Sales & Marketing

I’ll hold off on talking about the holiday shopping season in detail until all the numbers are in, but it’s clear that we’ve already learned quite a lot from 2013. In fact, the more I think about this past year the more I think that the holiday numbers aren’t even the most important takeaway. What’s far more interesting to me is what 2013 has to tell us about where we go next. With that in mind, here’s my early take on what 2014 might have in store (and in stores!) for us:

Slow, steady and sustainable growth

New York – A Dutch arbitration panel has ordered Tiffany & Co. to pay Swatch damages of about $449.5 million plus interest in a breach of contract case dating back to 2011. The dispute stems from Swatch’s claim that Tiffany failed to honor its obligation to develop and sell Swatch watches under the Tiffany name and split the profits.

The heartwarming story of a pit bull rescued from a life of torment as a bait dog earned the Pet Rescue Center in Mission Viejo, Calif., a $100,000 grant from the Petco Foundation and Ellen DeGeneres and her natural pet food company Halo.

The rescue group was chosen from among 4,500 submissions and awarded a check during the "Ellen" show on Dec. 23. Thirty-three other animal welfare groups split $500,000 as part of the Petco Foundation’s Holiday Wishes Grant Campaign.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. household purchases rose 0.5% in November 2013. According to new figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce, this followed a 0.4% increase in October that was larger than previously reported and is the largest increase since July 2013.

With 3,500 locations currently installed at retail and another 1,000 on the way in 2014, SoloHealth Stations are giving new meaning to affordable health care.

Las Vegas – FacialNetwork.com is releasing a beta app called NameTag for Google Glass. The app can spot a face using Google Glass' camera, send it wirelessly to a server, compare it to millions of records and in seconds return a match complete with a name, additional photos and social media profiles.

Only two-thirds of Americans are all or almost finished with their holiday shopping as of Dec. 23. Of the 24 retailers surveyed by America’s Research Group and Inmar, only three retained 70% or more of their customer base, with Walmart topping the list at 88.1%, followed closely by Dollar Tree at 80.4%, and Target at 72.1%.

We have reached the time of year when everyone wonders whether they made the “naughty” or “nice” list. Here are a few suggestions for omni-channel retailers who want to ensure Santa (and your customers) place you firmly on the nice list.

Recognize Channel Differences and Limitations