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 […]
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, […]
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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 In fact, streaming and recording have made that concept outdated.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. […]
Stepping Up Brand Protection with AI-Powered Risk Monitoring
Maintaining a positive online reputation is extremely important for businesses in our digital world, especially for multi-location brands. With the rise of social media and online review platforms, negative commentary and potential crises can spread rapidly, posing significant threats to a company’s reputation and profitability. In an attempt to help MULO marketers address this challenge, […]
Why Some MULO Brands are Going Online-Only
This week, Outdoor Voices announced that the company is closing stores and migrating its business to online only. Will they re-brand “Indoor Voices?” Joking aside, the move appears essential for the popular athleisure brand to remain alive. They are hardly the first brand to go from MULO (multi-location) outposts to just the screen. Athleisure is […]
BUST: Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts Needs to be Re-Stitched
We recently covered the challenges of the MULO (multi-location) crafts industry and speculated on whether the giant stores that sell sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, and other creative supplies and classes would survive. The question is still unanswered, despite the fact that 81-year-old Ohio-based Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts (JOANN) just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. All of […]
OOH Will See Record Political Ad Spending in 2024
Alright, we survived Super Tuesday and its political ads, but the OOH ad-media beatings won’t stop until the election is finally over. And even then, we can’t be sure. From now until November, U.S. voters must endure messages around choosing a president, 33 senate races, representatives for all 435 seats of the House, and 14 gubernatorial […]
Embracing AI in Media and Advertising
History changes slowly and then overnight. A mere two years ago, the early publicly-available generative AI models from OpenAI, Microsoft, Google looked like curiosities–intriguing but plagued by obvious limitations. Today these models have advanced so far and so fast that they are already well on their way to changing media and advertising forever. AI is […]
Voices Amplified: How Consumers Are Rewriting the Rules for Brand Accountability
Today, consumer voices can be magnified across channels with the click of a button. The power of the consumer is undergoing a seismic shift, providing both opportunities and challenges to businesses around the world as they rewrite the “rules” of brand accountability. Traditional online review sites are no longer the only medium to share opinions. […]
How AI Is Transforming Phone Calls Into Data