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Decoupling and the customer experience
Catherine Iste RetailIt is a great time to be a consumer. On one hand, we can walk into a big-box store, find exactly the product we want, then find the least expensive option on our phone and have it delivered to our door. On the other hand, we do not have to leave the house to grocery shop, get a massage or visit the doctor. Technology has had an undeniable and, in many cases, unexpected impact on consumerism. This disruption of the traditional customer experience provides myriad threats and opportunities for all retail businesses.
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5 reasons why you need to market better to millennials
Sam Radbil MarketingThe term "millennial" is probably driving you crazy by now, but this big population group should be an important part of your marketing plan. The consensus is that the millennial generation includes those born between 1981 and 1996, which makes them approximately 23-38 years old today. The important point here is that, while you need to market to all of the age ranges, there are five solid reasons not to neglect millennials.
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After jumping into grocery game with Whole Foods, Amazon to debut new chain
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageOnce it shook up the online retail world, it was time for Amazon to do something different. Hence the acquisition of Whole Foods in 2017, a move that was diametrically opposite to going online. Then came Amazon Go stores, with their grab-and-go, no cashiers or checkout lines concept. Now, Amazon has just announced the launch of a new chain of grocery stores in the U.S. that will be a separate entity from Whole Foods. Shares of grocery giants like Costco, Kroger, and Walmart all dipped upon the news breaking.
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Things to look for when purchasing a pop-up camper
Connie Ulman Recreation & LeisureAre you in the market for a camper? Like many people, my family has decided to buy a new camper this spring, and we have chosen to purchase a pop-up. I have put together a list of things to look for when purchasing a pop-up camper. For example, the canvas is a very important part of a pop-up to consider. Things to look for are tears, mold, and leaks. Many times, campers sit in storage or old barns and mice use the canvas as a chew toy.
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EV sales reach record numbers, electricity providers move to meet demand
Scott E. Rupp Transportation Technology & AutomotiveU.S.-based sales of electric vehicles increased more than 72 percent in 2018 from the previous year, with the class of autos moving more than 354,000 such vehicles. Tesla was the strongest performer. Sales of the manufacturer's three battery-powered models were reported Jan. 3, totaling more than 191,000 vehicles in 2018. In other encouraging news for the EV market, the Edison Electric Institute and the Institute for Electric Innovation said that the transition to electric vehicles is well underway. Electricity companies are working to move the EV infrastructure system forward to meet demand.
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US economy adds only 20,000 jobs in February; unemployment falls to 3.8…
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe federal government’s February jobs report shows that payroll employment rose 20,000 last month, a sharp departure from the 311,000 new jobs added in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. February’s unemployment rate of 3.8 percent compared favorably with 4.0 percent in January. "One month does not make a trend," says Elise Gould, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. On that note, job growth averaged 186,000 over the past three months. "One reason for the February weakness was harsh weather, depressing job growth in construction, hotels, and restaurants," according to Gould.
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Who makes the first offer?
Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield RetailWhen it comes to commercial leasing, who makes the first offer on a property for lease? The answer might surprise you! We strongly urge commercial tenants to leave that first offer to the agent or the landlord. The reason is simple. Once you have made that first offer, you will have shared your interest in a commercial property. By showing your cards (as you will) to the agent, you will have committed yourself to this commercial leasing deal. Once the agent’s first offer has been made, you have a number of options.
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Don’t let these ‘terrible 10’ mistakes sabotage your…
Fred Berns Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIn today's competitive business environment, it's vital for business owners to recognize the most common roadblocks to their success. Every year, these obstacles derail too many small to mid-sized companies too often. At best, these issues create temporary detours. At worst, they can be career killers. Here's a "terrible 10" list of success saboteurs, and some tips on how to overcome them.
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How to correct negative misperceptions
Anne Rose CommunicationsNegative misperceptions are easy to acquire and hard to erase. "She's a very rude and unfriendly person. She looked right at me and didn't even say hello or acknowledge me." "Oh, that guy is a crook. I called him about some work I needed, and he wanted $300 just to give me a quote." Maybe the "rude" person who didn’t say hello actually didn’t see you but was staring off in the distance in a daydream. Maybe you’ve mixed up the service fellow with a different but similarly named person. Where and how do these misperceptions originate?
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The future of interior design sourcing
Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesLike many other industries and professions, interior design is becoming increasingly digitized. From conception and rendering, to project management, to how designers communicate with their teams and their clients, basic processes and procedures are transferring to digital platforms. One of the areas most affected by this transformation is sourcing and purchasing. What began as a gradual shift towards e-commerce at the beginning of the decade has exploded into a robust online universe of interior design products and services. E-commerce has pulled back the curtain on interior design sourcing.
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