Big Box stores losing Holiday Business

I have been in so many big box stores in the past few days looking for some basic holiday things....like strings of lights! Basic yes, in stock no. Alright, I admit I was one of the retail consultants who said to watch your inventory this 4th quarter. However, if a large part of your business is in a particular category and you are out of that category before December 1st, it doesn't take a mathematician to show you that you will lose business in the month of December.
The interesting thing is that you probably won't lose business to your competitors, because they don't have them either. Target, Walgreens, Walmart....all out of lights.
Hope you did your decorating early or none of your lights are "dead" because you will be hard pressed to find basic lights this holiday season.

Guess who'll have them in her hot little hands come next August when everyone is complaining that retailers put their Christmas out too early!!!!

Email marketing will make a difference in your holiday business

Wanted to share this information from Wendy Lowe, Director of Product Marketing, Campaigner, hope you see the value and it's contagious!



While all of the media focus around Black Friday is usually on the frenzied crowds at the big box stores, small retailers are also eagerly trying to create a buzz with their own Black Friday promotions. One way they can break through the noise is with free (yes, free) holiday email marketing tools.

Why is email marketing so important to the small retailer this Black Friday? According to the National Retail Federation, 55% of shoppers say they will be looking for sales more often and 41.7% will be using more coupons. The Direct Marketing Association estimates that for every $1 spent on email marketing, shoppers bought $45 in return.

For a big box retailer, the answer is easy. More national ads, more email campaigns targeted at their loyalty customers. For the small retailer and mom-and-pop style business, it’s not so easy. They just don’t have the deep pockets to compete wallet to wallet with the big boxes. However, with a free Holiday in a Bag email marketing campaign from Campaigner, small retailers can now ramp up their promotions for the holidays quickly in order to effectively target shoppers with their sales, specials and coupons.

The free tools that are part of the Holiday in a Bag include holiday email templates and graphics, holiday e-cards, and 100 tips for holiday marketing including instructions for optimizing deliverability of email marketing.

So if you’re a small retailer wanting to find out more information and grab your free Holiday in a Bag, visit http://www.campaigner.com/lp/holidayinabag.aspx. Small retailers can finally use email marketing to create the same kind of buzz that the big boxes do on Black Friday and throughout the holiday shopping season.

Garden Center CEO's Share Contagious Secrets !

What questions would you ask of a multi-milliom dollar garden center CEO if you had the chance?
You will get that chance, every month and it could mean $$$$ to your bottom line!
Check out http://www.merchandiseconcepts.com/gcroundtable

You'll find out what makes the "BIG GUYS" contagious!

The Limited finds its Mojo and is trying to be contagious, in a good way!

Just read a great article about the Limited and how it is viewing the upcoming Christmas season.
The words in the article that gave me "retail hope" ...."brimming with emotional content, buttoned up financially, and the fierce urgency of now". Their goal is to become faster, more efficient and more agile.
This tells me that at least this retailer is not sitting around licking it's wounds, but coming back out of the locker room after half time, ready to win the game.
That type of business thinking is contagious!

Payless and Macy's are contagious retailers.

Payless has donated 77,000 pairs of shoes to children and has Macy's provided 10 million meals to the hungry These retailers are giving back in a year when every penny counts and becoming more visible to the world with their community needs awareness ideas. I bet there are ways you could get involved in your community to not only help others but show your customers that "retail sales" are not the only things you are involved in.
Pay it forward....that's contagious!

New Viral position is contagious!

Successful businesses are finding that viral marketing is a critical part of their businesses. They have also realized, as most of us have, that the process is time consuming.
I just read where many companies are addressing the issue by creating a new employee position to handled that function.
One new title is "Tweet coordinator"! Not sure I would want to be the person with that position and take "grief" everytime I told someone what I did!
However, viral marketing is a way to make your business contagious!

Use viral marketing to promote customer satisfaction

Just got a great newsletter from Printing For Less who has handled my business cards. The interesting thing is that they have chosen to add "business articles" to their newsletter, even though their main business is printing.
I was scrolling down the newsletter and at the bottom found their "Customer Rave of the Month"!
Brilliant and contagious. A Youtube video from one of their satisfied customers that was wonderful at promoting their business but so cute that I forwarded it on to others.
Want your business to be contagious, then let your customers help you do the "raving" !

Check them out at http://www.printingforless.com

Offiice depot increase exposure

Sounds contagious too me! Office depot and Lil'Drug store products have announced an exclusive partnership where office products will be sold in thousands of convenience stores. Even though it will be a limited line, it will be a strategic offering of items people need most. Also, a great pet store in my area, is looking at putting "satellite" mini stores in kennels and other larger "pet" industry operations.
Have you thought about how you can "go to" where your customer is and offer your products or services.
These two creative ways of increasing sales and exposure sounds contagious to me!

