Customer Acquisition

To say this has been a tough year for small businesses is obviously a huge understatement. COVID-19 restrictions have had a profound impact on small business owners, forcing many of them to close their doors. It’s been even tougher for small businesses like mine, often referred to as “micro-businesses,” or those owned and operated by a single individual.

We’re living in unprecedented times. Consumer behaviors and shopping habits are changing dramatically, leading us to a “new normal” in the soft goods sector. The decisions being made by the major brands are make-it-or-break it, measured by whether they can survive to the other side of the pandemic. Key to navigating these coming months of…

Holiday season 2020 ... bring it on. More than ever, consumers are longing for the joy the season typically brings, especially since life as we know it amidst the worst (and only) pandemic of our lifetime still looms. When we think of holiday shopping though — the crowds, tight spaces and just the sheer madness…

As e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers adapt to a new world characterized by remote work and social distancing, they must cater to virtual audiences while preparing for the return of in-person customers. Fortunately, the techniques used by many leading brands can serve as a blueprint for effectively engaging people — no matter where they are. Before…

As COVID-19 disrupted world economies, consumer buying behavior began to change. The pandemic has led to an increased shift in buying everyday items online, with some experts stating this crisis pushed e-commerce ahead by nearly four years. Already the fastest-growing channel in digital marketing, commerce advertising hasn’t slowed during the global crisis. Even as many…

Paleontologists and evolutionary biologists often speak of “punctuated equilibrium” — a time of rapid evolutionary change following a long span of stasis. Such periods occur following a cataclysmic episode — e.g., the massive asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs. COVID-19 is a punctuated equilibrium event for retail. It changed everything, and many of these…

Seasons greetings! Yes, technically it’s still autumn, but retailers are already getting into the mode of preparing for the holiday shopping season. And amid a year unlike any other, the holiday should feel particularly unique — perhaps, even daunting — as consumers continue to adapt to a largely digital-first world and brands gear up to…

Walmart is testing electronic tech services through a partnership with True Network Solutions. The retailer is testing the service in four stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as well as one near its headquarters in Arkansas. The tech services desk looks similar to a Geek Squad counter at competitor Best Buy. Walmart hasn't made an announcement…

Several major retailers have signaled that they're using Amazon Prime Day 2020, which runs today and tomorrow, as the starting point to begin their holiday sales — even though they're not mentioning Amazon.com directly. On Monday, for example, J.C. Penney launched an event that runs through Wednesday that allows "shoppers to get a jump start on…

In the early moments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of brands elevated nearly immediately. Some retail stores were deemed essential, and their employees became frontline workers seemingly overnight. Trusted brands also quickly moved to the forefront of the COVID-19 conversation. People, businesses and brands were given the opportunity to improve the greater good, or…