Retail

Amid Job Losses, All Isn't Lost

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"The unemployment rate shot up by half a percentage point in May, the biggest single-month increase in over twenty years," notes Princeton economist Alan Krueger. The job cuts have hit the retail and financial services sectors particularly hard, and they illustrate problems in the economy in general. But they also point to opportunities for forward-thinking business leaders.

When the Going Gets Tough

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Companies around the globe, such as Starbucks, Procter & Gamble, and Wal-Mart, are battling with the marketing challenges posed by a tough economy. What strategies work best for these global brands -- and why? A marketing expert tackles these questions.

The Business Value of Niceness

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Upscale clothier Jack Mitchell, author of the bestseller Hug Your Customers and CEO of Mitchells/Richards/Marshs, explains his infectiously enthusiastic approach to management in his latest book, Hug Your People. In this interview, Mitchell tells why positivity is good for productivity and profits.

Many Paths to Engagement

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There isn't a perfect route to employee engagement, a single path that passes from manager to employee to productivity to profit. Instead, there are as many effective ways to manage people to attain high performance as there are great managers. Want proof? Here's the story of two managers with very different styles, both of whom have become highly successful with the same company, Mars Incorporated.

Whatever Happened to the "Service Station"?

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

In their efforts to cut costs, companies in gasoline retailing -- and plenty of other industries -- are minimizing human interaction. But in doing so, they're undermining a major competitive advantage: the personal touch. Does this self-service approach risk turning their brands into commodities?

A Holiday Wish: Helpful Store Staff

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Those shopping for consumer electronics say employees in the store are a key factor in determining where they'll buy, according to recent results from a Gallup Panel.

The Future of Phones

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

"I think the last time I had a land line, it was in my dorm room in college." So says at least one 24-year old. Is he representative of a growing trend in phone usage? New research by The Gallup Panel reveals the answer to this and other questions.

Performance Reviews Without the Anxiety

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Many managers dread having to give performance reviews, and many employees equally dread receiving them. A manager in Belgium, one of the highest rated supervisors in Gallup's global database, has solved this problem by not making such a big deal about the reviews. Rather, he gives his workers insightful and personal feedback throughout the year. This approach has proven very effective for his team and has earned the veteran manager accolades. Would his approach work for you?

Beyond the Blackberry

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

A heads-up to marketers: Handheld-device users are willing to buy online and to pay more for the right brand. These and other findings were uncovered by a recent Gallup Panel survey.

B&Q Does Career Improvement Too

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The young manager of a home improvement store in Wales excels by giving his employees opportunities at work to learn and grow. In fact, he does this so well that he has become one of the most successful managers at it in Gallup's worldwide database.

How Ann Taylor Invests in Talent

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Does spending on workplace learning and development deliver measurable business results? Is employee education a "nice to have" for organizations, rather than an essential investment? The retailer Ann Taylor has been wrestling with these questions for some time. A leading executive there explains how the company has created a clear and measurable link between its investment in developing talent and its bottom-line business performance.

Do Stores Really Need Rock Bands?

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Live bands and latte bars have become all the rage at retail stores that are trying to add hype to the shopping experience. These bells and whistles may draw shoppers in the door, but do they really strengthen customer relationships?

The Most Powerful Position in Retail

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT

While many other positions in a retail operation are crucial, a great store manager can motivate a team and dramatically improve customer relations -- and sales. This is a story about one such manager.

Driving Organic Growth in Retail

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Executives from some of the world's leading retailers report that they want more business from their current customer base. The question on all of their minds is: How can their companies achieve this aim? Here are four key strategies these leaders are pursuing.

Moving Mountains at Cabela's

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The speedy and exhausting launch of a huge new Cabela's store could have destroyed the morale of its employees. But an exceptionally inspiring manager connected those employees to the store's mission, and the team overcame staggering challenges. They even gracefully handled a surprise visit from President Bush.

Marketing to Older Affluents

Thu, 09 Jun 2005 00:00:00 GMT

They control 67% of the wealth in the U.S. and have some surprising characteristics, according to Gallup Poll data. How can marketers appeal to this discriminating and diverse demographic?

Private Labels Are Brands, Too

Thu, 09 Jun 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Marketers have long treated "store" brands and "private labels" as inferior to big-name brands. But product marketers and retail chains don't determine the status of a brand -- consumers do.

Creating "My Kind of Store"

Thu, 12 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

As retailers shift from mass marketing to targeting specific groups of consumers, they're becoming increasingly innovative. Here are some of their more creative strategies to localize and personalize their marketing.

China's Emerging Affluents

Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:00:00 GMT

They've doubled in numbers in just five years, and they've been on a buying spree that's far from over, according to the Gallup Poll of China. But are the country's affluent happy with their work and their lives?

Marketing to Mass Affluent Women

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Women control about $5 trillion in U.S. business and consumer spending and influence some 80% of all such spending nationally. One key subset of women who have proportionally more discretionary income is the mass affluent. Living in households that earn more than $75,000 a year, they represent about one quarter of all women nationwide, or about 15% of the general public. Gallup Poll data reveal insights that are key to targeting this powerful consumer group.

Merger Myopia

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Major corporate marriages are back in the news. But while Wall Street may benefit from these mergers (in the short run at least), will anyone else? This article focuses on how one big deal, the $11 billion merger of Sears and Kmart, will affect the most important people to these retail giants -- their customers. Some cautionary notes for executives in any industry.

Marketing to the Mass Affluent

Thu, 09 Dec 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Educated, idiosyncratic, and flush with discretionary income, the mass affluent -- people who make $75,000 or more annually -- defy easy characterization. Politically, they're right-leaning; socially, they tilt to the left. How should marketers target this complex, and fast-growing, consumer segment?

"One Store, One Team" at Best Buy

Thu, 12 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Soon after assuming responsibility for a Best Buy store, one of Eric Taverna's big challenges was to harness the energy of his employees. His approach -- and its positive, long-term effects -- offer lessons to managers across all industries on how to build a committed workforce.

Wal-Mart's Onetime CMO: Win Customers' Hearts

Thu, 08 Apr 2004 00:00:00 GMT

How do you build one of the world's greatest companies? Not by obsessing about the competition, says Paul Higham, Wal-Mart's former marketing chief. The key is forging strong emotional connections with customers.

How Saks Welcomes New Customers

Thu, 08 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Three years ago, Saks Fifth Avenue faced a serious challenge in attracting and welcoming new customers. The difficulty would be to manage the "soft side" of the business -- what customers and employees felt. Here's how Saks gets and keeps new customers -- that is, how it remains exclusive without excluding anyone.