Be contagious in business equals a robust website.

Just read this quote from the NRF brief: Forrester Research: Impatience is your #1 competitor With most enterprises now conducting business on the Web, it has become more crucial than ever that the experience is rich and responsive. Often these two goals conflict. How do you ensure a robust, interactive experience without sacrificing page-loading speed?

Interesting that you may be losing customers and they have never shared that they could not find what they wanted "quick enough" on your website. They could also mean that if they were checking out your website "before" they were going to come to your "brick and mortar" store, they changed their minds. If you weren't efficient on your website, why would I think you would be efficient in your store?

Upgrade your site to Web 2.0 and make sure that everything is running on all cylinders. That's what makes a happy, contagious customer!

Colorado's summer business is CONTAGIOUS!

I have listened to some of my audience members say, "Oh, we take those months off and then re-open", and I have thought to myself, "How can any business afford to do that anymore?"
Obviously, a city like Denver is doing things to not only make their summer business increase, but they are working hard to create "word of mouth advertising" so that people will want to return during the winter as well.

The outcome is more jobs for more people in the summer and an increase in revenue.
Here are some of their "contagious" ideas; A Mountain Bike Championship that attracted 6,000 people putting money into the resorts, but also area businesses like grocery stores; a camp that teaches skiers and snowboarders how to perfect skills in an indoor training facility and Aspen is seeing an increase in business with it's kids ski school and day camp.

Ski resorts get to use their facilities year round and employees work 12 months a year.

What a contagious idea!

What can you do in your business to add new and unusual things to attract business and keep people working, no matter what your industry?

Edible Arrangements is a Contagious Business!

Tariq Farid is a brilliant franchiser. With a floral background and willingness to use the correct software he did what "contagious businesses" do, he created a concept that worked at least ten times and then continued the multiplication process. .

He also found out that paying strict attention to every "touchpoint" for the customer, whether it is the actual store or the website, details matter. He even said just the development of the logo was critical.

85% of his customers are repeat and I would bet "referral" customers as well. If you have ever had the privilege of receiving an "Edible Arrangement" you certainly would understand why you would "spread the word" about this company and its products.

Up to 833 stores and counting! How's that for being contagious!

Look out for more "dollar type" stores

Who opens more stores now??? Stores who have recognized that people are looking for a bargain when it comes to their basics. I just read an article that reported that between Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, we would see close to 1,000 new stores this year! Add in Target and Walmart and Walgreens and the number surpasses that number.

The question will remain, are we going to saturate the market with these type of stores and is there a growing market for them. If this is the new "business normal" then those stores selling the same merchandise at higher prices better review their inventory selection.

Contagious.....remains to be seen...but certainly contagious within the "$" market place.

Best Buy supports vinyl!

Ok, how many of you remember vinyl records? Well, it seems like Best Buy does and sees a market in it and is willing to devote 8 sq ft to their stores for around 200 of them.
My mom always says, "What goes around, comes around"!! Contagious ideas may just come out of our past good memories. Don't have it anymore, but remember the cover of "Earth, Wind and Fire, from my college days...along with James Taylor!!!! Now THAT is contagious!

McDonalds' Fishy Idea is Contagious!

You all remember the "Big Mouth Billy Bass" that was a gag gift about 10 years ago, and you shake your head when you see the new "filet of fish" commercial on TV with that same fish.
A news release just said that McDonald's sells about 300 million fish sandwiches annually with 25% during the Lenten period. Brilliant advertising wouldn't you say! To prove it, the ad has been viewed on YouTube more than a million times. Now that my business friend, is contagious!

Jos A. Bank has a contagious idea!

Jos A. Bank has a sale that only lasts another couple of days, but it will win the hearts of their customers for a long time. Bank says if buy a suit from them during their $199 sale until April 9th, and you lose your job anytime between April 16 and July 1 the store will not only refund you the price of the suit but you also get to keep the suit!

I am sure they don't want you to lose your job, as they want you to come back as their repeat customer, however, they have a heart. They also know that if times get bad and you DO lose your job, you will think about their generosity when you put that new suit on to go out for your next interview.

The idea isn't new in this economy, however, Jos A. Bank is thinking how they can be "contagious" with "WOMA" or Word of Mouth Advertising....see, I am doing it right now!

Now that is contagious!

Holiday Season 09, Take Heart!

Well the media is at it again. I just read a short article in the newspaper (old school I know) about the upcoming predictions about the holiday season of '09. According to the luxury market as well as the toy buyers, they are buying less expensive items, watching their quantities and making sure they know the right vendors to go to when certain items sell quickly.

