Home & DIY Retail Innovation with Tech
The 2018 U.S. Census Bureau survey reports that there are 128 million households in the country covering apartments, home rentals, and home ownership (over double the 1960 count of 53 million households). Whether you are a renter or an owner, being
The Opportunities and “How To” Dynamics of Seasonal Retail Merchandising
Modern retail merchandisers understand that the seasonal retail calendar year is broken down into more than four traditional seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). In fact, the Wall Street Journal enumerates between 13 to 20 seasons! While it can be overwhelming to
How Mass Merch is Rivaling Fast Fashion Retail Competitors
Up until a few years ago, mass merch retailers like Walmart weren’t synonymous with fashion retail. Their private label clothing brands were never the focus—but fast forward to 2019, where Walmart collections are selling out before hitting the shelves and
It’s Raining Menswear
Since the dawn of time (or at least since the start of mass-market retail), womenswear has been the dominant force in the apparel market. Dresses, shoes, blouses, handbags—you name it; driving sales in these apparel categories was the ultimate goal
At Barnes & Noble, a Story of Fantastical Retail Transformation
You’re a wizard, Harry. May the force be with you. For readers young and old, there are perhaps no two literary franchises more ubiquitous than Harry Potter and Star Wars. To date, the Harry Potter brand has generated nearly $8
Tech Just for Her: Does Gendered Marketing Work in Tech?
Inclusivity. A big trend hitting retail over the past year. Gender neutrality and gender fluidity are permeating product offerings and retail displays. But at the same exact time, another contradictory trend is impacting the retail space – particularly in the consumer
The Retail Footprint Is Shrinking (Smaller Stores Can Work to a Retailer Brand’s Advantage)
Is bigger really better? When it comes to your retail footprint, the answer is increasingly becoming no. Smaller stores are presenting efficient, market-friendly solutions. We see brands moving away from the tried-and-true, big-box suburban store strategy in favor of smaller, carefully
CPG Converts March Madness into Retail Theater
It’s coming down to the final wire. We’ve spent the past few weeks glued to our TVs and live streaming devices, cheering on our favorite college basketball teams. It’s March Madness (though it’s almost April!), and it hasn’t just infiltrated
Hudson Yards Opens in NYC – Is This the New Face of Retail?
If you live in New York City, you’ve watched it grow. If you work in retail anywhere in the world, you couldn’t escape the media blitz. It’s finally arrived – Hudson Yards opened on Manhattan’s far West Side last Friday.
New Year, New Ideas: The Five Biggest Retail Trends We Expect in 2019
For all its ups and downs, 2018 saw a lot of interesting retail trends. But now that the bubbly has stopped flowing and the sparklers have fizzled out, we’re taking out our crystal ball to look into 2019 retail trends.
E-Commerce Pop-Ups Deliver a Much-Needed Physical Presence to Online Retail
Once upon a time, pop-ups were simply opportunistic. A way for retailers to generate extra sales in empty storefronts, a low-cost solution for emerging businesses hoping to gain a toehold in a market, or a way for big-buck brands to
Timberland’s Flex Retail Marketing: Pop-Ups That Don’t Feel Like Pop-Ups
In the world of pop-ups, ideas fly fast and furious. But who would have thought that one of the freshest would come from a legacy brand out of Stratham, New Hampshire? We’ll call it flex retail marketing. Timberland recently launched a “flex”
The Importance of Transparent and Sustainable Fashion
Plastic has had a bad year. People are saying ‘no’ to plastic straws to save sea turtles. Government officials are passing laws to ban plastic shopping bags. And reusable water bottle sales are soaring. So what does this have to
Rotating Pop-Up Retail — The Trick to Compelling Return Visits
Everyone loves good pop-up retail. With inventive cross-brand partnerships and creative merchandising, you entice customers into your store for an exciting purchasing experience. And there’s the rub. One pop-up. One experience. One visit. Why not turn one visit into two?
The Original Holiday Pop-Up: What Retailers Can Learn from Spirit Halloween
Holiday pop-up retail defies expectations. The so-called retail apocalypse has in fact claimed a lot of victims. Circuit City, Toys”R”Us, Borders are all resting peacefully in the graveyard of “shoppings past”. But amidst all of the passings, there’s one retailer
Leveraging In-Store Shopping Technology
These days, who doesn’t shop without a smartphone glued to their hand or tucked into a pocket? Rather than fight the wave of smartphone apps or limit technology to the check-out area, brick-and-mortar brands should join the rising tide. In-store
Retail Sales Staff Training: Your On-Site and Online Secret Weapon
A user-friendly site. Chat features. Strong images. E-commerce retailers have been using these UX tactics and more to humanize the online shopping experience. But all told, in the realm of personal warmth, human interaction, humor and caring, e-commerce can’t stand toe-to-toe with the in-store experience…and it probably never will. You may
The Pinterest to Retail Revolution: Leveraging the Platform to Inspire Younger Shoppers
Decorations for a birthday cake. Patterns for a knit sweater. Innovative ideas for bedroom organization. Pinterest to retail. Pinterest has become the place for finding inspiration for retail DIY projects. This is especially true for the younger generations. Sixty-seven percent of
Blending Work and Play Through Workplace Pop-Ups
Across the nation, millions of people are locked into work every day from 9 to 5 – and often even longer. For retailers, this time frame coincides almost exactly with their stores’ hours of operation. But there’s a new way
A Case Study in Evolving: How Best Buy Survived to Thrive
Electronics stores are dead. Or so we thought. Best Buy, against all odds, has fought its way back to become once again a thriving electronics chain. Since they had a leadership switch in 2012, Best Buy’s shares have rocketed from