Archive for 'Simplicity Sells'
The Hanging Gardens of Retail
Posted on 02. Feb, 2010 by Jon Bird.
Fast Company magazine once said of US lifestyle and apparel chain Anthropologie that “it’s hard to tell where the merchandise ends and the display begins.” Never a truer word was spoken than of their first store in the United Kingdom, which opened on Regent Street in London late last year.
The store is a visual feast [...]
“Retail is for Suckers”
Posted on 26. Jan, 2010 by Jon Bird.
Fans of the legendary US sitcom Seinfeld might remember the episode called “The Glasses”, where Kramer encourages George to visit a particular optometrist and mention his name in order to get 30% off. “Retail is for suckers”, says Kramer. Unfortunately for merchants wanting to protect their margins, there aren’t that many “suckers” left.
Yes, consumers have [...]
Has the cattledog lost its bite?
Posted on 18. Oct, 2009 by Jon Bird.
We’re about to enter that time of year when mailboxes groan under the combined weight of Christmas catalogues and flyers, and newspapers strain to contain a panoply of glossy inserts. And so the question must be asked: what good is all that effort? Are retailers just going through the motions because “that’s what we did [...]
The Responsibility Revolution
Posted on 20. Sep, 2009 by Jon Bird.
As the global economy begins to right itself, not everything will go back to the way it used to be. Retail commentators the world over have been talking for the last year about a fundamental shift in attitudes to consumption; from “what’s in it for me” to “what’s in it for us”. The trend started [...]
Less is More
Posted on 23. Jun, 2009 by Jon Bird.
In the early 1960’s, Volkswagen ran a press advertisement which was later nominated by Advertising Age to be part of the greatest campaign of the 20th Century. It featured a diminutive shot of a Beetle, a great deal of white space and a headline: Think Small. The ad was the antithesis of the “pack ‘em [...]
Making the Ordinary Extraordinary
Posted on 23. Jun, 2009 by Jon Bird.
I was fortunate recently to go on the Westfield World Retail Study Tour, visiting the US, UK and Europe. Besides snapping away with my camera like crazy (and getting thrown out of quite a few stores for doing so!), I heard dozens of presentations from leading retailers and retail luminaries. Out of the hundreds of [...]
No, Shoppers Aren’t Stupid
Posted on 18. Jun, 2009 by Jon Bird.
One of the highlights of the past few Westfield World Retail Study Tours has been US youth apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F). Particularly through their signature label, they have been a study in retail theatre.
Their stores were (and still are) a feast for the senses. The first thing that arrests you is the aroma. [...]
The Dead Mall Syndrome
Posted on 18. Jun, 2009 by Jon Bird.
The history of the modern shopping mall can be traced back to 1956 and architect Victor Gruen (who also gave his name to the Gruen Transfer). Gruen designed the first postwar enclosed mall in Edina, Minnesota. Half a century on, American malls are suffering at the hands of the economic downturn.
According to the New York [...]
It’s All About Confidence
Posted on 18. Jun, 2009 by Jon Bird.
How do you get consumers to buy when they are paralysed about the future? When they can’t count on the value of their super or their homes? And when they don’t even know if their jobs are secure?One carmaker thinks they have the answer. Hyundai USA has just introduced a breakthrough program called “Hyundai Assurance”, [...]
Simply Southwest
Posted on 18. Jun, 2009 by Jon Bird.
It goes without saying that the airline industry is an incredibly complex business. Running costs are prohibitively expensive (and highly variable with changing fuel costs), safety measures are painstaking and critical, and rules and regulations are labyrinthine. They’re tricky retail businesses to run too, because your stock is perishable - miss the opportunity to sell [...]
- New Retail Insights
- Brand Strategy
- Consumer Trends
- Retail Data
- Retail Marketing
- Retail Trends
- Simplicity Sells
- Westfield World Study Tour 2009
- Westfield World Study Tour 2010
- New Retail Inspiration
- Advertising
- Customer Activation
- Digital & Interactive
- Direct Marketing
- Graphic Design
- Public Relations
- Store Design
