Journeys which is owned by Genesco Inc (NYSE: GCO) has announced a promotion in which every customer who tries on a pair of shoes will be offered a free smartphone when they activate a qualifying new two year service plan plus monthly data feature. Customers will be able to choose from a wide variety of phones, including the latest BlackBerry® and Android-powered smartphones.
This comes on the heel of Teen retailer American Eagle Outfitters Inc., looking to jump-start back-to-school denim sales, offered anyone who tries on a pair of jeans a free smart phone.
Now, I am unable to get why would a retailer come up with such a promotion. Without the carriers customizing these phones with Genesco/Journeys Apps/branding there is very little to win for Genesco here. Although carriers often offer discounts to independent resellers for new subscribers, I am sure Genesco would be paying some traffic acquisition cost to carriers for subsidizing its phone. Apart from making you look desperate, these promotions do little for you. There’s only one party that wins, customers who will throng to the stores just this time for the free phones.
Sears Holdings today announced the launch of AdYourWay, a revolutionary new shopping tool that gets to know customers and personalizes the shopping offers that they receive. By combining the powerful marketplace product selection with personalized content and customized recommendations, AdYourWay helps customers manage their lives to save both time and money.
"We're living in a customer-controlled retail environment and it is imperative that we continue to reinvent the company through technology and innovation to improve our relevance with our customers," said David Friedman, SVP and president, Marketing, Sears Holdings. "AdYourWay is a unique shopping tool that puts control back into the hands of our customers, allowing them to manage and organize both the products and the offers that interest them."
From a single personalized page on Sears.com, and soon to come to Kmart.com, AdYourWay allows customers to receive personalized product recommendations based on previous purchases and product searches. Once a customer is logged into Sears.com or Kmart.com, AdYourWay technology works to provide customers with deals and offers on products of interest and those that are relevant to their lifestyle.
ComScore - U.S. Q3 Retail E-Commerce Spending 2006-2010
by Deepak Sharma on Tuesday, October 19, 2010
ComScore is reporting the US Q3 Retail E-Commerce Spending which topped 2008 levels.
U.S. retail e-commerce spending reached $32.1 billion in Q3 2010, finally surpassing 2008 levels. Recent growth has been propelled by strength in the consumer electronics category, as well as growth in spending among households earning $100,000+ annually.
RetailWeek launches a new Retail Technology Blog aptly named, Retail Bytes.
Welcome to Retail Bytes, the new e-commerce and technology blog from Retail Week.
On the blog, we will point out the most interesting retail technology news from around the web and provide additional news and analysis from Retail Week reporters.
You’ll find site reviews and posts highlighting innovative new features on leading and lesser-known transactional web sites. We will highlight news from the wider technology world that impact retailers’ online efforts, such as search engine optimisation, social media and the development of mobile devices. We’ll also keep an eye on the online-specific skills retail marketing specialists need to understand, including highlighting innovations and best practice in e-mail marketing, social commerce and search engine optimisation.
Consumer perception of store brand quality is getting stronger
by Deepak Sharma on Friday, October 08, 2010
Nielsen reports on how consumer perception of store brand quality is getting stronger; nearly three-quarters of U.S. households believe store brands are a good alternative to name brands, and nearly two-thirds of households say that store brand quality is just as good as that of name brands.
According to Nielsen, three-quarters of U.S. households believe store brands are a good alternative to name brands and nearly two-thirds of households say that store brand quality is just as good as name brands. In a recent Progressive Grocer Store Brands article, the depth of store brand buying reveals just how much consumer’s behaviors and attitudes have aligned.
With nearly 70% of store brand dollar sales coming from consumers who are “variety-seekers,” retailers can encourage deeper levels of store-brand buying by:
- Rewarding key consumers with continuity-based promotions.
- Implementing repeat stimuli efforts
- Targeting specific shoppers through direct mail efforts
For more details and tactical examples, continue reading at Progressive Grocer Store Brands.
