Marketing Tactics

Coach’s new flagship includes customization services
Coach is celebrating its 75th anniversary year with an impressive new flagship on one the world’s most prestigious (and pricey) streets. The company has officially opened the doors to its “Coach House” flagship on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. The 20,000-sq.-ft., three-level space, designed by Coach executive creative director Stuart Vevers and Studio Sofield, showcases the brand’s modern luxury positioning. (A Stuart Weitzman flagship is located adjacent to it. Coach acquired the brand in 2015.)
Rise of the ‘Craft’ Brand
The age of the Goliath brand is over. Now, the Davids are running the show. The commerce landscape has consistently been dominated by giant corporations, whose brands became extremely broad, and in some ways generic. Think about Gillette. What does Gillette mean to you? Unless you get really excited about the prospect of a 37-blade razor, Gillette as a brand probably doesn’t mean much to you. It’s just the standard razor you buy at the store.

Forrester: Online holiday sales to increase 13%

U.S. online holiday spending will reach $112 billion in 2016, growing 13% over 2015. That is according to Forrester’s Holiday Retail Sales Forecast, which said that while online sales are 12% of annual retail sales, they jump to 16% of total holiday sales during the November and December months.
There’s no place likes stores for the holidays

Want to get in the holiday spirit? Visit a store. The overwhelming majority (75%) of Americans believe shopping in a store is one of the best ways to get in the holiday spirit, while 58% say that online shopping takes some of the fun out of holiday shopping, according to new research by Citi Retail Services.
Unusual bedmates: Neiman Marcus joins up with digital fashion disruptor

It’s an odd partnership — at least at first glance. Neiman Marcus has entered into a partnership with Rent the Runway, which lets shoppers rent pricey designer dresses as opposed to buying them (at a luxe store like Neiman Marcus).
Study: ‘Porch piracy’ affecting online shopping

As more shoppers become victims of “porch piracy,” they are changing they way they shop — and receive — online orders. This message was delivered in a new study from Vivint Smart Home, a smart home services provider in North America. The study, which is based on 2,000 people, explores the far-reaching impact of the porch piracy phenomenon — an issue that has affected 23 million Americans, according to a separate study from Princeton Survey Research Associates International.
Sears to host a ‘members only’ holiday sale

Sears’ loyal shoppers will have the chance to preview holiday sales at an exclusive shopping event.
Beacons’ Next Step: Bringing ‘Online’ to the Real World, Getting Personal

In 2013, to much hype and social media fanfare, Apple introduced the iBeacon into their iOS with release 4.0. Then everything went quiet, mostly because very few applications for the technology exist, and not enough developers understood the unlimited potential of the technology.
Modern furniture giant expands

Design Within Reach, which specializes in modern furniture and accessories in the world, is expanding its retail portfolio. The company opened a 12,000-sq.-ft. store at Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus, N.J. The new space features a grand glass atrium entrance, a private VIP valet service and a Chilewich shop-in-shop.
Target surprises in Q3; lifts forecast

Improving traffic and sales, particularly in the digital channel, helped Target Corp. easily beat third-quarter profit expectations as the discounter raised its year-end outlook. Target’s profit increased 10.7% to $608 million, or $1.07 cents a share, up from $549 million, or 88 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted for one-time expenses, it earned $1.04 cents a share, which was better than the 83 cents analysts had expected.
Macy’s rolling out off-price pop-ups for holidays

Macy’s is expanding its off-price concept, Macy’s Backstage, in a pop-up format. In a test, the department store retailer is placing Backstage pop-ups in 45 existing Macy's stores in time for the holiday shopping season, the Cincinnati Business Journal reported.
Ikea partners with Red Cross to give customers unique window into Syria

Ikea has brought the horrors of the Syrian civil war home to customers at its flagship in Slependen, Norway. In a joint fundraising effort, the Swedish home furnishings giant, in partnership with the Norwegian Red Cross, has recreated the small, unfurnished apartment of a Syrian mother and her children in the middle of the store. The space is based on a real-life apartment in Damascus, according to CNN.