BOOM or BUST? Will the Mega MULO Crafts Store Survive?
As tech-centric as the world has become, handcrafts are still alive and well! Just look at Etsy, which has been steadily growing. Although the MULO (multi-location) crafts industry is not unraveling like an unfortunate knitting project, online competition has put a pin prick into big box store revenues. The pandemic also eliminated many in-store events. Just […]
Opterus Puts the ‘Opps’ in Franchise Operations
If you are a pet owner who resides in California, your pet’s needs will differ to some degree compared to those of a pet owner in the Northeast. For example, the fundamental level of care can change based on local weather differences, explained Gary Stonell, SVP Sales & Operations at Opterus, a SaaS-based company that […]
AtData Launches a New E-mail Marketing Tool
E-mail marketing is not dead. It’s on the upswing. A whopping 362 billion (yes, billion) e-mails are expected to be sent EVERY DAY in 2024. But how do brands ensure the health of their e-mail marketing campaigns and ensure that their budgets are going toward those people not likely to simply dump your precious message […]
MULO Grows Up
What the heck is MULO anyway? MULO refers to multi-location businesses. They could be run by a corporate entity or franchises. MULO brands may be retailers, restaurants, health and wellness entities, personal services (like tutoring, tax prep, ear piercing, hair styling, or even podcasting) or even entertainment centers like those offering pickleball, golf, and baseball. […]
What a Yahoo Exec Brings to Today’s Agencies
Alia Lamborghini, SVP, Head of US Sales and Strategy at Yahoo explains why Jeff Rossi was brought in as VP of Global Agency Partnerships to focus specifically on agencies and agency integration. “Agencies require a dedicated partner to navigate issues like cookie deprecation, deliver on first-party data, and provide the transparency essential for supporting brands. […]
Vericast Collaborates with Snowflake to Transform Marketing Engagement
Vericast, a prominent marketing technology company, has embarked on a partnership with Snowflake, the Data Cloud Company, to pioneer solutions aimed at empowering marketers to engage with consumers in more impactful ways. Leveraging technology innovations and exclusive data available in Snowflake Marketplace, the company is set to revolutionize marketing engagement, driving meaningful commerce across various […]
Optable Integration Ushers in a New Era of Privacy-Centric Advertising
Since Google’s announcement regarding the eventual end of third-party cookies, the advertising industry has been actively seeking alternatives to ensure continued effectiveness while respecting user privacy. Among the proposed solutions, data clean rooms have emerged as a promising avenue, offering a secure environment for data collaboration in the absence of traditional tracking methods. Optable, a […]
Swiftly Connects the Cart to the Screen for Save a Lot
Large multi-location (MULO) grocery stores have the resources to develop technologies that enable consumers to make their shopping lists, see sales and coupons, and arrange for delivery or pick-up. But smaller stores may have been at a disadvantage — that is until Swiftly stepped in. Swiftly, a leading provider of innovative technologies, partnered with Save […]
Placer.ai, ESRI Form Analytics Partnership
What do you get when you cross a location-analytics company with a company that uses sophisticated geographic-information system (GIS) technology? It’s no joke, and this isn’t a punchline: Placer.ai and ESRI have formed a partnership to provide advertisers and their partners with new and advanced analytics and insight. The goal is to get deeper insights […]
The MULO Dozen: January Brands in Review
2024 is off to a fast start! As MULO (multi-location) retailers, restaurants, and service businesses head into a new year, they face new challenges and opportunities. And, of course, “The Big Game,” when brands get to flex their creative and digital muscle. Here’s what we saw this month. Have news? Please e-mail me. Fridays is […]
Empowering Brick-and-Mortar Businesses with Foot-Traffic Analytics for Effective OOH
In today’s competitive marketplace, brick-and-mortar businesses constantly seek innovative strategies to attract and retain customers. Recognizing this need, DOmedia, in partnership with location analytics leader Placer.ai, has launched PeopleToMySpot.com—a innovative website tailored to help local marketers and business owners harness the power of foot-traffic analytics to enhance their out-of-home (OOH) advertising efforts. The collaboration between […]
More Evidence Online Advertising Finished Strong
When Tinuiti released its Digital Ads Benchmark Report for Q4 2023 on Jan. 25, the findings offered still more proof that the year finished strong, at least for online advertising. “While we did expect stronger growth in Q4 2023 as the ad market continues to recover from 2022, there were still questions heading into the […]
How Many Storefronts Do You Need? MULO Logic
The mattress company Purple became a huge success on Shopify when it first launched. It then expanded into retail locations. Last year, the company took a close look at its brick-and-mortar retail storefronts and saw that a third of its physical stores were struggling. Like many brick-and-mortar MULO (multi-location) businesses, expanding from online sales to retail […]
Online Retail Did Well in 2023
In hindsight, 2023 may not have been as gloomy an economic year as first thought. At least not for online retail in certain global regions. According to findings from data and insights company Consumer Edge, many online retailers and those in the pet products/services, discount/club stores, ground transportation, health products/services grocery and limited-service restaurants saw […]
BOOM: Mini Golf Goes Maxi
Even if you may never be a star on an international golf tour, you can beat your friends and family to a rousing game at indoor mini golf. Puttshack, which opened two mini golf locations in 2021 has rapidly grown to 11 nationally in: Nashville Boston Chicago Dallas Houston St. Louis Pittsburgh Miami Denver Scottsdale […]
This Channel Could be Bowling Brands Over
Move over, Ralph Kramden. Bowling is becoming one of the most popular activities in the United States. According to data released last year from Ipsos, it was among the most “played” sports in 2022. Right after Cornhole, which 20% of Americans played, bowling drew 19%. Swimming was third at 18%. Statista posits that about 45 […]
BOOM: The Skinny on FAT Brands
FAT Brands sends us regular news announcements about their growth, menu updates, and company strategies. We’re wowed by their speed of franchise innovation. We reached out to their executive team to get insights into the FAT philosophy and forward-looking path. As a MULO (multi-location) brand, they are clearly one of the gentle yet powerful giants. […]
Technology MULO Brands Need Today, According to RizePoint
Paul Damaren is the Chief Revenue Officer at RizePoint. The company develops technology for the restaurant, hospitality, retail, and processing industries. Although their tool suite helps these MULO brands with compliance, they are also designed to “help brands create a culture of excellence and ensure that every customer experience is as good (and safe) as […]
Beware the “Brobot?” The Women of AI
At CES (where AI was the buzzword this year), a group of women gathered to discuss the role of women in technology, and specifically in artificial intelligence. AI is already having an impact on all aspects of the MULO (multi-location) retail and restaurant ecosystem — from real-time analytics to inventory management and security. According to […]