I’ve been working with a major retail brand and my engagement has included an audit and assessment of retail best practices. Although most of my work is proprietary, I wanted to share some of my findings here because I’ve found some really interesting patterns. (more…)
Ever since the phrase “you manage what you measure” made its way into the dialogue of corporate America, metrics have played an increasingly important role in the management of businesses. 
No one can argue the value of timely, detailed, and accurate measures of performance as assessments of effectiveness and guides for decision-making. Yet, which metrics are best remains highly debatable.
This week’s BusinessWeek features two stories back-to-back that together make an important point for all businesses trying to navigate today’s recessionary times. First is a piece on Target’s apparent move down market, “Look Who’s Stalking Wal-Mart.” 
It outlines several moves by Target that seem to be taken from Wal-Mart’s playbook. Then there’s the article, “Why Old Navy May Still Be at Sea,” 
relaying the cheap-chic retailer’s struggles and successes over the past few years. (more…)
T’was the day after Thanksgiving and all through the mall
Shopkeepers and sales staff had prepared for it all
They’d hung their over-sized sale signs and filled all their racks
“Shoppers start your engines,” they suggested, “not a moment to relax.”
Windows were a sea of red posters, red tags, and red decorations too
Promoting not the color of Christmas but the more common sale hue
Advertisers had stuffed local newspapers with flyers and FSIs
Featuring deep discounts, limited quantities, and other special buys
E-tailers stuffed my in-box full of promotional emails
Every subject line was announcing a deal or a sale
The signs of sales desperation were everywhere I looked
Even TV ads eschewed entertainment and went straight for the sales hook
Instead of enjoying shopping and having some holiday fun
Finding the best price seemed to be job number one
Looking for good gifts and their trimmings lost its appeal
Since I wasn’t sure each offer I would find was the absolute best deal
I got tired just thinking about shopping before I headed out the door
All the talk about prices made it seem like a chore
And so I decided to pass on Black Friday and just stay home
In feeling overwhelmed I’m guessing I wasn’t alone.
(the image above is a partial view of all of the FSIs from my local Thanksgiving day newspaper — the stack was almost 2 inches piled high)
I read with great interest an article in SmartBusiness about Red Mango and the yummy yogurt chain’s founder, president, and CEO of Red Mango, Dan Kim. 
I’m fascinated by the frozen yogurt chains that have emerged on the cultural landscape in last 5 years. Pinkberry has probably gotten the most coverage in the press, with its high design aesthetic and celebrity fans, but there are plenty of others in the game including Red Mango. The category is very crowded with operators of all sizes competing in a relatively small niche with punch cards and discount days. Building brand awareness and shoring up a loyal customer base are particular challenges, which is in part why I’m so interested in the category (liking fro yo also has something to do with it too!)
In the SB piece, Dan explains his thinking and approach to building the Red Mango brand. Clearly, this is a guy who gets it. He believes in the power of his brand and he actively nurtures and protects it. Here are my reactions to his comments, along with some suggestions for how he might ensure his brand-building efforts continue to be successful as the chain grows. (more…)
Recently several manufacturers have announced that they are initiating an e-commerce business. I’m not sure of the motivations behind these moves but it seems to be a growing trend. Although many manufacturers have been offering direct sales for many years through their own e-commerce sites, it seems we’re seeing a new surge of interest in doing so from players who have historically shunned the idea.
Last Sunday’s New York Times included a piece, “At MoMA, ‘Permanent’ Learns to Be Flexible.” 
It outlined how the museum’s new chief curator of painting and sculpture, Ann Temkin, is challenging the rules of museum display. In the piece, I found some instructive parallels for struggling retailers. (more…)
Congratulations to Jon Galloway, the winner 
of the “vote for the best blogpost” celebration I held to mark the 1-year anniversary of my blog!
Jon voted for “don’t go changin’ to try to please them,” a post I had written about why brands shouldn’t go chasing after customers. Jon explains his choice:
This really resonated with me since I’ve seen this mistake made so many times from a product development point of view: (more…)
Within a month of each other, two articles appeared in BusinessWeek about luxury brands. The articles, about Coach 
and Tiffany & Co. 
respectively, describe how the brands are dealing with the decrease in demand due to the recession. Each has devised a strategy for lowering its prices without tarnishing its brand. (more…)
An open memo…
To: Richard Block, VP Marketing, Haier America
From: Someone Who Really Wants to See Haier Succeed
Subject: How to Grow Haier Into a Household Name (more…)