This is likely the end of Sears’ 126 year history. Sears’ last profitable year was 2010 – it has lost $12 billion since then. But Sears holds a legendary place in the minds of U.S. consumers and the Craftsman tools and Kenmore appliance brands it created, loved by shoppers, will continue under new hands. There […]
Retail
How to Sell to the College and University Bookstore Marketplace
In an earlier post, I provided a high-altitude view of the college and university (C & U) market; from the perspective of selling products into college bookstores and through their dining services. This post is going to dive into more detail on the bookstore side. For more on the food service side, read this post. […]
3 Reasons Stores Aren’t Going Away and 2 Reasons (some of them) Are.
Sign of the times; Geoffrey the Giraffe, the Toys R Us mascot, leaving the last Toys R Us Store! As many of us are (retail is a $5 Trillion industry) I’m researching, observing and discussing (obsessing) a lot about what’s really happening in physical retail, e-Commerce and the convergence of the two – omni-channel. And […]
3 Ways that Work to Get your Food Product into Stores
I don’t care if you’re selling quinoa, carrots or noodles. If you’re responsible for marketing a food and beverage or snack product then you’re looking for what works – how to just get your product out there in stores. In this post I’ll talk about three classic methods of marketing/sales, that work. And don’t require waiting […]
5 Things to Know About the Airport Retail Industry
This post provides a snapshot of how to navigate the airport retail and restaurant industry. It’s for businesses seeking to expand into airports or brands looking to access this dynamic retail channel. Here are 5 key points to understand. 1) Airports are Run by the Government Airports are organized and operated through a combination of […]
Why ‘Omni-channel’ in Retailing is Here to Stay
Some retail thinkers and writers do not like the term omni-channel, feeling it is just another over-used example of business jargon. I don’t like jargon any more than anyone else, but after having done a ton of research on the current and future state of retail (for my upcoming book), I haven’t been able to find […]
5 Markets for Food Companies You May Have Overlooked
The non-commercial (which is actually very commercial) food sector covers K-12 schools, colleges, healthcare, and the military. Those are the big ones. This means it’s worth looking at if you’re in the business of anything food related, because your competitors may not be. Why “non-commercial?” This just means that, unlike grocery stores and restaurants, these […]
Founder of The Container Store Explains Conscious Capitalism
Tip Kindall, the founder of The Container Store, is a fun, light-hearted, and modest business leader, who emphasizes taking care of people and what he calls conscious capitalism. Here are some takeaways from his talk at Global Shop conference from a few years ago. According to Kindall, ‘conscious capitalism’ is a system that works for […]
