News and Analysis

Did the Music Die or Just Take a Beat as Sam Ash Closes Stores Street Fight

Did the Music Die or Just Take a Beat as Sam Ash Closes Stores?

Share this:

Music stores used to be wildly popular. Although many still exist and vinyl records have made a comeback, the MULO (multi-location) music store category is struggling. Sam Ash recently announced that it’s closing 18 of its 45 stores throughout the U.S. The first music store opened in the U.S. in 1759. Sam Ash sells instruments […]

BOOM: Shopping Malls are Back!

BOOM: Shopping Malls are Back!

Share this:

A new study by Placer.ai confirms that shoppers are returning to malls. That’s great news for legacy MULO (multi-location) brands and new concepts like pickleball, pop-ups, and eatertainment venues, which are filling spaces left vacant by department stores and other big-box retailers. The study reveals five key findings and trends: Visits to malls are getting […]

The MULO Dozen: March Brands in Review Street Fight

The MULO Dozen: March Brands in Review

Share this:

Openings, closings, leadership changes…the MULO (multi-location) beat goes on! Here are some highlights related to the people, technologies, and brands in the MULO ecosystem. Have news? Please e-mail me. And save the date — Street Fight LIVE is coming to Chicago on November 7th! The convenience store (C-store) industry is going through a major transformation and […]

Commentary

customer experience retail

The Future of Customer Experience is Hybrid

Share this:

A post-pandemic future gives businesses the chance to evaluate how to best do business and what exactly consumers will value. Brick-and-mortar businesses have an incredible opportunity to redefine what the new local hybrid experience looks like.

Local Platforms Promote Integrity with Consumer Confidence at Risk

Share this:

Nextdoor is the latest local platform to publish what it calls a Transparency Report, designed to offer information to the public about efforts made to maintain an online community that is free from problematic content. In Nextdoor’s case, the focus is on reducing incidents of hate speech and incivility in order to promote healthy community interaction.

Why and How Businesses Should Embrace Product-Led Growth

Share this:

For SaaS organizations especially, PLG can open up new revenue channels, giving you a competitive advantage by making it easy for customers to understand the value of your product. PLG becomes an efficient, no-touch way to scale revenue, affording customers the ability to self-serve and self-select without being weighed down by a traditional sales cycle.

Latest Posts

Is Marketing Around Tentpole Moments Enough?

Share this:

A marketing strategy that focuses only on so-called “tentpole” moments misses out on a significant new part of the media and marketing landscape today: viral moments.

New Hires at BlueConic, Aki Technologies, Good-Loop, and Vistar Media

Share this:

The Street Fight new hires roundup features movers and shakers in adtech, martech, e-commerce, localized marketing, location intelligence, and more. This month’s roundup features new hires at BlueConic, Aki Technologies, Good-Loop, and Vistar Media.

chatbot

Marketers Embrace Mobile Chat to Expand the Commerce Experience

Share this:

Online chat has come a long way since the days of AOL Instant Messenger. Despite concerns over security and trust, a growing number of consumers are using mobile chat to interact with their favorite brands in organic, convenient ways. Live chat is also playing a role in what’s become the latest trend in retail marketing — casual commerce.

IAS and Anzu Deliver In-Game Ad Quality Measurement

Share this:

Integral Ad Science and in-game advertising platform Anzu are partnering up to deliver measurement tools to the mobile gaming sector. IAS will provide advertisers Invalid Traffic (IVT) measurement and reports on viewability through its Signal platform. The company will also help advertisers assess brand safety and suitability.

Buy Now, Pay Later BNPL

Report: Brand Loyalty at Stake, as More Consumers Prioritize Affordability

Share this:

According to the Q2 Consumer Trends Report released by Jungle Scout, the desire to save money is driving brand, product, and e-commerce preferences more than any other factor. 

Google’s Latest Privacy Play Has Big Implications for the Open Web

Location-Based Marketing Association: Rio SEO Partners with Moveable Ink on Hyperlocal Content

Share this:

In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers Rio SEO partnering with Moveable Ink on hyperlocal content, Snapchat and Disney collaborating on a virtual mural, and the SmartRadio app powering voice-activated betting for drivers.

5 Customer Learning Platforms for Brands and Agencies

Share this:

A new class of customer learning platforms is supplying marketers with the information they need to create compelling digital content and target the social media users most likely to convert in the nascent age of discovery commerce.

Wyng Launches Tools to Help Brands Collect and Manage Zero-Party Data

Share this:

The zero-party data provider Wyng launched new tools designed to make it easier for brands to collect, manage, and use zero-party data.

Direct Conversations Fill the Cookie’s Gaps

Share this:

Denis Scott, SVP of marketing at Momentive (formerly SurveyMonkey), chimed in on how leading brands are using direct conversations with customers to fill in the gaps left by the third-party cookie and similar technologies.

How Location Intelligence Can Help Solve Supply Chain Issues

Share this:

Many brands might feel their hands are tied when it comes to these macroeconomic factors. But there is a way to mitigate supply chain disruption, and it starts with data—location intelligence, or geospatial data, to be specific. Here’s how.