Success only runs one direction....
From this morning’s newspapers:
“MasterCard said Wednesday that its third quarter profit soared 38% on a big spike in card use around the world. The most pronounced growth was in debit cards. In the U.S., use of MasterCard-branded debit cards rose 23% while use of its credit cards rose 7%. Rival Visa, which has a far bigger share of the domestic debit card market, said last week that debit purchase volume rose 8%.”
What this means: [click here to continue…]
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This is the kind of stuff that makes my blood boil.
The stationery industry has faced it for years—brides come in to touch, feel, and get professional advice while searching for wedding invitations, then take that valuable knowledge online, or worse, home as a DIY project.
The assumption that stores provide floor samples and professional advice for free is absurd; they pay for those samples, floor displays, and employee training, all for the purpose of making a sale. Using those resources with no intent of purchasing from the providing retailer is just this side of shoplifting. Yes, my language is strong on this point, but as a past retailer who watched the practice first hand, I know what it costs in very real financial terms.
A lot.
This past weekend, USA Today pushed the “use-em-and-leave-em” concept to the extreme, actually instructing consumers to peruse computers in local stores, then go online to make the purchase, complete with a list of online discounters happy to make the sale (on a brick and mortar’s back).
States are gasping for air as their sales tax revenues drop. Commercial property tax roles shrink as brick and mortars go dark. And our quality of life, directly connected to emergency services, sidewalks, streets, state agencies, school programs, park systems, etc. suffer.
I understand the high cost of outfitting kids for school. No question. But telling consumers it’s okay to “use” a local store’s resources with zero intent of making a purchase is just plain wrong.
Here’s the article—I hope retailers reading this will head on over there and add their two cents to the comments. Your voices need to be heard.
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From an interview with AmEx CEO, Kenneth Chenault, in the current issue of Fortune Magazine:
We’re doing a “back to the future” on the charge card. That’s our pay-in-full product at the end of 30 days. Consumers want discipline, and if we can bring that discipline of paying in full at the end of the month along with the service levels that we provide, plus the rewards and other programs we have, we think that’s a tremendous opportunity for us to grow.
Yes, it would be a tremendous opportunity for AmEx to grow, but what about small business? What about all those “Shine a Light” brick and mortars that have been so highly touted in the recent AmEx/Universal advertising campaign? What about you and your business? [click here to continue…]
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Building on a great idea from Alison Heath at Hardwood Artisans, I’m going to be tying media pitches for outlets around the country to small business closings in their communities (think: the gift shop down the street “going dark” next weekend). Short of suddenly becoming all-seeing or finding ten more hours in the day to search community news nationwide, that means one thing.
I need to borrow your brain. [click here to continue…]
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As you recall from Sunday’s post, Twitter has quickly become a pipeline to what’s happening in the industry. It’s there that I’ve made valuable connections, learned of new product releases, been asked for business advice, met a couple of clients, and learned of new exhibitors planning upcoming shows. And all in 140 words or less per tweet.
Given Twitter’s vibrancy (ie, non-stop adrenaline and caffeine fueled frenetic pace), finding a way to harness all this golden information is important.
After all, when it comes to information, getting it and getting run over by it are two entirely different things. [click here to continue…]
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I get asked (a lot) how in the world I have time to keep up with Twitter. Well, I don’t…at least not in the way you think. Unlike the caricature most folks have in their minds of what Twittering entails (non-stop chattering on the computer with total strangers or whipping off endless text messages about the dog’s new trick), my use of the social medium is singular: it’s an information pipeline.
Throw in a simple-to-use, free software program that makes staying on top of things easy and all I have to do is sit back and let all that industry buzz goodness come streaming my way. No heavy lifting, babysitting, or hassle factor.
But oh, you’d be amazed at what I’ve learned there.
Here’s how you can get yourself into the loop: [click here to continue…]
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This morning, the Today Show did a segment about how to save money this holiday season. As expected, the usual items were on the list–pay in cash instead of credit cards, discuss pulling back on gift giving as a family, begin with a budget, etc.
Two suggestions, however, nearly had my head spinning like a whirling dervish: (a) that consumers should begin shopping online right away, for as much as they can, since that’s the best places to find great gifts, and (b) that consumers should go to local stores to look at items in person, then return to the internet to place their order or pass along the websites as their wish lists. [click here to continue…]
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A little reminder aimed at those for whom subtlety has no meaning:
If you don’t vote, you can’t bitch. Period.
Sorry ‘bout the language, but having seen Canada clock in at a dismal 59.1% voter turnout, I’m pretty fired up about pushing folks out the door and into the booth.
Now….GO.
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