Marketing Tactics

Restoration Hardware Holdings has entered the Austin market with the latest generation of its design gallery store format.   The new RH Austin, The Gallery includes an entire floor dedicated to the retailer’s new RH Modern concept, with an integrated contemporary art gallery.    It also includes an interactive design atelier, a professional workspace that allows customers, designers and architects to conceptualize and customize a home.  

Gone are the days when Black Friday signified the official launch of the holiday shopping season.    In fact, nearly half (49%) of shoppers will have a bulk of their holiday shopping done by Thanksgiving Day, according to a new survey from market intelligence solutions provider Market Track. And digital deals will be the catalyst.  

Shoppers can view and try out — but not buy — the innovative product line up from Toto at its new showroom space in New York City.    The world's largest plumbing manufacturer is opening a high-design, experiential gallery to display its innovative bath products in Manhattan’s Flatiron district, the heart of the city's home design industry.   

Consumers’ new ‘buy now, wear now’ mentality it putting them at odds with retailers, many of whom are already pushing outerwear and other cold weather gear.    

Photo: Brian Cornell
  Target Corp. CEO Brian Cornell made a rousing appeal to the chain’s associates at the company’s annual fall meeting.   "We have 137 days in front of us to turn this into a winning year, to start that second-half rally," he said, the Star Tribune reported.      

Inspired by Pokemon Go!, Bloomingdale’s found a way to run with the idea of scavenger hunts.   The department store retailer ran an in-store scavenger hunt based on Snapchat and geofilters, according to an article in Luxury Daily.  

Uncertainty among the upcoming presidential election is not dampening holiday sales outlooks.   Indeed, retailers need to be ready to present their holiday best as U.S.-based retail performance over the November through December holiday period is expected to see a 3.2% year-over-year (YoY) lift in sales. This jump is driven partly by a 14.9% increase in YoY sales through digital channels, according to new data from RetailNext.