customers just were not buying it. The focus shifted. Back to the tried and true of mass merchandising and fast checkout lines. Customers wanted to get in and get out. No dawdling.

Yet the community spirit focus seems to be making a resurgence. Booksellers, and campus bookstores in particular, see this community enticement as one way to combat the every growing threat of electronic readers, books, DYI Publishing and the like. The future of book and campus retailing seems to be about weaving yourself into the lives of your customers. Making yourself indispensable. Offering services and products that complement and enhance your customers lives.

But this community focus is not unique to the bookselling industry. Companies all over are seeing this as a way to connect, a chance to be good corporate citizens, and develop relationship with their customers that go far and beyond a simple sale of widgets. Retailing, marketing and branding. Real customer connections are on the rise. Not only to drive sales, but also to develop (hopefully) life long relationships with buyers, long after the economic malaise of now has finished.

Telus, A telecommunications company in Canada, is one that is striving to build a higher purpose connection. Recently in Toronto, Canada, Telus developed a clever take away campaign to support their new site telustalksbusiness.com. Posters in one of the banking centres in Toronto advertised the new service, and then were covered with 1000 blue butterfly magnets. Customers and passer bys were encouraged to take the magnets from the poster. What's unique about tis campaign is not only the beautiful giveaway (who doesn't like a butterfly?), but also the customer connection. A simple interactive takeaway that is a visual reminder of your business - A way that customers can connect with your brand, feel part of the community experience, without spending a dime.

This could be scaled down for a campus retailer. Magnets of mascots, imagery that evokes the campus, or just anything compelling that pulls the customers into your brand and store can be developed. The key of course, is to find something clever and different that evokes the spirit of the campus store. Something that stands out above the marketing noise to build community connections.

A more interactive community experience, is the developing "CarrotMob". What on earth is a "Carrot Mob'? Well it's a small scale social media flash mob that is concentrating it's effort on getting shoppers out to certain independent businesses for a specific day, with the goal of all profits donated towards energy efficient sustainable improvements within the business. What's exciting about this is the opportunities for campus stores. With a high percentage of core customers engaged in the environmental and sustainability movement, along with a desire for fun and frivolity in the places that they shop, the campus store is in a great position to capitalize on this movement. Store staff (and customers!) dress up as carrots and tomatoes to express there support of this movement. Born in San Francisco, by Brent Shulkin, the movement has grown to over 30 cities in the US and Canada. You can learn more about Carrot Mobs and how to organize one in your community here.

Other community groups and business event connections include "Crop Mobs", (http://cropmob.org/) where citizens go out to small farms and spend the day harvesting potatoes and the like. Once again the connection is to creating a consumer experience. Bringing customers into the production cycle, and developing sustainable, environmentally sensitive business practice. Consumers as part of the solution, not part of the end product.

Customers can also be the arbitrator of your product selection. As I wrote about a week or two, companies are allowing the customer in to vote on their favorite fashion styles. But the social networking world has grown from this. One of the new, upcoming trends is the practice of advertising your "hauls". Adolescents from across the country are posting YouTube videos of their recent purchases. Why they bought them, and why they love them. It's a dream come true for advertising and marketing gurus. Another example of the community connection, and the ongoing relationship with the store that people shop at. I'm not sure your going to see a "hauls" video about the purchase of textbooks and pencils from the college store, but wouldn't it be interesting if such a thing was posted? Here's a sample of a typical shopping fashion haul with two charming girls talking about their purchases and the upcoming dance:


As an aside, it's seems to me that campus stores are well positioned to coordinate and implement "flash mobs" on campus. Another way to develop fun and exciting community relationships at little cost, to an audience that knows what a flash mob is.

If you have been in business for awhile, your brand might seem ubiquitous. You might be known but boring. Everyone understands what you are on a basic level. Sound like a college store? Same problem for the local YMCA. Everyone knows the Y, almost intuitively, but not exactly the scope of the services that they offer. That's why the YMCA of Vancouver, BC, created a branding campaign that is beautiful and passionate of what their services are all about. They hired the creative firm of TBWA in Vancouver to develop a campaign to showcase not the Y pool or exercise equipment, but the sense of connectedness and community that exists with a Y membership.

