Merz Apothecary: A Chicago Landmark

Posted on March 31, 2016 by bermanevansretail
Merz Apothecary is “a Chicago landmark (tour buses from around the Midwest make regular stops at the Apothecary) and a mecca for people who want unique and natural products for their bodies. The store sends packages to customers around the world and has been featured often in local, national, and international media. Over the years, the careful product selection has continued, and now the shop boasts, among its impressive product assortment, the largest collection of natural and luxury soaps from around the world under one roof.”
As the image below at its Web site highlights, Merz has won various awards over the years.

 

In a video interview with Retail Touchpoints, Anthony Qaiyum, Merz Apothecary, described his company’s strategy:
“140-year-old Merz Apothecary is experiencing a renaissance in the last several years, after moving forward with new initiatives to become an omnichannel brand. Launched as a store and catalog business selling unique, global health-and-beauty products, catalog sales eventually fizzled out. Current President Anthony Qaiyum then launched the Smallflower.com Web site and a mobile site, and has never looked back. With the help of Celerant Technology, Merz is improving its brand presence and boosting sales via new channels.”


 

Posted in Career Video Clips, Global Retailing, Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 4: Store Location Planning, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Part 8: Putting It All Together | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How Do We Make Digital Consumers Happy?

Posted on March 30, 2016 by bermanevansretail
Digital consumers can be quite demanding. Below are two valuable resources for us to better understand digital shopping and to learn how to better act in serving these customers.
 
First, click on the image to access “The Digitally Demanding Consumer: 2016 Consumer Trends Report” by Kibo (a unified omnichannel commerce solutions company).

 
Next, take a look at the infographic from ecommerce.shopatron.com .

Shopatron The Digitally Demanding Consumer
 

Posted in Online Retailing, Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Social Media and Retailing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Video Tour of Madam Tussauds New York

Posted on March 29, 2016 by bermanevansretail
Madam Tussauds is a global phenomenon, with its entertaining chain of wax museums that focus on current and past realistic displays of well-known celebrities, world leaders, characters, royalty, and more. Here is a recent screen shot from the Web site of the Berlin Madam Tussauds.

 

Two weeks ago, Retail TouchPoints did a video store tour with Blaine McCurry, Madame Tussauds New York:
“Madame Tussauds New York replaced static window displays with Nanolumens digital signage to highlight its diverse offerings and draw more customers into the venue. ‘Our primary objective is to drive over one million visits annually,’ explained Blaine McCurry, Communications Manager. ‘Our prime location here on 42nd Street in Times Square makes it absolutely critical to convert guests from the street. We do see about 30,000 domestic visitors pass by our doors each day, so implementing the Nanolumens digital board in our lobby to communicate the breadth of our experience to drive them in has been critical.”


 

Posted in Global Retailing, Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 4: Store Location Planning, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Video Clips (non-career) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment