Marketing Tactics

Toy retailer’s concept store steps up digital game
Toys “R” Us is pulling out the stops to engage its in-store shoppers. The toy retailer describes its concept store in Langley, British Columbia, as “the evolution of our digital future.” To maintain this reputation, Toys “R” Us is partnering with Cineplex Digital Media, and adding an in-store digital signage and kiosk network.
Nourishing food retailers with profitable growth
The recipe for success in food retail is changing at breakneck speed. Economic drivers, such as commodity deflation, make revenue growth difficult. At the same time, demographic trends – including the rise of both millennials and centennials – undermine tried-and-tested business models. And now they are faced with the game changing move by Amazon with its planned acquisition of Whole Foods.

Study: Consumers are reigning in back-to-school budgets, visits

Families are keeping back-to-school shopping — and spending — simple. Nearly two-thirds of families budgeted $250 or less for all their back-to-school needs, with only a quarter indicating they will spend between $251 and $500. With tight budgets, families are focusing on price and selection when it comes to buying goods for their youngsters.
Walmart amps up strategy for upcoming Chinese e-commerce festival

Walmart is making big moves to ensure that it can serve Chinese shoppers efficiently during a crucial timeframe. The discounter is further integrating its platform, supply chain and customer resources in China with partner JD.com — efforts that will prepare the companies to serve shoppers during the launch of the first JD-Walmart 8.8 omnichannel shopping festival on Aug. 8. The event will offer savings across all the different JD and Walmart channels, and reward customers for shopping multiple touchpoints.
Study: Optimistic buzz connected to Amazon, Whole Foods Market deal

Customers that shop at both Amazon and Whole Foods Market are the most upbeat about the online giant’s purchase of the natural foods grocer. This was according to a new GfK report that was conducted among 1,000 US adults (ages 18 and above) using KnowledgePanel, the company’s probability-based online panel that represents the adult U.S. population. Responses were collected from June 23-26.
Study: Online glitches jeopardize customer trust

Websites with technical difficulties do more than frustrate shoppers — they damage a brand’s reputation. This was according to a new survey from QualiTest Group. The report, which was conducted with Google Consumer Surveys in June 2017, was based on a sample of more than 1,000 respondents from the United States between the ages of 18 and 54.
Study: Brick-and-mortar retailers feel Prime Day fallout

Prime Day 2017 was Amazon’s biggest event yet. But the shopping marathon took a significant toll on brick-and-mortar traffic.
Sprint mocks rival in pop-up store stunt
Department store giant’s annual anniversary sale goes digital

Nordstrom is putting a modern spin on a 50-year-old tradition. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale — an event that launched in the 1960s — is stepping up its digital game this year. To drive customer engagement throughout the two-week event which kicks off on July 21, the department store giant teamed up with Snapchat to create a custom lens that features accessories that will be highlighted during the Anniversary Sale.
Study: Majority of back-to-school shopping will happen in-store

Consumers are in search of the latest back-to-school deals and experiences — and hitting their local shopping centers to find them. This was according to the annual “ICSC Back-to-School Spending” survey. The report from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), which was conducted between July 6-July 9, is based on a sample of 1,010 U.S. adults, 18 years of age and older.
MarineMax revenue, comp sales sink in Q3

Softness in larger product categories and unseasonal weather in the Northeast dampened MarineMax’s third quarter earnings. For the third quarter ended June 30, MarineMax’s revenues declined to $329.8 million from $345.6 million for the same period last year. This missed Wall Street’s expectations of $383.01 million.
Brand standards for a brave new retail world

Formula. Format. Familiarity. The retail recipe is tried and true, based on brand dress and standards developed over years and, often, decades. Standards meticulously define everything from the logo to the physical layout of stores. Storefronts, where the visual expression of the brand identity is most evident and most essential, is especially prescriptive. A Barnes & Noble in Miami looks the same as a Barnes & Noble in Minneapolis.