Wow, with such news as that, no wonder why people have stopped reading the paper. Any retailer who is savvy, has had this method down through all sorts of economic times.

Brilliant.....not exactly contagious!

Best Buy Recycling Electronics!

You probably knew this but many of the big box stores are taking old electronics off your hands!
I love the article I just read about someone bringing back an "old TV built to look like a piece of furniture".....YIKES....I still HAVE one of those in my basement!
Better yet, Best Buy has gotten smart and offers a gift card which means that the person bringing something to the store to recyle will probably end up spending money while they are there. What a win-win....sounds contagious to me!

K-Mart's layaway plan is contagious!

I just watched a video with the CMO of K-Mart, Mark Snyder in regards to their layaway plan and found it fascinating. He noted that in a management meeting there were many "weird" looks in regards to the "old school" idea resurfacing but went after it anyway.

Here are the positives:

• Customers were thrilled about the option of paying in installments during the holidays.
• Customers told employees how pleased they were and the employees in turn, felt great about their company.
• K-Mart gave their layaway customers a great "coupon book" after they paid off their layaway purchases for future purchases in January.
• That produced an additional 8 million in sales.

Anyway you look at it,those ideas are contagious! Way to go Mark Snyder and your team of forward thinkers!

Twitter is projected to be contagious!

I just read an interesting article on Advertising Age's website that shed some light on the use and potential of Twitter.
I appreciated their definitions that Google is a catalog of the world's recorded knowledge and that Twitter looks back at what was said on the topic.
As I write this, there are approximately 6 million in "Twitterverse", and responses on any topic of interest can be instantaneous.
Twitter founders, according to this article, have already put $55 million into the company and they believe "the best is yet to come".
Now THAT is a CONTAGIOUS BUSINESS!

Walgreens is about "Affordable Essentials"

What a contagious idea! Lower your prices on those items that your customer say are "essential" and are willing to come to you for. My local grocery store is advertising the same concept on milk and eggs. We all know that if you come in to buy milk and eggs you will buy something else. Old school marketing called it a "loss leader". I think the new term is "sales generator"! What items or services do your customers think of you for when it comes to "affordable essentials"?

Maybe the word "essentials" is the key!

Contagious essentials.....what a contagious concept!

Old Navy wants to be Contagious...again!

I remember when the sales associates were on roller skates in the store to make sure that your service was fast! I just read that Old Navy wants people to remember that they "have always owned fun". Hmm, don't tell Mickey that! However, sounds like there are some changes in the wind and if they do things correctly, they may get that 25-35 year old "mom" to be their cheerleaders! Mind you, in yoga pants, but who cares when Gap and Banana Republic are having their own issues, Old Navy is going back to their original branding.....what a CONTAGIOUS idea!

What the retail media never tells you!

I just read that "bargain shoppers" actually helped retail sales last month. No big records, but here is what people should understand....most retailers fiscal year ends on January 31, which gives them all, one more month to their year ending sales. We all assume that every retailer ends their year on December 31. The key for successful retailers is to decide now, how they want to plan for and to promote "next" January's business to make it CONTAGIOUS!

Is Your Product and CustomerService Untouchable?

Stores magazine just had a great article pinpointing what products a customer finds "expendable" and what products they can't do without. Some are not surprising. In Susan Reda's article she lists those items that customers "can" do without as: luxury handbags, satellite radio, specialty shopping for clothing, high-end cosmetics, maid service, facials, fine dining, manicures, upgraded cell phones and club and social memberships.

The important, "untouchables" are: internet service, cell phone service, discount shopping for apparel, hair cut/color, fast-food restaurants, causal sit-down restaurants, charitable contributions and finally, vacations.

My questions to other types of businesses is this: Where does your product fall in your clients list of "expendable" and "untouchable".

Is your customer service so superior to your competitions, that they may add your business to their list of "untouchables"....ABSOLUTELY.

Customer Retention and Walgreens

Another contagious business idea from Walgreens! Walgreens has about 600 clinics in their stores around the country that are staffed with medical personnel who can handle routine problems that most people go to emergency rooms for. I would imagine that the "customers" go right to the pharmacy in the stores with their prescriptions to have them filled. Wow, such an idea! Find out what your customer wants and then fill that need as best you can. This isn't rocket science, it is good business practice. And by the way, isn't there a Walgreens on about every corner of your town?
On a side note, Walgreens is going to practice smart business during this downturn in the economy. Instead of opening up a lot of new stores, they are cutting back and putting money "back into" strategies that will build their current business.
Smart, contagious business ideas that keep customers coming back!