Retailers’ Urban Idea: Think Smaller

Posted on July 30, 2012 by bermanevansretail
When many big-box retailers — and even chains with medium-sized stores — move into urban locations, they need to think differently. The smaller space has to be used creatively.
According to Stephanie Clifford: “As young Americans move to cities, retailers that grew up in the suburbs are following them. And unlike previous efforts, they are doing it the cities’ way. With little room to expand in the suburbs, retailers, including Office Depot, Wal-Mart and Target, are betting that opening small city stores will help their growth.
Click the photo to see a slide show.

Photo by Robert Caplin for the New York Times
Posted in Part 4: Store Location Planning, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 8: Putting It All Together | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

What Is Sweethearting — And Why Is It Bad for Retailers?

Posted on July 30, 2012 by bermanevansretail
Retailers already have enough to worry about in trying to improve their bottom lines. Now, a new term is entering the vernicular: sweethearting.
According to Andrew Wren of Wren Solutions, in an article for Chain Store Age: “It’s no secret in the loss prevention industry that sweethearting, the practice of giving customers unauthorized discounts or free merchandise or services, is a major source of loss in retail. In fact, it has long been recognized as the most common type of employee theft and the largest contributor to loss in the industry. It is also a unique challenge to loss prevention efforts. Unlike other forms of employee theft, both the customer and the employee are aware of sweethearting.”
Click to learn more.

Posted in Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Privacy and Identity Theft Issues | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

StubHub: 12 Years After Startup

Posted on July 28, 2012 by bermanevansretail
StubHub (“where fans buy & sell tickets”) was started in August 2000 as a small entrepeneurial venture. Today, it is a giant that is part of the eBay empire, with a mission statement that has remained pretty constant over the years: “At StubHub, our mission is simple: provide fans a safe, convenient place to get tickets to the games, concerts, and theater shows they want to see, and an easy way to sell their tickets when they can’t go.”
To read more about the StubHub story, click here. [Note: There is a video clip at this link on the new venture of StubHub’s founder.]
Posted in Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Retail Executive Interviews, Social Media and Retailing, Technology in Retailing, Video Clips (non-career) | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment