Marketing Tactics

GNC hit the reset button on December 28, 2016, closing its 4,464 U.S. owned and franchised stores for the day as it rolled out a simplified pricing strategy with items priced the same across all channels, a new app, a new rewards program and installed new POS terminals.    Field Agent, a consulting firm that conducts on-location auditing and research, recently sent “agents” to 52 stores to check out the changes. In some good news for struggling GNC, the reviews were mostly positive.     

Holiday online sales surpassed predictions, generating $1 billion daily for the majority of a two-month period.  

Target Corp. is thinking out of the box in urban and other select areas.

The retailer’s flexible format store is designed to allow it to open in locations — ranging from downtown areas to college neighborhoods — that can’t accommodate a big-box footprint. The stores, which also serve as convenient pick-up destinations for online orders, run the gamut in size depending on their location. But most seem to average from about 20,000 to 40,000 sq. ft. The smallest, at 12,000 sq. ft., is in Berkely, Calif.

Retailers’ returns policies are critical factors in consumers' purchasing decisions. But many consumers are far from pleased with their experience.    This was revealed in Voxware’s third biennial report, which highlights why consumers return items purchased online or by phone and how their experiences with the returns process affects their future intentions to shop with retailers.  

As digital disruptors continue to alter retail operations, brands are working to harness these emerging innovations to drive engagement among shoppers and employees. Look for the National Retail Federation’s upcoming 106th annual convention to educate attendees on these and other critical business strategies.

Oculus Populi: The mall at the center of the World Trade Center

As we head into 2017, retail chief marketing officers are under the gun more than ever before to produce measurable results. Jobs are on the line, as CEOs demand evidence that increased marketing technology investments are paying off. And that spending won’t slow down soon: Gartner recently doubled down on its prediction that CMOs will outspend their CIO counterparts on technology in this coming year.   

New app allows shoppers to skip the checkout line

Sam’s Club is no stranger to embracing digital disruptors. In one of its most recent initiatives, the retailer is rolling out a free app that allows members to use their smartphone to completely bypass the checkout lane at any Sam’s Club location nationwide. The chain sees the program — called Scan & Go — as an early holiday gift for its harried, time-starved shoppers.