News and Analysis
Hidden Nuggets in Local Address Data for Retail Decisions
It’s no secret that the past few years have been extremely challenging for inventory managers. In 2021 and early 2022, brands faced widespread inventory shortages, while the latter half of 2022 and 2023 saw massive excess inventory levels (as much as $740 billion in unsold goods) as brands worked to counteract the previous year’s shortages […]
Tinuiti Report: Temu Takes a Break
Somebody must have given Temu a talking to. The e-commerce brand that offers very competitively priced items was glomming up ad inventory across social media throughout 2023 to the consternation of its competitors. And then, just like that… it receded. Temu, which increased its ad spending a whopping 1,000% in 2023 from the previous year […]
Self-Checkout Grows Up (and Sometimes Phases Out)
As the cost of labor skyrockets (especially in California) and the size of the qualified talent pool shrinks for MULO (multi-location) brands, retailers and restaurants are looking for ways to automate and streamline all aspects of their operations. Self-checkout was introduced in the 1980s but didn’t take off and proliferate until 2001. Since their mass roll-out, […]
Commentary
Subscription Fatigue: How Streaming Services Can Keep Customers Happy
Streaming is big business, and looks to only keep expanding in 2024 and beyond – with more players, more dollars to win, more subscribers, and a proliferation of new ad tiers. Eighty-three percent of Americans have at least one streaming service subscription and the average American subscribes to four services. For streaming platforms at first […]
When Gen AI Erodes Trust, Brands Take the Fall
Generative AI’s potential to change the way we work and shop holds amazing promise, but this new technology also poses heightened risks for brands. Maintaining customer trust will be a perpetual challenge as generative AI (GenAI) changes the fraud landscape in two important ways. First, GenAI is already making it easier for professional and amateur […]
How to Increase Social Media Engagement in 2024
Brands have a bigger marketing challenge today arguably than ever before because consumers are more skeptical about advertising than previously. Not only are they turning away from brand-created content on social media, but most of them also no longer trust influencers. That’s why increasing social media engagement and using social media effectively to promote brands […]
Latest Posts
Did the Music Die or Just Take a Beat as Sam Ash Closes Stores?
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 […]
Empowering Retailers: The Imperative for Advanced Advertising Technology
In a rapidly evolving retail landscape, staying ahead requires more than just offering great products or competitive prices. As consumers increasingly shift their shopping habits online and demand personalized experiences, retailers face mounting pressure to enhance their advertising strategies. Traditional methods no longer suffice in capturing the attention of today’s discerning shoppers. To thrive in […]
BOOM: Shopping Malls are Back!
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
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 […]
Mediaocean Report: 2024 Has Optimism Written All over It
The Mediaocean 2024 CPG Advertising Outlook Report implies that this year’s ad-marketing landscape calls for optimism. “Our research indicates a wave of optimism sweeping across the CPG industry for 2024,” The report said. “Marketers are gearing up for an active year, with a substantial majority expressing their intent to either maintain or increase their spending […]
The Rise and Role of Temu in Apparel
Can the fast fashion apparel segment grow any faster? It is doing exactly that thanks to Chinese retailer Temu. According to various sources, Temu has spent up to $3 billion in advertising outside of Asia-Pacific since 2022, and its profile and app adoption among American consumers has been turbo-charged by online ad spending across Meta and […]
Acxiom Launches InfoBase UK Purchase Transactions
Understanding consumer behavior is paramount to crafting personalized and impactful customer experiences. Acxiom appears to have taken a significant step forward in this area, with today’s launch of InfoBase UK Purchase Transactions in collaboration with Affinity Solutions. This innovative dataset promises to provided unparalleled insights into consumer spending habits, empowering brands to make informed decisions […]
The Evolving Dayparts
Dayparts no longer apply to when your favorite TV shows are on. In fact, streaming and recording have made that concept outdated. However, dayparts are alive and well when MULO (multi-location) brands try to understand consumer behaviors better. Knowing when people shop and eat can help brands staff, add (or reduce) inventory, and even post […]
Starbucks Stirs Up Leadership Model
Starbucks, a company known for transformation the coffee shop model and introducing a wide range of seasonal beverages and products is now transforming the MULO (multi-location) leadership model. The company announced this week that it is creating a new leadership model. As innovative and unique as its current lavender beverages, the structure is designed to […]
3 Ways to Battle Efficiency Headwinds in 2024
You don’t have to look too deep for significance there: measurement is tough right now (even for measurement companies), and fraud is rampant and stands to get worse as AI governance lags behind AI adoption. No matter how big your brand or what industry you’re in, efficiency is going to be a challenge in 2024. […]
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