The Ad campaign was simple, compelling and provocative. First, the firm used hand drawn signs through the Vancouver area asking questions; Why don't people hold the door for each other anymore? When did smiling at someone of the street become creepy? When did we stop letting our kids walk to school? The questions evoke a real emotional response. You need to stop and think. It's been a long time since kids could walk to school! Why is that? They followed up these questions with a beautiful and smart YouTube video (see below), using cut and paste animation. It is simple and powerful. A message of getting back to community, eschewing the present world order of individuality and isolation. It is one of the most beautiful and compelling branding campaigns in years. YMCA's all across North America are interested in using it, and when I first saw it, I thought that it was perfect for the campus store environment.

Dressing up as carrots, giving away blue butterflies, picking potatoes and paper cut animation. All examples of community and emotional connection with your customers. All scalable and possible in the campus retail market. The future of the college store might be 2015.

But really it is now.

How to avoid customers (again)

This past weekend, my partner had a hankering for Chinese food, mentioning a restaurant a town over from us. So off we go, on a windy Saturday afternoon, to try it out. The food was fine, the service pleasant. Ever the diligent retailing muse, I couldn't help but notice the pedestrian and world weary surroundings. The plastic plants and the De rigour fish tank. Those awful conference centre chairs and Formica tables, all circa 1977. It's like every Chinese food restaurant was designed by the same interior designer sometime in the 1950's, and left to gentrify for decades.

No matter, I munched happily and stared at the vast long buffet table (empty on weekends). I stopped eating, mid ginger beef, when I read the sign taped (taped! why do people continue to insist on Scotch tape for signs!) to the buffet sneeze guard. It read:

Lunch Buffet is $12.95 all that you can eat. Please use a clean plate each time you go to the buffet for health reasons. Remember that if you take too much food and do not eat it, you will be charged $5.00 for the waste.

I just about spit out my beef and broccoli. Here we ago again. Yet another business that just does not get it. How can you advertise all you can eat, invite customers to keep coming back to the trough and then charge em if they don't chow it all down? Makes you wonder how they got to this point. Did some glutton arrive one lunch hour and abuse the buffet? Leave too much moo shu pork on his plate? I kept reading the sign over and over again. Visualizing the "exploding fat man" scene from "Monty Python's Meaning of Life" It was all very off putting.

"Waste not, Want not". Sure, I get it. But on the flip side, doesn't it seem like once again the customer is treated as an enemy? That you, as the owner, offer the lunch buffet, but only if customers behave and eat it all? It's all rude and overbearing. Treat the customer with respect, don't send them down the street to the competition buffet, and certainly don't start charging a trough fee. What are they, an airline?

I sputtered this soliloquy to my partner, who wearily agreed that we would not come here again. I tried to take a picture of the sign, but the owner shooed me away. Ha! even they are embarrassed by their fee for waste / sticky tapped sign.

And, I took the rest of my meal to go.

Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes

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.

How to avoid customers

I think retailers come up with the most clever ways to avoid the hassle of having actual customers come into their store. The picture above is one of the best examples. The text reads:

"By entering into, and/or remaining on these premises, you hereby consent and agree to a search of your belongings, including, but not limited to your purses, backpacks, bags and pockets".

It just screams welcome to our store doesn't it? This sign was posted prominently on the front door of the retail establishment. The general hostile tone was further reinforced by a lackadaisical security guard standing around, presumably ready to conduct the strip search should you want to browse within the retail compound.

Yes I know that theft is a big problem in retail. But putting up legalese signs such as this only make customers avoid your business, and search out your competitors that welcome and embrace them. Treat the customer as the whole person - not as a set of problems.

Of Fonts and Hamburgers

February is the cruelest month. The cold, the snow, the gray dreary existence of February, makes shopping for retail trends a less than rewarding task. But beside the endless commentary of Super Bowl 2010 Commercials, "The Retail Muse" has been spending time baking up some inspirational fonts, chowing down on $600 burgers and shucking Times New Roman for a typeface that's a little more creative.

What Font are you?
If there is a car that matches your aesthetic, your dog looking like you, or a color that provides you energy, there must be a font that says volumes about who you are. Enter, "what type are you?", a website that asks you a few questions, and provides a font and typeface that is all about you. Give up on the Times New Roman default and discover your true passion in fonts like "COOPER" (for those imposing types), "EXPANDED ANTIQUE" (for those looking to make a big impression), and BASKERVILLE ITALIC, ( A font that says you are well read, but a little short sighted).

You don't have to be a "typeface geek" to play. Choose the font that shows the world how assertive, emotional or traditional you are. After all, Wouldn't your budget presentations look so much better in Perpetuta Tilting Light?

