RetailBizBlog

I think Time magazine ironically, and certainly unintentionally, hit the nail on the head in portraying the interesting turns that have occurred at Facebook.  2010 Time Magazine Person of the Year - Facebook Founder and CEO - Mark Zuckerberg.  2011 Time Magazine Person(s) of the Year - The Protester. Facebook had provided a launch pad like no other for groups to form, messages to be heard, and entire public opinions to be changed!!  It starts with little things like fans of Betty White creating a "movement" to push the people at Saturday Night Live to invite her as a host - success!! It grew into such large things as the foundation and communication line for much of the "Occupy" movement in 2011...the odd twist that Zuckerberg built the stage for "The Protester". I saw amazing things happen as people took to the internet to "get the word out".  There was a mother from my hometown that was stripped of her parental rights by her heartless ex th...

Facebook has lured hundreds of millions of users into one place.  I could leave just that one sentence and every marketing executive in the world could read that combined with the title of this article and simply say, "Yep!" Then Facebook took things farther by leaps and bounds!! First it was keyword advertising. You make a post about travelling, suddenly there are ads for travel agencies and vacation destinations filling the borders of your browser.  These were great because they happened somewhat without you noticing.  You happened to be thinking of a vacation, and Carnival just so happened to have an add on your page!! Coincidence?! Haha..I think not! Then Facebook partnered with app developers, offering them a platform to reach hundreds of millions of credit card wielding users.  Zynga is among the most notable developers to use Facebook as a springboard to achieve targets that far exceeded their initial expectations.  With games like CityVille, Farmvill...

As the retail climate continues to change so rapidly, corporate level executives must do their best to adapt and adjust their business strategies. I have written much about what some of the steps are that can be taken both at store level and corporate level to insure your company stays ahead. The intent of this article is to educate employees as to some of the "whys" corporate makes certain decisions. The most common frustrations at the store level are usually focussed around pricing strategy and floor moves.  The typical scenario in both cases is changing something Monday to change it again on Wednesday, only to put it back on Friday.  Corporate has to look at the company as one giant store.  When your store sold $2000 on Monday and the best selling item was funky shirt, but the company sold $2.2 million and that funky shirt performed very poorly, the company needs to take that information and make a move quickly. Every single item that is sold in your store was ...

Throughout this blog I have talked so much about quality leadership.  As I watch my favorite NHL hockey team (New Jersey Devils) make it to the Stanley Cup round of the playoffs, I am constantly hearing about the success Head Coach Peter DeBoer is having.  He was hired after a lackluster stint with the Florida Panthers, to the chagrin and confusion of many Devils fans.  In a single season, Coach DeBoer has transformed a franchise that has built their legacy around defensive hockey, into a productive offensive machine.  This "new-look" team continues to confuse opponents throughout the playoffs, as it is nearly inconceivable that a coach can turn around a franchise in a single season with so much radical change. As a fan, I am proud to read about how his work ethic, discipline, and leadership have reached each and every player in that locker room.  His team is considered to be overachieving.  Where does over-achievement come from?  In theory, it was...

Seems like we just finished doing our inventories, getting through our spring cleaning, and yep....the Holiday Season is again right around the corner!  I have written several posts that are designed to help in hiring, coaching, and evaluating employees.  These posts have been recently getting much more attention as we get through the Back-to-School season and prepare for the Holidays.  So, in response to the active trends to my blog...here are some quick links to those posts.  Good Luck and Happy Hiring!!!   How to Read a Resume   How to Prepare to Conduct an Interview   How to Conduct and Interview   Effective Coaching - Part 1   Effective Counseling - Part 2      

In collaboration with Amazon.com, RetailBizblog has its' own store!!! At the top of the page I have added a 'shop' tab.  I have put together a very large collection of books, electronics, office supplies, and even apparel- all with the retail professional in mind.  As the Shop RetailBizBlog Store is brand new, I would love to hear any feedback you may have, or even products you would like to see! Thanks for continuing to share with me!! Chris

Think about it.  Tom and his group of pioneers did a lot more than creating a giant social website.  The ripple effect of Myspace is more like a Tsunami effect! Myspace forever changed the way internet marketing is viewed.  Millions of users logged in several times a day discussing things they like and don't like, offering marketers plenty of affordable and accurate impressions to their target consumer. Myspace Music changed the way music is shared on the internet.  It could even be credited with launching several successful careers.  It offered users a way to feel connected to their favorite artists, and remain aware of new releases and special offers.  YouTube and Vevo can point to Myspace Music for laying the groundwork for much of their success. Several other social networking sites have found success following a model proven successful by Myspace.  Facebook is the current "big thing".  Google + is promising to use all of Google's streng...