In Celebration of Shopping

Fashion’s Night Out is back.  And for those wondering if it is bigger and better than ever, in a word: Bieber.  As in, Justin Bieber, who says in the event’s…

As You Like It

The good thing about malls, city shopping districts and e-commerce sites is the bounty of retail choices they provide.  But such abundance makes it trickier for stores to differentiate themselves.…

Getting Personal

In an effort to hone in on what makes consumers buy rather than browse, retail science has gotten a little…sci-fi. For brick and mortar stores, there are “technologies like heat…

Seeking Social Skills

For today’s retailers, the question is no longer whether to use Facebook, but whether Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr are being used as effectively as possible. Smart stores realize social…

Flash Dance

Out of the Great Recession came a fun twist on e-commerce: flash sale sites, which combined the art of the deal with wallet-friendly prices – and consumers flocked in droves.…

Luxury Redux

The Great Recession and the coinciding explosion of smart phones and tablets persuaded even high-end luxury labels to become tech savvy. But open access to once-exclusive merchandise has led some…

Retail’s Shrinking Waistline

Real estate may be all about “location, location, location” – but when it becomes a drain on the bottom line, it may be time to rethink strategy.  That is why…

Marketing to Men

As men have spiffed up their wardrobes in order to be taken more seriously in the workplace, retailers and manufacturers have responded by adopting creative methods to reach this re-discovered…

Fair Weather Trends

Warmer weather brings out bursting flowers, chirping birds and… consumers?  The last one may be a little harder to gauge. Balmy weather in the first quarter of 2012 had people…

The Discount Deluge

Off-price retailers have been readily embraced by American consumers, but they still face fierce competition for the discount dollar. And while some in this sector are flourishing, others are struggling…