Marketing Tactics

Macerich is rolling out a plug-and-play concept that allows it to bring new retailers to its centers in a most untraditional way.    The mall owner announced it is expanding its portfolio for WithMe, an interactive physical store platform that allows brands to set up  limited-time shops in a most expedient way. WithMe offers brands a fully portable, pre-fabricated and high-tech retail environment that blend the best of online and offline shopping.    

Whole Foods Market is upping its game.   In the face of growing competition, the supermarket chain has been adding restaurants, bars and tap rooms to its stores, reported The Orange County Register.    In select locations in California, Whole Foods is adding in-store outposts of a popular fast-casual eatery, Mendocino Farms, to its stores.   

Neil Saunders, CEO of retail insights and consulting firm Conlumino, comments on J.C. Penney’s results for the third quarter in which sales came in under forecasts.   “After a good run of growth, J.C. Penney has faltered this quarter with both total and comparable sales slipping into negative territory. While the company is now overlapping some tougher prior year comparatives, this is nonetheless a disappointing outcome that takes the shine off some of the recent progress made under its recovery program.  

One of the world’s largest sail manufacturers is sailing into Manhattan, but it won’t be selling its award-winning sails.   North Sails will open its third retail store on Nov. 16, in Manhattan. The company opened its first store in August, in Annapolis, Md., followed by a location in Newport, Rhode Island.  

Lord & Taylor takes customers on a whimsical winter journey in the 79th annual holiday window display at its Manhattan flagship on Fifth Avenue.    With an Enchanted Forest theme, the five windows portray scenes of a winter wonderland and are filled with 34 hand-sculpted holiday animals. Each vignette is enhanced with over 350 square feet of LED walls. The store’s façade features more than 9,000 ft. of mixed garland, foliage, twinkling lights and holiday music      

The 24-hour Chinese shopping mega-event known as Singles Day brought in record numbers for the country’s e-commerce giant, Alibaba. But it appears that the growth rate is decelerating.    Alibaba Group Holding Limited reported that the total amount of goods and services sold by vendors (known as gross merchandise volume) over its e-commerce sites rose 24% to a record $17.8 billion this year. Last year, by contrast, sales on Alibaba platforms increased 60%.  

Holiday retail sales should increase 2% to 4% over last year but retailers should not be expecting a similar profit boost.   That’s the view of Purdue University retail management expert Richard Feinberg who expects retailers will lose pricing power due to online competition.  

Starbucks Corp. stirred up a controversy last year when people complained that its all-red holiday cups were too plain. It’s unlikely there will be any complaints this go around.        This year, for the first time ever, Starbucks has 13 different holiday cups, all of them red but each with its own distinct design. And in another twist, the designs were created by customers.