ETD: 801 Where is retailing heading?; The oldest list; Gifts &
Dec to Launch New Email Service
E-Tailer's Digest
etd_post at gapent.com
Thu Jul 15 11:30:31 GMT 2004
E-Tailer's Digest --- Everything for the Retailer
Issue #0801 July 15, 2004
George Matyjewicz, Moderator mailto:georgem at gapent.com
Published by: GAP Enterprises, Ltd. http://www.etailersdigest.com
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CONTENTS
[1] Greetings
[2] Where is retailing heading?
[3] The oldest list
[4] Gifts & Dec to Launch New Email Service
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[1] Greetings.
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Hi All:
Thank you for all the kudos on issue 800. It has been a fun ride. Today
we have some comments on the oldest list, and I would be interested to hear
if there are others. If anybody has any stats on this, let me know.
Where is retail heading? List members offer some of their thoughts. What
do you think? Is there any hope for the little guy?
Gifts & Dec Magazine is launching a new e-mail service that looks very
interesting. Now you will be able to see the new products being offered
in giftware for those of us in that market. And you can announce your
products if you are a distributor/manufacturer. Quinn Halford and Mat
Kalash always do a great job. Yes, I did write a column for that magazine
for five years. It is the best source for gifts and decorative items in
the industry.
Tell us about your business which will remain for posterity at
our "Members: Who Are You?"
site. http://etailersdigest.com/resources/members/index.htm And we have a
form there for you to tell us about you. As I said when I first proposed
this idea, we have "known" each other for a long time, yet we often don't
know anything about each other. So, tell us who you are and what you do.
Now, let's get to everything for the retailer.
Sincerely
George Matyjewicz, PhD
Chief Global Strategist, GAP Enterprises, Ltd.
mailto:georgem at gapent.com
http://www.etailersdigest.com
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[2] Where is retailing heading?
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> Sears is hanging in there, with a lot of it being the appliance
department. They carry and
> service most major brands. They and other appliance-speciality
retailers will do well, at
> least until WalMart enters the market. They dominate every segment they
enter!
> How about e-tailing? Will it grow independently ("pure players") or
will e-tailing be part
> of brick and mortar stores.
What do you think? Will we see some major retail failures in the coming
years? Will there be a new market for retailing? Will downtown retailing
become popular again?
Sears could have been Home Depot, if they had the vision. Now, they've
invested in Sears Hardware outlets, but they're screwing that up with
ever-changing store templates, and a simple lack of competence in any
single category. My (purely anecdotal) impression is that, if you want
something in hardware, your chances are 50% that Sears Hardware will have
it, and 95% that Home Depot will.
Phil
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phil Glowatz, Partner
JP Group
New Product Development - Positioning - Brand Strategy
voice: 718.343.6535 - fax: 718.962.1027
e-mail: Phil at JPGroupUSA.com
web: http://www.JPGroupUSA.com
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+++ Next Post +++
> Where is retail heading? Big box discounters like WalMart and
> Target? Speciality, service-oriented retailers like
> Chico's? Downtowns? Is there any hope for the little guy?
>
> Interesting to note how the middle market chain stores don't fare too well
> - stores like Macy's, K-Mart, JC Penney. IMHO, those chains are in
> trouble. They don't distinguish themselves enough to make a
> difference. They are not cheap like WalMart of Target. And they don't
> offer service like Nordstrom's and Nieman Marcus. So what's their value
> proposition?
If he has something unique, sure! If he's fighting Target, K-Mart and
WalMart, then he'll go the way of the general store. But there ARE ways
to compete, as mentioned in my reply to the next topic.
I think it has to do with style. WalMart does not have style, just
price. There is a middle ground for more stylish things as well as more
diversity. J.C. Penny has it's own style. K-Mart pushes Martha Stewart's
style. Even Sears has some kind of style, though I fear not much. So they
have to compete on price a lot more.
It goes back to what I was seeing on the search engines. Each engine
appeals to a different client base, and you could see that in the
differences in the queries and even the way the queries were phrased. Each
engine has what I call signature bands of things that are asked over and
over again. When one engine goes down, those bands appear on the other
engines, though usually lower on the list.
Style is a major selling factor! It's the face you see, the face you
either like and want to be a part of, or dislike and shun.
Without style, you end up with... remember that old 1084 Apple ad? The
same drab people sitting in that auditorium when the lady in red gym shorts
runs in and hurls that thing through the screen.
Style! It IS the difference! It can make you or break you.
John T. Molloy's book "Dress for Success" was all about style, the styles
which appealed to people and gave people the chance to prove or burn
themselves. (He first learned this selling shirts and ties to lawyers.)
