Discount Nation and the sucker price

When was the last time you went to Macy’s or Bed, Bath & Beyond or any furniture store and paid full-price?  Did you actually pay for shipping on any e-commerce purchases during the holiday? At most retailers, regular price is the sucker price. You only pay it out of desperation or ignorance. Walk through any [...]

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Surgical Shopping and the Hangover Market

Last holiday season I coined the term “surgical shopping” to describe the highly precise way many consumers were purchasing.  While the panic of late 2008 and early 2009 subsided, consumers were only gradually opening their wallets, focusing primarily on needs vs. wants and often trading down to brands that gave very clear bang for the [...]

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“Faux Clearance”: Do Outlet Store Customers Care?

One of the hottest retail segments right now is the outlet or off-price market.  Nordstrom, Saks and Neiman Marcus are opening more “clearance” stores than full-line stores.  Bloomingdale’s and Lord & Taylor have recently announced plans to open their own off-price formats.  Hundreds of manufacturers’ outlet stores from Ralph Lauren to Coach to Nike can [...]

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It’s the Experience Stupid! Why Retailers Need to Move Away From Product-Centricity

As I approach my 20th anniversary in the retail industry I continue to be amazed at the number of senior retail executives who go on and on about how “it’s all about the product.”  Nonsense. Don’t get me wrong, product is anywhere from pretty important to very important depending upon the particular retail concept and [...]

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