Retailers that have no online presence are eyeing the upcoming holiday season somewhat anxiously. The credit crunch following the subprime mortgage crisis is expected to squeeze many consumers' budgets. Also, fuel prices still remain higher than retailers would like. Online shopping is less affected by these trends. 24 Oct 2007
Many of us have gone to wine tasting, or tried a nibble of something in a supermarket, or taken a car for a test drive. Well, there's a term for this sort of thing – tryvertising. 24 Oct 2007
An up-coming ECR conference is a must for decision-makers within the marketing, FMCG, IT, supply chain and associated sectors of the retail industry. 23 Oct 2007
Linking a product to a celebrity or TV show can work well, but can be problematic if the popularity of the celebrity or show falters – or in the case of some celebrities, goes from hero to zero. And that applies in South Africa as much as it does anywhere else – in this case, the UK. 19 Oct 2007
A just-released report from London reveals that while the growth of virtual communities and online social networking sites has exploded, trends indicate that this growth will level out by 2012. 18 Oct 2007
Research shows that unethical business practices, customer dissatisfaction and lack of innovation erode consumer trust. And though the following article relates to Europe, there are lessons for South African business; lose your customers' trust and winning it back will be an uphill road. 17 Oct 2007
After analysis of previous years' holiday sales figures, eCommerce solutions provider Volusion Inc., predicts that the biggest shopping day of the year will break the typical pattern seen in most years this decade. 17 Oct 2007
Sales of organic coffee are growing faster than one can say, "Espresso, please!". US retail sales of organic coffee in 2006 increased 24% to US$110.36 million, according to the Organic Trade Association's (OTA's) 2007 Organic Manufacturer Survey. 15 Oct 2007
Britain's music and video retailers are beleaguered and are looking to HD DVD and downloads to revive a depressed market. 12 Oct 2007
The theme for the 2007 meeting will be “Drivers for future growth: Waves and currents” and it's aimed at giving members of the institute a better understanding about what the main drivers of future growth are going to be, rather than narrowly focusing on trends per se. 12 Oct 2007
The Clicks ClubCard loyalty program, which has been in operation in South Africa for over a decade, and currently has over 2.2 million active members, is to upgrade its benefits to its members and suppliers. 10 Oct 2007
USA - Wine marketing researchers at VinterActive have released the results of their annual research report on consumer preferences and purchasing plans for wine gifts in the upcoming holiday season. The results are indicative of the sales slump that the wine industry worldwide seems to be experiencing. 9 Oct 2007
Toys for Smart Play!, the 16th annual report of Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products 2007 awards is now freely available to parents, teachers and others in the online magazine, Dr. Toy's Guide. 8 Oct 2007
New technologies offer retailers innovative means of engaging with consumers and help them to retain market share. 4 Oct 2007
Customer complaints are something that business leaders generally like to avoid, yet they are a fact of business life, and when handled well, they can have a huge impact on the success of the organisation. Some industry sectors are better at dealing with complaints than others, according to the UK Customer Satisfaction Index, a new survey carried out by the UK's Institute of Customer Service. 2 Oct 2007
Think vinegar is merely an ingredient to enhance meals? Think again. From removing laundry stains to repelling insects, a new online survey reveals consumers use vinegar for a variety of household chores. 27 Sep 2007
The Asics Gel-Nimbus 9 has been selected as the Editors' Choice shoe in a recent review done by gear editors, Lisa de Speville and Sean Falconer in the October issue of Runner's World magazine. 26 Sep 2007
Rather than travel down legal roads, a growing number of companies are trying to engage in a dialogue with their online constituents. Many are setting up their own message boards and blogs to gather customer feedback. In addition to putting the software in place, companies hire full-time or part-time monitors, individuals who examine the comments and report back to management what customers are saying. 21 Sep 2007
USA - For nearly half of all Americans, the old saying that "money burns a hole in your pocket" is true - at least, when it comes to cash. Every year, about $2,340 in cash "disappears" from Americans' wallets when people simply lose track of their spending, according to a new survey commissioned by Visa USA. 13 Sep 2007
USA - According to an article in the most recent issue of First-Perspective, a First Marketing publication, when researchers use a combination of demographic and psychographic analysis, they can predict an individual consumer's next purchase with up to 82% accuracy. By allowing companies to match products with those consumers who are most likely to buy them, psychographic segmentation improves the efficiency and effectiveness of their marketing efforts. 12 Sep 2007
