retail

Cotton On retail group is opening 150 stores in 120 days around the world. This group, which includes Typo – a major competitor of our channel, is a force to be reckoned with. The growth Cotton On is pursuing is extraordinary in a time when retail is talked down in many media outlets.

From a newsagency channel perspective, we ought to look at the Cotton On expansion as an encouragement for us to embrace change ourselves – change in locations, format and product mix.

There are still too many newsagency businesses today not much different to what they offered ten to twenty years ago. The Cotton On model is to have multiple formats, fresh locations and a pitch relevant to today’s shoppers.

The landlord at a Liverpool UK shopping mall is introducing a fast lane to better manage pedestrian traffic. This is brilliant news. The next step is training to keep people walking in an orderly fashion and not cutting across others or walking out of shops looking away from oncoming traffic and blaming people who plough into them.

Going through photos from my trip to the US I am reminded of terrific retail gems I saw along the way, photographed and then forgot about. here’s one – how to be consistent with offers targeted at your retail niche:

Darrell Lea Dad’s Bags aren’t open like they used to be. In the bag all the goodies are in a sealed plastic bag. I’ve not had darrell Lea for a few years but I recall customers used to like checking the items in the bags. Not they have to pull out the plastic bag. I doubt it will hurt sales, just makes the Dad’s Bags little more big business than small business.

AFL plush items at Coles supermarkets disrespect the AFL brand in my view. The products feel dreadful. I wonder if this is why Coles still has stock. My experience is when it comes to AFL product shoppers want quality as the quality speaks to their feelings for their team. This plush, in my view, is not quality. Maybe the AFL should stick with channels such as newsagents when it comes to items like this. We understand quality.

The Thomas Dux supermarket near where I live is closing and for two weeks they have had this sign in the front window. I like the advance notice they provided, the photo of the team and the invitation to visit the team members at other Thomas Dux locations.

Kudos to whoever is responsible for this messaging. They have got it right.

Too often, shops close without notice, leaving shoppers feeling bewildered.

In a retail store a couple of days ago where they projected onto walls to create a funky vibe. With projector prices at an all time low, wall projections an easy way bring a ver different vibe to a shop … and then change it at the push of a button. I could see this working in some of the larger regional stores out there where there is space to play with.

I found this quote at the Vox news site and felt it relevant for retail newsagents and their employees. Some days are tough – hopefully, this quote can help with those tough days.

The Victorian government has announced that Easter Sunday will be declared a public holiday to provide for an increase in pay for people working that day. Sunday penalty rates are already excellent, there is no need for the government to force business owners to spend more money getting people to work when they want to work.

One of the shops I got to see in New York last week was 3D printing outfit Makerbot. On the back wall you can see 9 3D printers. Elsewhere in the shop they have items for sale that they have ‘printed’.

While I’ve written about this previously, I am revisiting it today as I think about products and services we might offer in the future and whether they are viable for us.

3D printing is still in its infancy with the printers of any strength and value costing thousands and the products they produce of questionable commercial value given printing times. However, there is an extraordinary curiosity value and this gets people interested – even if they don’t buy.

Today, my interest in a 3D printer in store is as a magnet attracting people who may purchase other items. At Makerbot, the shop is primarily used to sell the printers as this is what their parent company makes. There are plenty who visit the shop to watch the printing – it is mesmerising.

3D printing is a space to watch. yes, I know harvey Norman and others are in the space. The units I am looking are superior and not yet retail friendly.

While many in Australia fight to protect their homes and communities from bushfires today, it feels inappropriate to benefit from the surge in sales as a result of people flocking to shopping centres to escape the heat.

That’s what is happening though. Today will be a much busies than usual first sSaturday of the new year as a result of the extraordinary heat.

I am guessing whoever decided to put the kids face paint with condoms was not following  head office mandated plan-a-gram in the 7 Eleven where I took the photo.

Space is a challenge in a small footprint store. Also, sometimes you put a product somewhere to get it out thinking that you will come back to it later.

Europeans are used to towns closing down for summer and plenty in China are used to it too when factories and businesses close for Chinese New Year. But I don’t get why my favourite coffee shop is closed today and for the next couple of weeks.

It’s a competitive world with other coffee shop options – so competitive that I thought this year they would stay open to stop their regulars discovering better coffee elsewhere.

This is the risk all retailers face if they are in a situation where they can close – as opposed to being in a shopping mall where you can’t close.

While a break could benefit everyone including the family at the heart of the business, shoppers are not as loyal today. In small business especially I think we are better off NOT giving our customers a reason to shop elsewhere. Tough as it is, being there when they want and need us is small business retail 101.

I have found an alternative coffee shop.  They have a four-shot monster latte that is amazing. Flying…