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US payrolls add 638,000 jobs; unemployment rate drops to 6.9%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementU.S. employers added 638,000 nonfarm jobs in October, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. October’s rate of unemployment fell to 6.9% from September’s 7.9% and August’s 8.4%. The gradual employment improvement is a result of eased COVID-19 restrictions on social movement and resuming of commerce, though the pandemic remains uncontained and prospects for a vaccine available to the public are unclear. "The number of unemployed persons fell by 1.5 million to 11.1 million," according to the BLS. "Both measures have declined for 6 consecutive months but are nearly twice their February levels."
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Why micro-fulfillment centers are the future of online grocery shopping
Gail Short Distribution & WarehousingAs many Americans seek to avoid crowded stores to protect themselves from COVID-19, more and more of them are shopping for groceries online. But even before the pandemic, a 2017 report by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Nielsen Company predicted the trend. It says, "Initial findings from this study show that within the next decade, online food shopping will reach maturation in the U.S., far faster than other industries that have come online before. … The research estimates that in the current climate of technology adoption and evolution, consumer spend on online grocery shopping could reach $100 billion."
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How web development and UX can improve ROI
Indiana Lee MarketingUser experience (UX) is all the rage these days — and with good reason. The $3.5 trillion e-commerce world is booming, and businesses small and large want to get in on the action. However, running an e-commerce storefront is a completely different animal from a brick-and-mortar operation, and the struggle to provide a good experience for your online customers can be profound. Before you lift a finger to improve your site’s user experience (UX), it’s important to sit down, weigh your options, and do the math. Only once all of this has been taken into account can you properly execute a UX strategy that addresses your users’ experience and your bottom line at the same time.
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The future of restaurants and restaurant marketing
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageAdaptability is truly a great human phenomenon. Perhaps that's why we emerge from the worst of times with new knowledge and ways to thrive. This is precisely what we see happening across industries, particularly in the food and beverage industry. Restaurant brands are evaluating their post-COVID-19 strategies. They have to devise ways to drive as much revenue as they can and satisfy new consumer expectations at the same time. They realize they have to adjust and adapt on the fly to deal with future changes.
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What to know about the best ammo for hunting thick-skinned, dangerous game
John McAdams Recreation & LeisureBullet selection is always an important consideration when preparing for a hunt. However, choosing the appropriate bullet literally becomes a matter of life and death if you’ll be hunting dangerous game like cape buffalo. The good news is that most of the big ammunition companies now offer several different lines of ammunition that are specifically designed for hunting thick-skinned, dangerous game. In particular, Nosler manufactures its Safari Ammunition line specifically for those hunters.
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Avoiding customer churn: How to secure repeat business for your brand as…
Lisa Mulcahy MarketingCustomer churn is rampant throughout today's marketing landscape. Data from Search Engine Watch found that, since the pandemic began, 46% of surveyed marketers report they have lost customers, and just 12% of those surveyed report they were able to gain new customers during the quarantine. How does a brand start to combat customer churn? Here are five key steps marketers should take to keep buyers interested, satisfied and secure during the pandemic — and preserve their loyalty after COVID-19.
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How to use visual storytelling to grow your business
John Allen Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementMany of you will have heard the saying, "Content is king!" And while content is still extremely important, what is really "king" is the ability to grab your audience’s attention, keep it, and engage them with your brand. Marketing is usually the first touchpoint for customer experience, and first impressions are extremely difficult to change. It’s vital that you get this right. Easier said than done, right? Wrong. What you really need to know about is visual storytelling. Studies have shown that blog posts with visuals drive up to 180% more engagement than those without.
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4 COVID-19-related changes that could outlast the pandemic
Amanda Ghosh Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementCOVID-19 is changing the landscape of daily life. While some changes are minor and easy to adopt, changes like working from home create significant shifts in our social lives. Masks, virtual learning, ghost restaurants, and increased use of hand sanitizer are just a few of the pandemic-related changes that could stick around after the health crisis ends.
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How hard do you make your customers work to buy something from you?
Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementYou’ve invested time, energy, and significant money to establish your business and promote it to the public in an effort to sell your goods and services. All you need now are customers. But at this point, how hard do you make these potential customers work to buy your products and services? By your actions and oversights, are you effectively telling your prospective customers that you don’t really want their business? I've encountered business owners who virtually tell customers to "go away; I don’t want your business," and then are surprised when customers do exactly that.
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Why phased-in marketing is the right way to resume a top-selling product…
Lisa Mulcahy MarketingAs a marketer, you have no doubt needed to proceed with caution when it comes to product messaging during the pandemic. As the pandemic continues, however, consumers will want to refocus their attention on your top-selling items again out of need, the ability to spend a bit more, or for a much-needed impulse buy. How do you reposition these products in the marketplace delicately, fairly and appealingly? A phased-in marketing approach, in which you gradually reintroduce these products into your content across your platforms and on your website, is the smart way to go.
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