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My Black Friday was a bust!  A big let-down from all the hoopla about doorbusters and flash sales — a complete disappointment.  But more than a personal sob story, I think my experience holds some important lessons for retailers and e-tailers. […]

(Get the insights and analysis on new and interesting restaurant and retail concepts with my brand experience briefs.  Here’s the latest:) Target is experimenting with a new store format, CityTarget.  The effort is intended to reach more Americans, and their money, who have been leaving the suburbs for the city.   Check out all that’s great […]

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2012, according to the Chinese calendar, is the Year of the Dragon.  In Chinese tradition, each year is dedicated to a specific animal and predictions for 2012 are for a dragon-like year of excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration, and intensity. With this expectation in mind, I’ve selected several brands to keep my eye on.  They’re likely to […]

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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 […]

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Martin Bishop, author of the blog Brand Mix, recently posted about some new research on brand loyalty.  An implication from the research findings is that you can steal brand loyalists from the competition […]