You can go through the fun Freudian exercise (complete with your font therapist talking you through four questions), at www.pentagram.com/what-type-are-you. You'll need to turn your speakers on, and enter your name to discover your typeface enigma. "The Muse" typeface is Bifur, a font that is both bold and subtle. Not a bad description! Let's hear what typeface YOU are. Leave a comment and let us know your font!

Baking typefaces
Once you know your font, time to bake cookies! If you are into sugar, cookies and the Helvetica font, you can now order cookie cutters shaped like fonts from http://www.beverlyhsu.com/cookies.html. If your budget proposal doesn't go over well with your deep meaning font, at least you can sway em with your new font-cookies!

The Value of Nothing
Readable economics treatise are rare, but a new book, by economist Raj Patel, is on "The Muse" bedside table. Called "the Value of Nothing", Patel points out the hidden cost of endless consumerism, and shows how that lunchtime burger at the fast food joint should really cost you $600 bucks once you add up all the costs. A fascinating and well written read. Naomi Klein just called it "Deeply Thought-provoking.....a brilliant book"

Patel is making the rounds, so if the book is not your gig, check him out on public radio, PBS and all the business talk shows. He's a great writer, and a charming interview. You can also check it all out at http://rajpatel.org/

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.

Great Ideas from the world of Retail

Here's a few ideas "the Retail Muse" found while trolling the vast cyber space of general retail. All are simple, effective, ideas that can be modified for any campus store, or used to inspire campus retailers to improve their businesses.

Clever Levis Tag

Levis jeans has developed a clever and inspiring clothing tag called a "care tag for our planet". that will be on all products beginning January 2010. The tag encourages shoppers to donate their old jeans to goodwill as a way of caring for the planet, and "giving back".

It's a simple, yet effective campaign, reminding people that little actions can have big results. Designed by BBDO West, this idea could easily inspire campus stores to try something similar and perhaps partner with campus student groups.

Charitable Giving.

Although there is always the risk of "fundraising fatigue" with shoppers, an interesting article in the Tennessean talks about the success retailers have had by pairing charitable giving with purchases. Right now customers are responding to the idea of helping others while they make purchases. Maybe it's that season for giving, or the economy, and unemployment numbers, but there clearly is a opportunity for retailers to help out, and give back.

Is there a campus store angle here? most definetely. The ability of campus stores to reach a large audience, and promote a worthy campus cause is significant, and worth exploring.

Outside / Inside Marketing

Have you looked at your in store marketing lately? What is the experience that shoppers encounter when they visit your store? Are your shelf tags easy to read?
According to a new survey called "the Elements Report", the in store marketing and store experience is critical to shoppers. 69% of customers responded that the in store experience was "a make or break scenario" and that in store marketing was far more effective that outside advertising.

Watching TV
Checked out the new retail reality show from across the Atlantic? "Mary, Queen of Shops" is an hour long show, hosted by a caustic Brit, who visits flailing retailers and tries to put the store back on track. Although a little bit too focused on fashion trends and garments, she makes some interesting observations about store purchasing decisions, the need for community events, and levels of customer service. All points for retailers to keep at the forefront of their minds.

From the BBC, it is now showing on BBC America - check your local listings, or this link for viewing times in your area and maybe watch an episode or two, wondering what it would be like to have her come through your store!

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!

Sometimes a great Notion - September 14

This week the Retail Muse talks marriage. The marriage of IPhone and textbooks, DVDs and vending, smart screens and shelf tags, billboards and tote bags, and of course, dollar stores and wedding vows.

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.

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.

Sometimes a Great Notion - Aug 31, 2009

The lazy, hazy, last days of summer. The retail muse relaxing in a deck chair, watching the sun set, and musing on the future. Will the fashionista tween boys of 2009 be the college students of 2018? Will guerrilla McDonalds marketing campaigns take over the hallowed halls of academia? How will customers respond to more soap box marketing? All these  are on the Muse's mind as he sleeps single in an Ikea bed and reads, that no matter what is happening in the economy, the class of 2013 is heading to school with full wallets and optimism. 

Happy back to school notions! 

Sometimes a great notion - Week of August 31, 2009 

FASHION (turn to the left) FASHION (turn to the right) 

Every fashion manufacture and retailer worth their due has been chasing the tween girl market for a few years now. But what about those 11-14 year old boys? Is Mom still dressing them? According to a recent article in the Globe and Mail, the answer is a resounding no. Tween boys, saturated by skater culture and videos, are breaking out in record numbers, looking for branded, trendy clothes to wear this back to school season. Citing Lacoste, TNT, and Diesel, these boys are looking to stand out and dress well, even at 11. It's an interesting trend to stay on top of. No sweatpants and grubby Ts for this group. Rather, upscale, branded, cutting edge fashion. 

