Branding

Woo Generation Z With Some Old School Flavor
May 31, 2017 at 9:52 am

Good retailers are all about nurturing. If you’re doing it right, you’re perpetually taking care of the customers you have — even as you look to the future to attract and nurture the next generation of consumers. However, for many long-established physical retailers, built for an era that no longer exists, it can feel challenging to…

Uniqlo’s Direct Mail Highlights its Seasonal Solutions
May 30, 2017 at 8:00 am

Uniqlo, a leading apparel retailer, uses a direct mail catalog as part of its strategy to differentiate itself in a crowded marketplace. In the catalog, Uniqlo emphasizes that comfort — i.e., how to make a customer physically feel better — can be as important a benefit as style, value or quality in brand positioning.

Loyalty Has a New Number: How Brands Can Make the Top 5
May 24, 2017 at 10:28 am

Managers of retail loyalty programs have a new metric to remember. It's the number five. The 500Friends Q1 2017 global survey of loyalty program members and loyalty program managers examined the state of loyalty in the retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) sectors — revealing a number of surprising findings. Most consumers in North America,…

How Alternative Payment Methods Can Boost Your Brand
May 16, 2017 at 12:45 pm

In today's retail environment, building a sustainable and successful brand is more challenging than ever. Retailers are under pressure to create a consistent brand message across all channels they interact with consumers in — stores, online, social media, etc. In addition, today's customer is demanding a simpler and more personalized shopping experience. At times, it…

The Top 100 Fastest-Growing Retailers
May 16, 2017 at 10:39 am

Total Retail is excited to present its seventh annual ranking of the 100 fastest-growing publicly traded retailers. This year’s list, as in years past, is based on companies’ year-over-year net sales growth, comparing the 2016 fiscal year to the 2015 fiscal year.

Patagonia CEO Attacking Trump Order on National Monuments
April 28, 2017 at 7:17 am

On Thursday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that put 24 national monuments at risk of losing their federally protected status. Patagonia’s CEO Rose Marcario is taking a stand against it. “We take this as a sign that Trump and his team prefer to cater to fossil-fuel interests and state land grabs for unsustainable…

3 Ways to Delight Customers (Without Lowering Prices)
April 26, 2017 at 10:00 am

The digital marketplace has made it increasingly easy for customers to find the lowest possible price. When price is the only difference between two products, the decision is simple. However, that's rarely the case. With lower prices often come more aggravating experiences. As many bargain hunters quickly find, you get what you pay for. Customers…

Zara Removes Pepe the Frog Skirt After Social Media Outrage
April 20, 2017 at 12:07 pm

Zara recently withdrew apparel featuring a controversial cartoon image. The women's apparel retailer (owned by Inditex) has more than 2,100 stores in 88 countries, and is ranked No. 53 on the Forbes 2016 list of most valuable brands. The Washington Times reports Zara recently removed from its website a denim mini skirt with an image resembling Pepe the…

The Convergence of Lifestyle and Tourism: 5 Brands Making the Shift
April 14, 2017 at 11:46 am

The way consumers spend money is changing. Last summer, The Wall Street Journal reported that leisure travel spending increased by 8 percent from the year prior. Yet, some lifestyle brands are getting ahead of the trend and making a shift of their own. These brands are entering the hospitality industry in hopes of attracting consumers…