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Apr 30, 2009

ENTICING DISPLAYS

Outstanding POS posters in Bed, Bath n Linen store, signalling seasonal changes in range.  You can almost taste/feel/smell the images.  Sunshine Plaza.

SANITY LOST ?

Good location in Sunshine Plaza, but hampered by poor presentation. Not surprising no customers  despite busy mall Thurs lunchtime.  Watch the 2 min video below - not a single person enters the store.  While there are obvious issues with demand and competition in the music and dvd categories, the storefront is not exactly enticing.

SUPER SUPRE LIGHTING

Cool interior Sunshine Plaza

MUM'S GRAND ENTRANCE

At Kmart Sunshine Plaza

Apr 24, 2009

QVB ON SPEED

A fun look at QVB foot traffic, lunch-time - early peak - Thursday.  Sped up x4.

Apr 23, 2009

MUM'S THE WORD

Much better window from kikki.k after last effort disappointed. Good
use of red suggests value. Simple message yet compelling. QVB.

HERITAGE SELLS

Ever popular QVB Sydney at early lunch time. Quieter than usual.
Ground floor is main commuter thoroughfare.

Apr 22, 2009

IN THE SWIM

Stunning Billabong window Bondi Junction

Apr 21, 2009

SAGE WORDS ON LOYALTY: GET STICKY






(Source: DM News) 

While consumer membership in loyalty programs has grown, active participation in such programs is slack, according to Colloquy's 2009 Loyalty Census.

Membership in loyalty rewards programs in the US has reached a high of 1.808 billion — a 24% jump since Colloquy's last census in 2007. There are 14.1 loyalty program memberships per household, however, only 6.2 are actively used. Active participation is relatively flat compared to 2007. Colloquy researchers say that this consumer non-engagement with loyalty programs is a call for marketers to increase the value of their programs, rather than the size.

“It seems that, in terms of membership growth, loyalty programs have gotten as big as they need and arguably too big,” said Rick Ferguson, editorial director for Colloquy, which released the census Tuesday. “A lot of these numbers are just names in the database and are inert, so I think it's time to stop thinking about program size and thinking about loyalty programs as backdoor acquisition vehicles. Instead, marketers should look at the customers that are active and contributing most to their bottom line and really use loyalty programs to connect and communicate with those people.”

Loyalty marketers must look more closely at their consumer data and use it more wisely than they have done in the past, Ferguson added. This advice rings particularly true in a rapidly changing economy, where it's difficult to foresee how consumers will be spending their money next year or even next month.  

“Loyalty marketers have an advantage,” Ferguson said, “because they are really going to be able to pay attention to how consumer behavior is changing. It's imperative that they look at their data and decide what customers they really want to have a relationship with and what that relationship is going to look like. It might change the way they start to reward customers.” 

For example, he said, programs offering co-branded credit cards may work at being better financial partners — offering ways to spend and even save more sensibly — rather than encouraging people to rack up credit card debt.

Changes in credit loyalty programs could have a huge effect on the loyalty industry in general, thanks to the sector's large membership numbers. The financial services sector contributed most to the overall growth rate in loyalty membership, with numbers skyrocketing more than 75% since 2006 and bypassing airlines as the most popular type of program.
 
Ferguson attributed the expansion in this sector to the dramatic expansion of consumer credit that occurred between 2006 and 2008. With today's contraction in the credit industry, he expects that growth to slow and maybe even reverse slightly as issuers focus only on their most valuable customers.

Although its membership numbers are lower than the bloated financial, travel and hospitality and retail sectors, the gaming industry boasts some of the highest activity rates. Ferguson credits the gaming industry's emphasis on experiential rewards — better in-house service, room upgrades and rewards based on preferred activities —with driving customers' engagement in such programs.

“The gaming industry overall is really a lot farther ahead in terms of using data to influence the customer experience,” he said. “I think that provides an eye-check lesson to others to really take this data and start to leverage it because they're all sitting on big piles of customer data. It's a challenge to sort through it and find insights you can exploit, but they're going to have to increase activity rates. They need to shift from short-term thinking to using programs that develop sticky relationships.”

Apr 18, 2009

ON TARGET

Impactful in store graphic Target Bondi

Apr 12, 2009

EASTER BUNNY RUNS LATE


This video shows the frantic 'last-minute' shopping for Easter eggs at a Coles supermarket on Easter Saturday.  A couple of interesting observations.  Firstly, Lindt seemed to have no problem selling through their premium, quality stock (about 50% sell-through), while  Cadburys appeared much slower moving (about 25% sell-through) at lower price points.  Secondly, note the number of shoppers with lists  (we got OUR Lindt just in time ...phew).  On a more serious note, Lindt have done a superb job of improving their distribution and brand profile over the last year or two.  Having a strong, aspirational brand can help in a recession.  Lindt's packaging is also a strength.


Apr 10, 2009

PERSONALISED MARKETING AT B&Q

(Source: Retail Week)

http://www.retail-week.com/Technology/2009/04/bq_to_personalise_marketing_campaigns.html;jsessionid=435EBD2629CA9630036E697375D92358

B&Q to personalise marketing

B&Q is to introduce more personalised marketing to customers in the second half of this year to better target specific segments such as older shoppers and trade customers.

The DIY retailer has been analysing customer data using things like its Trade Discount Card, to work out how different customer segments behave, and to identify the type of DIY projects they are likely to embark on.

It has been able to analyse this data and create predictive models of customer behaviour since investing in a data mining tool from SPSS last year.