Molloy's book doubled my income when it first came out! The right colors
blew doors open for me, giving me the chance to show what I could
do. Before then, my conservative wrong-colored suits slammed the doors
closed in my face. It was amazing! Same boss, same project, same office
space... and the day I wore a good blue suit, even this INDIAN was pulling
me into new meetings, trying to get me into new projects. Brown suit, and
he's not even in my corner. Over and over again, the right colors made a
huge difference, and the wrong colors just sidelined me. (Of course, I
started investing in the right colors pronto.)
Style is how to differentiate yourself from the others.
But as John T. Molloy said, style is individual and regional. Back then,
my brown suits, death in New England, sold me well in the Midwest. And
when one clothing consultant from the Midwest set up a dress code for a
company in California, the core engineers behind that company disliked it
so much, they quit en-mass and started another company competing with their
former employers.
I think your customers respond the same way.
But remember, simplicity is the epitome of sophistication. Just look at
Google. Simple, clear style. Clear presentation.
And... good Content! Content IS more important than style. But you
know... style is what gives the impression. Content is what keeps them
coming back. If you give them a bad impression... they won't get to the
content.
On the web, content is what draws your most important visitors, the search
engines. It HAS to come first.
I've been looking at styles of different popular and important web sites
around the world... Amazing how some folks just don't get it! And how
some do. My site is going to have a major style overhaul "any day now"
based on the psychographics of the visitors to each topical area.
I have a hunch that when I get done, this may end up as another service to
clients. Like Molloy, I love doing research for clients. Your web logs
are FILLED with all kinds of fascinating things. If you want help reading
them, contact me. 408-705-2284 in California.
-javilk-
Today's Photo: http://www.mall-net.com/today/
------------------- IMAGINEERING --------------------
--------------- Every click, a vote. ----------------
----- Do people vote for, or against your pages? ----
-- What people want: http://www.SitePsych.com/free --
-----------------------------------------------------
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[3] The oldest list
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> Issue 800! Wow! We have been together since January 1998 - six and
> 1/2 years of retail reporting, now twice a week, but originally
> three times a week for a couple of years. Thank you for your
> support. I wonder if there is any other list in continuous
> production for 6 1/2 years? Or for 800 issues? I know many of my
> old list owner buddies have given up. If anybody has any stats on
> this, let me know.
The oldest list I know of is the LED, or LinkExchange Digest. They are up
to issue #1838. It is a five day a week newsletter and it has been going
since 1997. Adam Audette (yes, John's son) is the moderator now. I think
John Audette was the original moderator, but I can't be sure since I only
happen to have issue #004. I still have the invitation they sent to
subscribe to their new list (this was January 1996), and I'm sure I joined
right away. I may be one of a few 100% duration subscribers there, but it
has had quite a good subscriber list. I've seen people go from
introductions to multi-millionaires on that list.
Too bad I have not made that jump quite yet...
Brad Waller VP, Business and Affiliate Development
_________________________________________________________
Classified Ad Affiliate Program: http://EP.com/b/csp.html
Hosted Classifieds and Auctions: http://AdConnect.com
Manage & Sell Site Banner Space: http://AdJungle.com
+++ [Moderator's Comments] +++
Interesting to see Adam following in John's footsteps. I think John and
Adam Boettinger were two of the pioneers who made a lot of money with
lists, back in the heyday of advertising.
I used to belong to LED but dropped off.
Thanks Brad.
George
+++ Next Post +++
I think Immune (people with allergies and related problems) has been
running for some twenty years. http://www.immuneweb.org/
Web Consultants has been up since 1995 or 1996. http://www.wclist.com/join.php
-javilk-
Today's Photo: http://www.mall-net.com/today/
------------------- IMAGINEERING --------------------
--------------- Every click, a vote. ----------------
----- Do people vote for, or against your pages? ----
-- What people want: http://www.SitePsych.com/free --
-----------------------------------------------------
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[4] Gifts & Dec to Launch New Email Service
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Gifts & Decorative Accessories will launch a new email service, Gifts & Dec
Product Wire, beginning September 7, 2004. On the first and third Monday of
each month, Product Wire will deliver news about the latest gift industry
product introductions reported by the editors of Gifts & Decorative
Accessories. Each Product Wire issue will feature up to eight new products,
some with pictures, all with telephone contact numbers and click-through
website addresses. Retailers will get a jump on many of the latest
introductions without having to search manufacturers' websites or wait for
their monthly issue of Gifts & Decorative Accessories magazine. Our weekly
e-newsletter, Gifts & Dec Direct will continue to cover industry news and
executive appointments; our bi-weekly Gifts & Dec Product Wire will add an
important component to our comprehensive coverage of the gift and
decorative accessories markets.
Quinn Halford, Editor In Chief
Matthew Kalash, Managing Editor
Gifts & Dec Direct
www.giftanddec.com.
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