retail marketing

See Ken Banks ( KAB) retail Marketing video

Ken Banks has more than 30 years of retail marketing experience and consults with retailers, media groups, trade organizations and advertisers to create strategies and programs, some using digital technology, to better position themselves with today's changing customer needs.

Sears Positions Self As Holiday Wish Grantor in retail marketing

found publications.mediapost.com by Aaron Baar, Friday, Nov 9, 2007

SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO. IS positioning itself as the company to help make wishes come true in its holiday marketing this year, centering its efforts on the return of its vaunted "Wish Book" catalog.

Although the 188-page catalog has been available since October, the company will showcase a larger-than-life version of the book at an event on Nov. 19 in Times Square. Ty Pennington, who hosts the Sears-sponsored show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," will host the event.

The integrated campaign, which includes print, broadcast and online components, is tagged "Don't just give a gift, grant a wish," and the company has implemented the "Wish" theme throughout all aspects of its holiday efforts.

In a television campaign, the company uses its position as the lead sponsor of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on ABC as its inspiration. Television spots depict actual customers getting their wishes granted and highlight the reactions that follow, much as the ABC show does. The commercials will also air on other networks and prime-time programming.

Online, Sears has partnered with Yahoo to create a branded social space, "Where Wishes Begin," where users can vote on gift ideas and use Yahoo Answers to help solve gift-giving dilemmas. The company has also expanded its "Ready in 5" online and bricks-and-mortar link--which allowed people to order online and pick up at a store--to include curbside service.

Beginning later this month, Sears will also set up special "Wishing Hours" from 4 p.m. to close in its retail stores and until midnight online, where people can get limited-availability deals on some products. The company has also developed a widget for consumers to download to alert them of certain deals during the season.

Keying off the catalog's return--which hearkens back to the days when mail-order was a primary avenue of holiday shopping--is a questionable strategy for Sears, which has struggled with competition from price competitors like Wal-Mart and big-box retailers for electronics and power tools, says Ken Banks, CEO of retail consultancy KAB Marketing and a former retail marketing executive.

"I question whether it's good for Sears because going back to the good old days with Sears may not have much resonance with today's consumers," Banks says. "People used to be excited 20 or 30 years ago, but I'm not sure whether they will be today."

Although playing off granting wishes is a consistent theme for Sears and plays to its strengths as a reliable appliance and power tool retailer, "I'm not sure anybody really wishes for something from Sears," Banks says.

In a related effort, Sears has partnered with the charitable organization Heroes at Home to help military families by helping them make necessary repairs and renovations to their home. The company positioned this effort, which kicks off on Veteran's Day, as a way to grant the wishes of military families.

U.S. Retail E-Commerce Sales marketing in October 2007 Grow 19 Percent Versus Last Year

Video Games, Consoles & Accessories Continue to Post Strong Growth

November 13, 2007 found at CNN money

RESTON, Va., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- comScore, Inc. , a leader in measuring the digital world, today released U.S. e-commerce spending figures for October 2007, showing that retail e-commerce increased 19 percent versus year ago to nearly $10 billion.


    October U.S. E-Commerce Spending
    Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
    October 2007 vs. October 2006
    Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
    Source: comScore, Inc.
                                    Oct 2006        Oct 2007       Percent
                                      (MM)            (MM)          Change
    Total                           $14,428         $16,476           14%
    Non-Travel (Retail)              $8,404          $9,964           19%
    Travel                           $6,024          $6,513            8%

The October growth rate marked a slight decline from the growth rates observed earlier in the year. In particular, retail e-commerce sales year-to-date through September grew at approximately 21 percent, meaning that the 19-percent growth in October represented a slightly softer-than-average month.


    Year-to-Date U.S. E-Commerce Spending
    Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
    Jan-Oct 2007 vs. Jan-Oct 2006
    Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
    Source: comScore, Inc.
                                    Jan-Oct         Jan-Oct
                                      2006            2007         Percent
                                      (MM)            (MM)          Change
     Total                         $136,483        $159,802           17%
     Non-Travel (Retail)            $77,524         $93,551           21%
     Travel                         $58,958         $66,252           12%

"October e-commerce activity often gives us a glimpse of what to expect during the holiday season," said comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni. "That online sales growth rates diminished slightly in October is not entirely unexpected, as many consumers are feeling the pinch of ballooning mortgages and gas prices, coupled with a decline in housing values. Even the rapidly growing online commerce sector appears to not be immune from these economic realities."

What's Hot in the Pre-Holiday Shopping Season?

The video games, consoles & accessories category posted the strongest gains in October versus last year, jumping 264 percent, as sales of Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation consoles and accessories, as well as popular video game Halo 3, continued to drive growth in the category. Furniture, appliances & equipment also experienced a strong month, growing 105 percent versus last year, followed by computer software (up 76 percent) and event tickets (up 43 percent). Meanwhile, apparel & accessories, one of the largest online retail categories, grew just 5 percent in October.


    Top Gaining Online Retail Categories
    Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
    October 2007 vs. October 2006
    Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
    Source: comScore, Inc.
                                                   Percent Change
                                                  (October 2007 vs.
    Retail Category                                  October 2006)
    Video Games, Consoles & Accessories                 264%
    Furniture, Appliances & Equipment                   105%
    Computer Software (Excl. PC Games)                   76%
    Event Tickets                                        43%
    Jewelry & Watches                                    26%

"Soft online apparel sales in October mirror reports of declining same-store sales figures in retail apparel, as unseasonably warm weather across many part of the country appeared to dampen consumer demand," continued Mr. Fulgoni. "Excluding apparel from our analysis, online retail sales actually grew at a healthier 22-percent rate. Assuming that apparel sales rebound during November and December, this suggests that 2007 may well see another merry Christmas for online retailers."

comScore will be publishing its first look at holiday season e-commerce spending figures next week and will continue with twice weekly updates throughout the season.

About comScore

comScore, Inc. is a global leader in measuring the digital world. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given comScore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. comScore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Through its proprietary technology, comScore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of behavior and attitudes. comScore analysts apply this deep knowledge of customers and competitors to help clients design powerful marketing strategies and tactics that deliver superior ROI. comScore services are used by more than 800 clients, including global leaders such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, BBC, Carat, Cyworld, Deutsche Bank, France Telecom, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Financial Times, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestle, Starcom, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, Verizon, ViaMichelin, Merck and Expedia. For more information, please visit http://www.comscore.com .