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 […]
Is Bankruptcy the New Normal for MULO Brands?
Over the past year, we’ve featured many articles about multi-location (MULO) brands that declared bankruptcy (BUSTs). But we’ve also seen brands emerge from bankruptcy, become part of other companies (like Bed Bath & Beyond and Overstock), and/or change their business model to be online-only (as Lord & Taylor did with its iconic brand). Some other […]
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 […]
BOOM: Retail Media According to Skai
We often use “BOOM” to identify a category or store brand that’s thriving. But BOOMing can also apply to trends in media buying and creative. So, for 2024 we’ve expanded the term to cover that as well, so MULO (multi-location) brands and the agencies that work with them can identify how to better reach consumers […]
MULO Grows Up
What the heck is MULO anyway? MULO refers to multi-location businesses. They could be run by a corporate entity or franchises. MULO brands may be retailers, restaurants, health and wellness entities, personal services (like tutoring, tax prep, ear piercing, hair styling, or even podcasting) or even entertainment centers like those offering pickleball, golf, and baseball. […]
The MULO Dozen: January Brands in Review
2024 is off to a fast start! As MULO (multi-location) retailers, restaurants, and service businesses head into a new year, they face new challenges and opportunities. And, of course, “The Big Game,” when brands get to flex their creative and digital muscle. Here’s what we saw this month. Have news? Please e-mail me. Fridays is […]
10 Things We Saw in the Multi-Location Brand Space in 2023
Of course, we’ll be publishing predictions for 2024 and beyond, but here’s a brief recap of some of the major shifts (and tiptoes in new directions) in the MULO (multi-location) brand space in 2023. The pandemic is over…the virus remains…and some shopping and dining trends have forever changed. We’ll detail some of those evolutions (or […]
BOOM: The Designer and Basic Milkshake
Despite many consumers’ focus on healthy and lactose-free beverages, a new MULO (multi-location) trend is picking up steam (or should we say whipped cream?). Milkshakes first came on the scene in 1885, and were made with booze. Ironically, the boozy milkshake is now having a moment again! In 1922, Walgreens began serving milkshakes and the […]
Shuttered Forever or Transformed? 12 Storefront Businesses That Went Poof!
Is this about nostalgia or a MULO (multi-location) business lesson? Probably a bit of both. In our ongoing BOOM and BUST series, we talk about MULO retailers, restaurants, and service businesses that declared bankruptcy or became obsolete because of management issues or blindness to consumer trends and technologies. Let’s walk down memory lane and reflect […]
BOOM: Green is Good as MULO Salad Brands Abound
Salads and salad brands are no longer a side dish. At the same time as multi-location (MULO) sweets and snack brands emerge and proliferate, greens-based companies are opening and scaling. Among the places consumers can find their favorite salad fixings are: Saladworks: One of the first entrants to the market (founded in 1986), the franchise […]
“Podcast Studio Near Me”: A Chat With Brian Howie Who is Bringing New Media to the MULO World
Multi-location (MULO) marketing services storefronts are nothing new. Brands offer printing and swag to small businesses and conference-goers, delivering flyers, brochures, posters, signage, and even tee shirts to consumers and companies. Companies like AlphaGraphics, Minuteman, Signarama, and Staples fulfill those needs. Custom Ink started as an online-only creative and production resource but now has multiple […]
How MULO (Multi-Location) Brands are Using Threads
The newest social media app, Threads from Meta, has already close to 100 million users after its launch on July 5th. (As of this publishing, the number may even be higher, reflecting the viral spread of the app.) Despite skepticism about its functionality and staying power, big brands have already “threaded up” and are claiming […]
BOOM: Beyond the Barbells (MULO Specialty Gyms Abound)
We live in a world obsessed with longevity and fitness. Exercise has long been a big business. The fitness industry had its renaissance in the 1970s and 80s when the widespread adoption of TV and insights into the role of working out in battling heart disease gave rise to the practices of aerobics and yoga. […]
To Market, To Market: Trends in the MULO Grocery Store Industry
The multi-location grocery store industry is no longer just traditional grocers. Target, drug stores like CVS and Walgreens, and convenience stores now stock shelves with household staples. “Traditional” grocery stores have expanded their product offerings to include greeting cards, flowers, and hardware items. Specialty grocers abound, and many niche brands are expanding to new geographies […]
Simon Says “Your Product is In-Stock!” The Rise of Product Search Today and How Brands Should Respond
Simon Property Group recently expanded its Simon Search technology, enabling mall-goers to determine if the brands they want are in-store, before they head out to shop and spend. Product search before visiting a multi-location (or other) business is nothing new. Google reports that 74 percent of brick-and-mortar shoppers will do some online sleuthing before they […]
Put a Pin in It: The Definition of a Place is Transforming
Domino’s just launched a new product (and is running campaign ads), enabling consumers to have pizza and other treats delivered wherever they “drop a pin.” It’s aptly called Pinpoint Delivery™. The definition of a “place” is transforming. Pre-Internet, it was simply a physical brick-and-mortar location. You went to those places to shop, dine, stay, meet, […]