They think about their wardrobes, plan their outfits, and want to represent a social strata. Still, they are not completely without words of wisdom. One tween says that the one thing he would NOT wear is a thong. Words of fashion wisdom for any age. 

When Marketing hits the classroom. 

Students at a recent Boston University marketing lecture, experienced a bit of real world marketing, when their class was interrupted by perky McDonalds reps, handing out free coffee drinks to the class. But the students, happy to get a free mcLatte were the unknowing stars of a new national commercial that McDonalds plans to air nationally in the next two weeks. Hidden cameras recorded the event, editing it into a full blown commercial with the surprised students. Marketing students later did have the opportunity to spend time with the advertising agency, learning how commercials are developed, implemented and edited, but it raises a big question. If this something that campuses will embrace to solve budget shortfalls? You can see the rough cut video here: 

Stand on the soap box. 

Retailers, have for many years, embraced social and charitable issues as a way to resonate with customers. This has not always been successful, when you consider the "green washing" and now "pink washing" comments directed at some retailers and manufacturers. Now, The Body Shop, has launched a campaign to raise awareness and halt global sex trafficking. It's an important issue to be sure, but will customers want to hear about sex trafficking while shopping for aloe? According to Simon Houpt the jury is still out, and Body Shop is taking a fairly soft touch with their awareness campaign. 

Sleeping Single in an Ikea Bed. 

If you ever have rolled your eyes at students sitting around and sleeping on your furniture, then this article is for you! The LA Times recently wrote an article about how much Beijing, China likes Ikea. But, not in the way you think. Instead of sales, Ikea in China (there are 7 stores), has encountered most of their customers visiting the store to hang out and sleep. Customers arrive with a plan to spend 5 hours or more in the store. Snacking at the restaurants, bringing books and stuffed toys for their kids, napping in the beds and generally using Ikea as a vacation site for a Saturday afternoon. Ikea hopes eventually that all these napping  customers will translate into sales, but until then they are letting the sleeping experience continue. 

Confident Class of 2o13 

A recently released Alloy College Explorer survey found that the class of 2013 was heading back to school more concerned, and conservative, than ever before. But, more positive about their personal impact and the future of the economy. 

The survey goes on to mention that while their may be an economic downturn, the 2013 class still has to have it, has the money to pay for it, and wants "it" to evoke "happy" and "trusted" feelings. They see Apple, Target, Sony, and Wrigley as meeting their "happy" needs, while they trust brands like Johnson and Johnson, Microsoft, Nike, and Dell. 

Are they happy with your store? do they trust your store? 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Digital Signage that's Not Digital...or all that Expensive!

For years we've all be hearing about, reading about, and seeing digital signage popping up in retailers...and, quite honestly, making many of us in the college store space a bit envious.

All too often, our mainstream retail competitiors are willing and able to put the hot new thing in display and signage into use. Things that we usually cannot give the space and/or dollars for.

But now there is a digital signage-like display system that might be of interest. I first say this at a P-O-P show last year. And ran across it again the other day "spotlighted" on the VMSD magazine site.

The MCS Low Voltage Lighting Display Panel system (from Carl Stahl DecorCable) uses illuminated, 8x10 sized frames to hold simple graphic slides (think overhead film printed with color graphics) to create vibrant images. This system is easy to install and looks nice with 3-4 panels in a vertical line.

From my discussions with the vendor, an entry-level set-up is less than $300 and is easy to install. The graphic films can be produced in-house by using printable overhead film and color printer with your own graphics.

So if it's not true digital signage (with motion, sound, etc.), how would you use it? Well, TRU research tells us that our customers rarely know the brands or wide variety of merchandise that we carry in store. So what about using each panel to display the logo of a name brand you carry in apparel? Or you could mount it in a window to add vibrant images to add to window displays. Since the cables/panels can be clicked into/out of the mounting like track lighting, you could just take it down when you don't want it to be part of a display.

Bottom line--this is an easy, inexpensive way to bring a bit of tech and splash into your store. The best way to use it is up to you. I'm just here to spark the idea!

Check out the VMSD highlight online. The vendor site is a "build what you need" site. So if you're really interested, I'd suggest just giving them a call!

