News and Analysis
Who Owns What in the MULO World?
Darden recently made a huge acquisition in the MULO (multi-location) food world, gobbling up Chuy’s fast-casual Mexican locations (100+) in a $605M deal. According to FSR Magazine, the holding company has also made some major acquisitions over the last decade. “Chuy’s marks Darden’s sixth acquisition in 15 years. In 2007, the company acquired RARE Hospitality […]
Mobility Data Optimizes Marketing for Retailers Amid New Lunch Trends
The working crowd still eats lunch. They just don’t do so at restaurants and take-out near their offices as much. Instead, they are saving their money to splurge on lunch out and drinks with friends on the weekends. A story on NBC.com went so far as to declare that “the lunch rush is dead,” citing […]
The MULO Dozen: July Brands in Review
Given the M&A activity that’s been going on in the MULO (multi-location) world these days, we’ve added a new section to our monthly dozen — DEALS. The reality of MULO is that unless brands listen to consumer voices, have strong leaders, and do the right deals, they may go BUST. The keys to BOOMING in […]
Commentary
Location-Based Marketing Association: Kalibrate Partners with Near on Location Intelligence
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers Best Buy teaming up with Pokemon Go, Taiwan’s FamilyMart launching a convenience store on wheels, Baidu getting China’s first autonomous robotaxi license, and Kalibrate partnering with Near on location intelligence.
Latest Posts
What’s Next for Tommy Bahama? A Study in Growth Through Diversification
The lines between retail and dining have been steadily blurring over the years as more brands build memorable experiences, enabling consumers to eat where they shop and play where they eat. A natural growth progression for many multi-location brands is to play in the hospitality space, and that’s exactly what Tommy Bahama is doing this […]
Flip Launches MagicOS, a Self-Serve E-Commerce Operating System for Brands
Transparency among social media influencers can be hard to come by. While 80% of consumers say they have purchased products in direct response to social media content, #sponcon scandals are taking their toll and leading to a decline in trust of digital influencers. Could a new e-commerce operating system for brands put the influencer industry […]
Barometer, Katz Partnership Brings Contextual Targeting to Podcasting
Podcasting is huge right now, with 53% of Americans saying they’ve listened to a podcast in just the past month. You know what else is huge right now? Artificial intelligence. OpenAI’s ChatGPT reached 100 million monthly active users in January, just two months after it debuted. It should come as no surprise, then, that Barometer […]
“Omnitalking” with Chris Walton About Trends in the Retail Space
For about twelve years, Chris Walton held various management positions at Target. His last position was VP of “Store of the Future,” when he worked with his Co-CEO of Omnitalk, Anne Mezzenga. They started the Omnitalk venture in 2017, combining their 40+ years of retail experience to focus on game-changing trends in the retail space, focusing […]
Why Brands Are Using Attention Metrics to Personalize Ad Placement, Creative
Tony the Tiger. Ronald McDonald. The Pillsbury Doughboy. Some of the most well-known and beloved characters of all time were born out of advertising. They helped to make products and brands recognizable, and they appealed to consumers from all walks of life. While ad campaigns featuring the Energizer Bunny or the Old Spice Guy remain memorable, […]
Report: Most Grocers Are Dissatisfied with Digital Loyalty Components
Has digital shopping made buyers less loyal? That’s certainly what the majority of grocers believe, according to a new report conducted by Incisiv, The Food Industry Association (FMI), and Loyal Guru, a loyalty management platform. The Shopper Loyalty in the Digital Age report highlights the importance of offering seamless omnichannel experiences as a way for […]
Losers & Winners in Retail Today
New retail categories are emerging as companies like Bed Bath & Beyond, Party City, and others struggle to keep their doors open. The impact of online shopping, the pandemic, and supply chain issues (along with commercial real estate expenses) has seriously affected many brick-and-mortar store brands. Yet, new categories of multi-location retail and service businesses […]
FAT Brands Serves Up a Charitable Venture
Charitable giving is on the upswing, and consumer shopping behavior and multi-location brands can sway perception via charity-related campaigns. But “doing good can go bad” when companies launch charity efforts without being thoughtful and transparent. That’s why multi-location FAT Brands put significant thought and effort into creating its newly-launched FAT Brands Foundation. Philanthropy tied to a […]
Survey: Retailer Apps Are Embraced by 78% of Consumers Worldwide
Retailer apps are having a moment, one that will likely get even bigger. According to a survey of 11,000 consumer respondents conducted by Airship, a mobile-app management platform that has worked with brands including the BBC, GameStop, McDonald’s, and Vodaphone, 78 percent of respondents said they use retail mobile apps for shopping. The percentage of […]
Report: Requests to Protect Personal Data Up 72%
While Congress debates TikTok’s future, U.S. consumers are beginning to ask some uncomfortable questions about why businesses are collecting their personal data and how their information is really being used. According to the newly-released Privacy Trends 2023 Report by DataGrail, the privacy management firm, concern over data privacy is reaching a fever pitch. Eighty-five percent […]
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