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Consumer Insights of Mass vs. Direct to Consumer Model: Not a Close Shave

January 21, 2019

For the last number years or so we’ve seen the emergence of quirky, innovative and sometimes irreverent consumer shave clubs.  Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s come to mind. These businesses are full of personality…some wacky, others cheeky…but definitely not boring.  Recent examples of videos from this group are: (here, here, and here). The internet has […]

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Retail Reflections for 2019: More of the same for the once mighty but a silver lining for SMB’s

January 7, 2019

Recent articles and events re-inforce the narrative started a few years ago: the retail shake-down cruise is nowhere near over.  Issues with once mighty giants like Sears Holdings filing for Chapter 11 – on life support waiting for last minute funding, JCPenny becoming a penny stock for the first time since the 70’s, and others […]

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What SMB’s can learn from Top CMO’s

June 14, 2018

I recently attended the 2018 Notre Dame Chief Marketing Officer Summit sponsored by the Mendoza College of Business.  The theme was “The Future of Customer Engagement in a Digital World”.  Top marketing officers from Kellogg Co, TD Ameritrade, Intuit, Keds, Constellation Brands, American Eagle Outfitters, Ally Financial, Edward Jones, and USAA shared thoughts among others.

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Automation Implications for SMB Retailers

April 13, 2018

We are well into 2018 and we’ve seen our share of stories reinforcing the narrative that large retailers continue to shrink their footprint, (Toys R Us, Foot Locker, Best Buy cell phone stores), while Walmart, Amazon and even several Chinese retailers test larger automation. This new testing is well beyond the adoption of simple tablets at casual dining restaurants like Applebee’s and Chili’s, so we’ll focus on what’s new.

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The other shoe just dropped – how footwear brands and retailers must feel

September 26, 2017

The last few years have seen some dramatic shifts in the footwear retail landscape. It may have started quietly in 2014, when kids shoe retailer Stride Rite announced it would close 140 retail stores and shift those resources to ecommerce.

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The Tipping Point in Retail, and how Brands Rebalance

August 4, 2017

News from the last 30 days has us convinced that a tipping point has been reached with major brands selling online through Amazon. Once a sensitive subject among major brands who feared a backlash and loss of business from their traditional retail channel, the floodgates now appear to be open.

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Retail is Dead! Long live Retail!

April 10, 2017

Recent news of multiple store closings has sparked a hot discussion on whether retail as we know it is dead.   – Payless Shoes to file Chapter 11 and close 400 – Macy’s to close 68 – J.C. Penny to close 140 – Sears to close 42 – Kmart to close 108 – The Limited […]

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Google Compare shuts down today – ending experiment competing with Auto Insurance Agents

March 23, 2016

After launching a year ago and projecting service across two dozen states, Google announced it’s shutdown of Google Compare in the US (and UK) today…reaching a threshold of selling auto insurance in just four states.  The reason?  It wasn’t as successful as planned. Now while Google is known for experimenting across a wide range of […]

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Amazon douses Fire Phone, but showrooming continues

September 2, 2015

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Amazon is axing its Fire Phone due to lack of sales cited in this article from Engadget.  As I read the article and user comments I couldn’t help but laugh at my June 2014 blog on how cool this new Fire Phone was, and how its features […]

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Find Success at the Nexus of Consumer Needs

June 10, 2015

Any marketer not aware of the tremendous growth across three key dimensions might be accused of living under a rock in 2015, but it’s in tying them together where we understand them in context. The three dimensions here are: Device, Intent, and Content.  (Aka Mobile, Local, Video)     Mobile: The biggest force in online […]

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