News and Analysis
Crack-of-Dawn Black Friday Lines Are Already a Thing of the Past, Data Shows
How is the increasing appeal of e-commerce and other digital options such as BOPIS—buy online, pick up in-store—affecting retail’s biggest day of the year? One consequence, data from Reveal Mobile indicates, is the end of the notoriously colossal lines that used to mark the beginning of Black Friday.
Commentary
In 2016, the Local Economy Is No Longer Local
Yes, we still shop at local stores, but the Walmart in the nearby shopping plaza isn’t the only competitor the local store needs to keep an eye on. Increasingly, it’s a host of online vendors and the growing crop of on-demand startups that have become an indelible feature of the local business landscape — both enablers and usurpers of their merchant partners.
Street Fight’s Predictions for 2016: Part Two
With 2015 drawing to a close, it’s time again to look ahead to what we can expect in the hyperlocal space in 2016. We asked Street Fight staffers and weekly columnists what they thought would be the biggest story (or stories) in local in 2016. We ran the first installment yesterday — now here are the rest.
Street Fight’s Predictions for 2016: Part One
With 2015 drawing to a close, it’s time again to look ahead to what we can expect in the hyperlocal space in 2016. We asked Street Fight staffers and weekly columnists what they thought would be the biggest story (or stories) in local in 2016. We’ll be running their outlooks in two installments, the first today and the second tomorrow.
Latest Posts
Street Fight Daily: An Inside Look at Amazon, Can Facebook Finally Conquer E-Commerce?
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace (New York Times)… Facebook’s Last Push Into E-Commerce was a Disaster, but It’s Gearing Up to Try Again (Business Insider)… Location Inaccuracy is a Bigger Problem Than Fraud (AdExchanger)…
Street Fight Daily: Uber Will Return Your Online Purchases, Samsung Preps for Mobile Payment Launch
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… How Uber Is Fixing Online Shopping’s Most Annoying Problem (Refinery29)… Samsung Pay to Launch September 28 in U.S. But Will Businesses Accept It? (Recode)… Stores Suffer From a Shift of Behavior in Buyers (New York Times)…
Street Fight Daily: Macy’s and Alibaba Join Forces, Amazon Changes Retail Ad Terms
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Alibaba Lands Macy’s as the First U.S. Department Store For Its Online Portal (Fortune)… Amazon Changes Terms for Retailers Advertising on Its Site (AdAge)… Layoffs Hit Groupon’s Restaurant Software Unit as Breadcrumb Founder Leaves (Recode)…
How SMBs Can Respond to the ‘Uber Effect’
If the past 15 years have taught us anything, it’s the resilience of brick-and-mortar businesses. Effective enterprises sense and respond to change by incorporating new technology and business models while relying on their distinct advantages, such as face-to-face service and distinctive ambience.
6 Platforms for On-Demand Doctor House Calls
Using location-based mobile technology, vendors are modernizing the concept of physician house calls. For a price, consumers in most metropolitan areas can order up a doctor just like they would a pizza. Here are six platforms that consumers can use to bring healthcare providers to their doorsteps.
Street Fight Daily: Facebook’s New Ad Features, Retailers Will Start Testing MCX Payments App
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Facebook Is Trying to Make It Even More Tempting for You to Buy Products from the News Feed (Business Insider)… Retailers to Begin Public Tests of MCX Mobile Payment App But Face Hurdles (Wall Street Journal)… Amazon’s Dash Buttons Hint at a Future of Interface-Free Shopping (The Verge)…
Why TV Remains the Heartbeat of Local Connection