Tony Ellis, CAE
tellis@nacs.org

American Girl, Chicago/Atlanta/Dallas | Visual Merchandising and Store Design | VMSD.com

American Girl is a classic example of a brand come to life and retailed to the finest degree.

If you've not heard of this retailer, it's products, or the extraodinary experiences they create through their stores, check out this article and visual tour provided recently by VMSD magazine.

--The Retail Muse

American Girl, Chicago/Atlanta/Dallas Visual Merchandising and Store Design VMSD.com

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Online Display & Merchandising Guide

Looking for a great resource on visual display, lighting, fixtures, and merchandising? You're GOT to check out the "Display & Merchandising Guide" hosted online by George Little Management, LLC.

GLM produces several merchandise shows in the U.S. and offers the guide as a resource to one and all. The information in this online resource could be used as a refresher, as staff education tool, and a reference guide for projects.

I'm adding the link to this resource to the Blogs section of The Retail Muse. Even though it's not a Blog, this will make it easy for you to find it in the future, if needed.

Enjoy!

--The Retail Muse

It’s All About Placement

Getting effective exposure for your business today is difficult. Cutting through the noise of marketing messages and rising costs for starters…not to mention trying to find even the tiniest space that doesn’t already have a logo on it.

Today, however, I saw something new. From one of the fastest growing internet businesses of recent years, not surprisingly--Zappos Shoes (zappos.com). Thanks to the TSA regulations we all have to shuffle through security check-point lines—coughing up our metals, liquids, fingernail files, laptops, a bit of our dignity…and our shoes.

And there’s magic moment for Zappos. You go to put your valuables into one (or three) of those plastic bins—attention sharpened by adrenaline (from the flight, the security maze, or the Starbucks)—and you are met with a creative and colorful promo for Zappos. What a great idea. New real estate in and virtually promo-message-less space. And I’m sure they got a great deal—I don’t really see the TSA plastic bin folks as the most knowledgeable negotiators of ad space pricing.

So this makes me wonder what new promotional real estate is available for college stores on campus or around town. What about the baskets or bins at campus or local libraries? Or perhaps a joint venture with these organizations for bags. The messaging could focus on books and reading—what we have in common. What about the welcome carpets in specific campus buildings? I could even envision the luggage carts of campus or community hotels and residence halls…if you use the right message and your store logo in an appropriate way.

With all the promo noise in our world. It’s going to take laser targeting and creation of whole new opportunities (think Blue Ocean Strategy) to get our messages across to our customers. Zappos came up with a great idea. What opportunities are waiting out there for your store?

Tony Ellis, CAE
tellis@nacs.org

If it's FREE, it's me.

Looking for a cheap (even FREE) way to promote your next store event, new hours, buyback promotion, or author signing?

Try Vistaprints.com. This web-based printing company offers free (yes, free) business cards and very inexpensive postcards, tee shirts, and other items. Sometimes they run free offers on postcards and such, too.

Here's the deal. You can get 250 business cards printed in full color using your choice of about 45 stock designs. Choose a design that floats your boat, use the text entry fields for the "business card" for the text you need to use for your event. The business model is based on upgrades to items they offer for free and the other items that they sell.

See the screen shot of the sample I mocked up on their site earlier today (click on the image for the large version). I went about it as if I was going to host a Poetry Slam event at the store. You could get the cards printed and sent to you and then use them at your registers and other places to hand out to customers.

Not a bad bit of promotion...considering it's free!

Tony Ellis, CAE
tellis@nacs.org

Keeping Promises

In today's retail environment, your success is much more about the relationship you have with your customer--fulfilling your brand promise--than the items you sell. Let's face it, they can get many of the things you sell from various other sources.

The first step to establishing an open and honest relationship with your customer is to clearly communicate your value proposition, brand promise, or MISSION to them.

"Don't have a mission statement," you say? Get one! Go to the Business section of your Trade Department or textbook area RIGHT NOW and find a book that can help you learn about vision and missions for organizations and get busy drafting one for you store!

When you're finished, follow the lead of your colleagues at the New Mexico State University Bookstore (among others) and post your mission statement in a prominent place for all to see. At the NMSU store, they put it right at the entrance. You can see the sign on the pillar just below and to the right of the store's main sign in the image below.

It’s a simple thing that goes a long way in today’s ultra-competitive retail fight for customers and their loyalty.

Tony Ellis, CAE
tellis@nacs.org