TERMINATE YOURSELF

Cool interactive idea (although not original).


http://terminateyourself.com/

(Source: BlogOgilvy)

To promote the upcoming Terminator movie this site allows you to upload a photo (or use your webcam) then lets you terminate yourself. Alternatively you can upset Christian Bale and he can actually rip your face off.

COOL VIRTUAL CATWALK


Open / Close 

(Source: Internet Retailing)

H&M launches spring collection with interactive catwalk

The .new feature shows outfits being modelled on a virtual catwalk and lets customers select and view outfits, 'try them on' in the retailer's virtual dressing room and comment on them in Facebook.  H&M has launched its Spring 2009 collection with an innovative interactive catwalk. Customers can choose to see any of a wide range of outfits being modelled on the virtual catwalk and can then use the 'try it on' feature to see how they could look in real life, using H&M's virtual dressing room feature.  Customers can also add outfits to Facebook so that their friends can comment on them.

SIMPSONS ON SALE

The Simpson Stamps
(Source: ShoppingBlog.com)
The Simpsons postage stamps are now on sale at U.S. Post Office locations and online. You can see more details here

"We are excited to celebrate The Simpsons on postage stamps," said U.S. Postal Service Executive Director of Stamp Services David Failor. "Eyebrow-raising to say the least, this witty, well-written pop icon continues to irreverently satire its parody of a middle-class family as it lampoons American culture. The Simpsons stamps, which includes known philatelists Bart Simpson, will serve as a great opportunity to interest youngsters into stamp collecting." 

"This is the biggest and most adhesive honor The Simpsons has ever received," said Matt Groening, creator and executive producer of The Simpsons. 

Apr 8, 2009

FRESH CUES

This display in Fratelli Fresh, Danks St, Waterloo demonstrates a bunch of the cues necessary to signal freshness.  Fratelli Fresh is a traditional green grocer that has operated out of a warehouse stud for some time, long before it became fashionable amongst store designers.  The natural light demonstrates that product which shows colour in that light is fresh.  The brown hessian and paper bags signal 'traditional grocer', and 'quality', and these days have almost an inverse 'snobbishness'. The boxes and blackboards signal a 'marketplace' also suggesting freshness, being close to the producer (while in the middle of the city), and a return to basics. While nothing can substitute for quality product, these cues all serve to subtly reinforce the decision to shop here, and pay a premium.

Mmm GELATO !

This gelato shop in Norton Plaza Leichardt, has cut-through signage in a bustling environment. And the product was great too !



A RELISH TO BEHOLD

Great gourmet food store, Leichardt.  Very tidy, this store shouts 'fresh', and has a neat colour scheme and finishes. Unusually quiet for a Saturday lunch-time in a very busy (and very competitive) food hall environment, Norton Plaza.

RECESSION PROOF ?

Professional Nails salon doing a roaring trade, Leichardt, Saturday lunch time.  Further evidence that the 'lipstick' economy (ie. small indulgences for women) continues to be recession-proof.


Apr 7, 2009

CASING THE BANK

I have previously commented on the innovative, customer-friendly Bankwest branch in East Gardens - see http://shoppologist.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-bank-concept.html

Here is some footage for a closer inspection - Tues, lunch time:

The colour orange is warm, friendly and inviting, as well as being funky.
The wide approach to the tellers is very inviting.
The white colour is a neat offset to the orange.
The subtle signage eg 'savings' is just right.
The work areas are private enough without being too corporate, and have some softened lines.
The hard-wearing floor is certainly very 'retail' and trendy - but could be hard on staff's feet as well.  As the footage shows, they clearly are not busy at weekday lunch times.  However, they deserve to do well with the effort they have put into this.  PS - hope I don't get busted for this, officer !

NEWS FOR YOUNG AND OLD

Video snapshot in the East Gardens mall, Tues lunch-time.  Taken overlooking the news agent / stationer and lotto shop.  Note:
  • The aged population - a lot of grey hair - a number of whom require extra seating, and space for mobility aids.
  • The young families with strollers - again requiring space.
  • The importance of the front table as a drawcard for impulse purchases.  (Of course the product display has to be attractive - the Price Attack store about 30 feet down the mall, similar location had no takers on its boring table display).
  • The importance of Lotto as a traffic generator.

DROP PANTS DISPLAY

General Pants windows in East Gardens are of a high standard - pics show two displays approximately 2-3 weeks (17 March, 7 April) apart.  Regular change-outs of dramatic windows help the brand stand out in a crowded and often 'commoditized' category.

CHEAP BUT VERY CHEERFUL

window, and frontage, Jay Jays East Gardens mall.  Great warm, fun, exciting colours and representation - cheap but very cheerful - perfect for the young target market.

Apr 5, 2009

THE PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA

Tea Prices Likely to Rise as Techies Switch From Coffee to Tea 

Cup of Tea FlickrWired has an article that says tea is the new coffee and reports that today's web 2.0 crowd is on a tea drinking binge. The article also says that today's influential young Web 2.0 millionaires are drinking expensive imported teas. The article says Digg founder Kevin Rose imports $1,000 a month worth of specialty tea for Digg employees.

Apr 1, 2009

FLOW ON EFFECT

Foot traffic flow in Melbourne Central mall, outside Jay Jays - budget, fun casual wear (unisex). Sped up 4x original duration 2 min 12 s.  Just after lunch-time peak on a Tuesday. The mall leads from a commuter station to Melbourne's main  CBD shopping strip.