Alison Chaltas

IKEA is the perfect example of a retailer who struck a winning proposition and has stuck with it. That $3 frying pan is a perfect fit with their no nonsense, high-choice kitchen design. And yes, it beefs up the market basket, a little. But the intent is more to...

The learning from Apple is simple: Live the brand in store. It took a technology company with the luxury of building stores from scratch to develop today's best practices in Shopper Marketing.

No doubt P&G has discovered the power of engaging the shopper where and when she wants to shop, personalizing her brand experience, and making it easy for her to buy at a good value. In typical P&G fashion, they are methodically attacking the opportunities social media presents, and leveraging...

Further adding to the challenge of managing trade promotion in today's environment is the growth of shopper marketing as a discipline--with often blurry lines between the two. No longer can manufacturers compartmentalize activities into those that build awareness and brand equity and those that drive volume. Importantly manufacturers must...

"Lower" gas prices is certainly a relative statement. Anything over $3 a gallon makes a big impact on driving behavior. Staycations are sure to be the norm this summer and shopping trips will continue to be fewer, closer to home. Convenience retailers will have to get very creative to...

How refreshing in today's world to treat others the way you'd want to be treated! So often customers and clients treat vendor suppliers as outsiders and commodities. In today's world where intellectual capital is so critical, the smart organizations from retailers to agencies to manufacturers to, yes, consulting firms,...

Scent is a very important part of our sensory experience in any environment. Just think about how you feel when you want by a custom coffee roaster or fabulous bread bakery. Olfactory glands set off the rest of our desire to buy and can be a powerful retail tool.

The...

In our uber-connected individualist world, the role of live focus groups is changing. No longer are they the only way to speak with shoppers. We've gotten fantastic insights from 1:1 communication ranging from in-store ethnography to mobile text messaging vehicles. Virtual shops can be combined with e-intercepts to probe...

The answer to your specific question is "it depends." On the positive side, monthly financial reporting forces retailers (and manufacturers too) to stay close to their business and take accountability for their actions with shareholders.

But this curse of monthly reporting drives short-term actions which in retailing can be...

Neon is a fun fad, but still a fad. However, color has now become gender-neutral. Just walk the halls of our kids' elementary schools and you'll see almost as many fifth grade boys in pink polos as girls of the same age. My ten year old son summed it...