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Ted Hurlbut's RetailWire Blog
March 17, 2010
Consumer electronics is all about the next cutting edge technology. Being on that cutting edge is essential for Best Buy. They must win the early adopters consistently in order to maintain their market dominance, and pick up the downstream adopters as the technology takes hold....
March 17, 2010
The impression that is left with viewers of store associates in commercials is not nearly as important or enduring as the experience they have with store associates in the stores. Unfortunately, all too often there's a disconnect between the two. Managements can feature their (very best)employees in their advertising all ...
March 16, 2010
My sense is that the dimensions of many standard-size furniture items have been growing larger, but plus-size furniture above and beyond those dimensions would likely run into production run-size issues that might push retail prices beyond workable. For that reason, and because of the dimensions of standard-size furniture, I suspect ...
March 9, 2010
I think we're all in agreement that fuel prices impact retail sales inversely, but I'm not as casual about it as others. Gas prices have a real dollar impact on retail sales, but just as importantly, have an important psychological impact on consumer sentiment. That sentiment is pretty fragile right ...
March 9, 2010
My instinct is that it's much too early in this cycle to be drawing any significant conclusions. As Walmart concedes, their SKU rationalization program is an on-going process that's really in its early stages. Others here today have pointed out that Target has been trying to cherry-pick prices for a ...
March 8, 2010
I'd echo Paula's comments. While on the surface it seems like a logical extension of their franchise, the bridal business is a very different business. The investment is significant, the turn not so much. In the scheme of things, this is still a pretty small niche business, even with the ...
February 24, 2010
I've felt for a while now that Target was caught in a trap between Walmart and Kohl's. They'd like to be thought of as a lower priced fashion alternative to Kohl's, but the price spread isn't great and Kohl's does it better. On the other hand, Walmart simply does everyday ...
February 22, 2010
These points all make sense on a broad perspective, but for any specific independent retailer, the real question is who the customer is and what their needs are. Every independent retailer is different, and the vast range of products, services, customers and experiences defies any summarization.The very best independent retailers ...
February 19, 2010
Sears continues to think outside of the box, but like their decision to license the DieHard brand that we discussed last week, while this may be good for Sears Holdings, it might not be so good for the retail stores....
February 18, 2010
I recommend two things to my independent retail clients to discourage shoplifters and heighten awareness amongst the staff. First, every customer must be greeted when they enter the store, and at appropriate intervals thereafter, in a friendly, non-intrusive way. This both alerts would-be shoplifters that the staff is on the ...
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