News and Analysis
Is Bankruptcy the New Normal for MULO Brands?
Over the past year, we’ve featured many articles about multi-location (MULO) brands that declared bankruptcy (BUSTs). But we’ve also seen brands emerge from bankruptcy, become part of other companies (like Bed Bath & Beyond and Overstock), and/or change their business model to be online-only (as Lord & Taylor did with its iconic brand). Some other […]
Flying Fries: Autonomous Delivery Takes Off!
Imagine this… You use your phone to order your pizza or burger (or perhaps a t-shirt because you didn’t pack properly for the weather) from a remote location. Within the hour, a drone, driverless car, or other autonomous “thing” brings you your food and beverage or fashion statement. What was considered sci-fi a mere few […]
How To Sustain Media Buys in Black-Owned Media
No single source seems able to pinpoint just how much brands allocate in dollars to ad inventory on Black-owned media in the U.S. But everyone seems to agree it should be more. This article cites media tracker Maven, which says there are upwards of 2,500 diverse-owned publishers alone and that 35% of those are Black-owned. […]
Commentary
With Labor in Short Supply, Automation Can Improve the Customer Experience
As shoppers return to physical stores, ongoing labor challenges are forcing retailers to cut down store hours and temporarily close locations. As these challenges persist — and to prepare for additional factors that may impact labor — retailers can turn to technology. What’s more, through automation, retailers can improve efficiency while still creating a positive customer experience.
Location-Based Marketing Association: Why Starbucks is Adding EV Charging Stations
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association talks about Volvo installing EV charging stations at Starbucks stores, Tim Hortons doing the same in Canada, ParkBee raising $33M, Prose partnering with BreezoMeter on local pollution-based hair care, and CrownTV releasing a digital signage app to display NFTs at retailers.
Latest Posts
5 Tools for Fake Review Detection
Consumer reviews matter now more than ever, but fake online reviews are at an all-time high. The issue has prompted FTC action as well as new guidelines for retailers that solicit online reviews. While most people can’t spot inauthentic reviews, 67% of consumers say they are concerned about review fraud.
Emodo Launches AI-Driven Native Ads for Brands and Publishers
Emodo, which calls itself an “intelligent exchange” focused on helping both advertisers and publishers, launched an AI-driven native ad offering today called Adapt. The offering will aim to allow advertisers to craft seamless, captivating ads in trusted publisher contexts while helping publishers drive ad revenue without interrupting user experiences.
The Telltale Signs of Fake Reviews
Curtis Boyd is the founder of a Southern California-based company, The Transparency Co, which has gained significant attention in recent months for the technology Boyd has developed to detect fake reviews at scale. Boyd’s company has recently secured government contracts to help ferret out fake reviews online.
Ecommerce Design: How Smart UI Choices Boost Engagement and Conversion
In ecommerce, conversions are considered the most important metric to track. However, an increase in engagement can matter just as much: the more people interact with your pages, the more likely they are to return and convert later as well as to promote your business among their own network.
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