Most retailers are relieved now that 2015 is in their rear view mirrors. It was the worst year in retail since 2009, closing in the red, down .2 percent from previous year, if motor vehicles and food services are excluded. Unfortunately 2016 doesn’t promise to be much better. Yet amidst the flagging retail industry there […]
Archive | 2016
How to Hook Today’s — and Tomorrow’s — Home-Hungry Consumers
The home furnishings market was hit, and hit hard, by the recession. Not until 2014 did the home furnishings market claw its way back to its pre-recession peak, reaching $288 billion as measured by consumer expenditures. But while the size of the home furnishings market may have recovered, the way American’s shop for home furnishings, […]
Brand Loyalty: Why Brands Can’t Buy Loyalty with Points
Last year with great fanfare American Express launched a new concept in rewards programs called Plenti. Its hook: it allows members to earn points across multiple brands, rather than just one. So members can earn points by renting a car at Enterprise and redeem them at Macy’s. Apparently many brands are queueing up to join […]
Why Tiffany Fails & Brands like James Avery Succeed
Last week Tiffany gave a depressing report on its two-month holiday sales. U.S. store sales were down 7% from previous year. That caused the company to give a sobering expectation for the full year, with expected net earnings to decline by 10%. But while Tiffany is struggling on New York’s Fifth Avenue, the jewelry market […]
How to Create Brand Loyalty Programs to Engage with the Most Profitable Customers – Affluent Americans
A recent Unity Marketing survey among C-suite and marketing executives, as well as entrepreneurs, identified finding new customers as their chief concern. But while attracting new customers may be top on marketers’ list for 2016, customer retention strategies are ultimately the most profitable and most effective ways to growth. A new trend report from Unity […]