Sales & Marketing

With all the attention focused on generally strong online holiday sales during “Cyber Week” (Nov. 23-29), it may be instructive to look at the experience of one major retailer.

Kohl’s has released an infographic summarizing what so far is a successful digital holiday shopping season. Among the facts and figures Kohl’s has released about the performance of Kohls.com during Cyber Week:

Cyber Monday 2015 will be a day for the retail record books, at least until next holiday season.

Nordstrom Rack, the off-price division of Nordstrom, continues its expansion, announcing two new upcoming locations.

The retailer plans to open a 28,000-sq.-ft. store at Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont, Ill., in fall 2016. The property is owned by Macerich.

One retailer was clearly in a league of its own when it came to social media dominance of Cyber Monday.

Delivering an excellent in-store experience to customers is no easy task for retailers. In addition to ensuring your employees are offering exceptional customer service, you need to consider how shoppers will perceive every aspect of your store environment, including lighting, music, floor plans and merchandise display. But in determining how to create an optimum in-store environment, don’t forget one of the most important factors that can positively influence the customer experience—scent.

The details of how millennials shop may differ from their elders, but the ultimate goal is the same.

Millennials shop differently than their parents, but when it comes to the end result, they are looking for the same thing: a great deal.

According to the Blackhawk Engagement Solutions’ “Millennials Disrupt Shopping” report, based on two separate surveys of 500 millennial consumers each, smartphones are a dominant method of connection to the web for millennials, with 89% using them to connect to the Internet. This compares to 75% using laptops, 45% using tablets and 37% using desktop computers.

For a highly specialized retailer like specialty music chain Guitar Center, keeping track of store labor can pose extra challenges.

“Our customers want knowledgeable associates for specific instruments,” explained Alex Khamudis, manager of store labor for Westlake Village, California-based Guitar Center. “How do you figure out when to schedule experts, and how many, across four separate departments like guitar and drums?”