The Retail Social-ista Next Door

Branding Begins With Passion

Lee Kent — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:13:00 GMT

I have just finished reading Chris Brogan's eBook entitled "Personal Branding for the Business Professional" and it is a MUST read! This eBook is for everyone who wants to know how to succeed, PERIOD. In his eBook, Chris has included tools and sites that will help to boost your own personal brand however i would suspect anyone interested in Brand will find his tips helpful. That aside, the best part of the eBook (to me) is the part where he talks about what you need to be successful. My personal favorite 'chapter' was "Passion Means Helping Others See it".

So why am i telling you all about this? Reading this eBook helped me to realize that aside from shopping, you folks don't really know my passion. Why am i doing all this? Why did I build TheRetailTradeCenter? and Why does it matter to you? Yes, this is going to be about ME...but perhaps you will see something in it for YOU too!

Let's start with my passion. I am a fashionista wanna-be who loves to shop. We all know that. In my earlier blogs, i was passionate about sharing what retailers were doing to impress ME, the consummate customer. I was passionate about them building better shopping experiences for ME. While i do still feel this way, in my quest to communicate all this to them i discovered just how much i didn't know. I discovered that there are tons of products and services out there that could easily impress ME if used properly by retailers. I discovered that i wanted to know all about them. I discovered that I wanted retailers to know all about them too. I discovered that it would be great if retailers could really collaborate with each other as well as with vendors. I discovered that i was just not good at meeting people! and it costs a lot of MONEY!

In reading Chris's eBook, i realized that my passion needed to be redefined. If "passion means helping others see it" then i better hustle because I'm way behind. Chris also mentions how important it is to try new things and even test them in a 'lab'. hmmmm

Is that what TheRetailTradeCenter is? I think so. It has been a lab. A lab designed for folks who just aren't very good at meeting people in person (like ME), or who are but want to do it without spending quite so much on travel or who simply want to build a network that really works. (See my blog on How to Get More Out of Groups) Ah ha!

So there you have it. I want to MEET and get to know you! I want to help you collaborate in order to enhance the shopping experience and thereby impress ME! Get it?

So what's in it for you? Sales! Whether you are a retailer or a vendor, the name of the game is sales. and that my friends is the 'find' for the day!

Thanks for stopping by and we hope to see you in our lab, TheRetailTradeCenter;

The Shopper Next Door

How to get more out of a Group

Lee Kent — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:57:00 GMT

Now that we have opened Pandora's box and started unloading a bunch of social media tools that make conversation, collaboration, and communication easier, why has our conversation still not started? I have been out riding the waves of the internet and listening for that conversation and i must say most of it is coming from marketing and PR folks talking about brand building. Now i know that every company has (or should have) a brand but when these folks say brand, they are mostly focused on the Retail brand and how to reach, listen and sell to customers. Those of us behind the scenes of Retail know that while that is the ultimate objective, WE have to deliver products and services to enable the processes and that requires a 'whole nuther' conversation. (I have always loved that expression and wonder if it is a southern-ism) That's the conversation I'm talking about!

And the question is, "How do we start it?" Here's what i know. Many of us are already using tools like LinkedIn, MySpace, Face Bookand of course TheRetailTradeCenter for various reasons. The developers of those tools recognized our need for creating community so they enabled Groups. We thought that sounded cool so we joined some Groups or even started our own. What happened? Well from what i have seen and experienced from my Groups, not much! Some people post questions to the Group and may or may not get responses. Some people share documents with the Group but no real conversation. What's up with that? We love the idea but seems nobody does much of anything. Is there no pain to address? Do we think it's too much work? Are we waiting for someone else to start first? All of the above..plus

We simply do not know how to use the tools available. Let me pose an example for a Group and how it might provide both community and facilitate research. Let's say you are member of the International Council of Shopping Centers(ICSC) Real Estate Research Group. You guys love to chat with others in your field because there are so many interpretations of the data you use to make decisions..among other reasons. The problem is, you only get the chance to get together once or twice a year. You are looking for a way to keep up the conversation so you decide to form a community. I would of course suggest TheRetailTradeCenter as your platform and we will discuss the reasons (aside from the obvious that this is my business. ) in a later post.

OK, so you're off to a good start but to be effective you must appoint a moderator for the group. Many platforms, like ours, will offer to co-moderate with you. Once done a good starting place is to create a Wiki (I like PBWiki) that will serve as an agenda for the Group. This requires participation and that is precisely what has been the downfall of many a good group. No one steps up. So let me suggest that in order to be a member of THIS group, each participant MUST provide at least one form of training/sharing of content over the year. Each member is then asked to register their training/sharing topic on the Wiki and how/when they will provide it. This begins to take on the form of an un-conference.

This gives the group some substance! It also serves as an introduction for each member of the group; sharing who they are and what their specialties are. Members can then add others to their go-to list for ceratin topics and/or create direct links with them. This will also provide the group with a one year agenda and a structure so members can choose which topics interest them. Taking it a step further, you might also ask members to 'tag' on Del.icio.us any content they think the group might like to see that is related to an upcoming training/sharing session. You would simply agree to a tagging system so you could always find items tagged by this group.

And what if there are topics that some members would like to see but have not been posted? No problem, they can post their requests to the Wiki and see if anyone steps up or even allow the moderator to go out and find vendors or other outsiders to speak on the subject. This too becomes a 'whole nuther' use of groups.

By the way, we are building just such a group for the ICSC in TheRetailTradeCenter. Drop by over the next few weeks as we get things started. Or simply go create your own. I am always happy to help you get started! (ok another shameless plug but this is not an unbiased blogger)

Shopping is all about the 'find' and using a Wiki is another great 'find' by

Your Shopper Next Door

Where is the 'Point of Purchase' for Vendors?

Lee Kent — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:32:00 GMT

I have 1 question! How am i suppose to let people know what i have to offer, if nobody wants advertising anymore? OK, that does not sound right but i think you get it. I blogged some time ago about my purchase of Tivo because i too, like so many others, have opted not to watch the ads anymore. But we have to get our information somewhere in order to make informed decisions... don't we?

We in retail have found that our higher percentages of buying decisions are made at the shelf. So there has been new movement toward better shelf advertising through digital media. But, how does this concept apply to the rest of business? Where is the 'shelf' for the rest of us? The technology vendors, consultants, real estate people and anyone else who does not have a store that folks wander into?

I am sure you are ahead of me on this one and have already concluded that the correct answer is the Internet. Yes, that is true but.....and there is always a BUT. The internet is getting blasted these days also for too much advertising. People want the ads off their space, they want to get information on their own. So we, the vendors tried to hide our ads in case studies, white papers, webinars etc and that has worked to a point. But "the times they are a changin" and even these techniques are not tricking our 'street' savvy buyers anymore. They demand that we be authentic, transparent, honest etc and they can see right through our bull. So what now!

I promised I would help you understand the new world of social media and here is yet another of it's many ways...

Imagine for a moment that you are looking to buy consulting services related to loyalty programs. First you would bone up on the topic, google up who is writing about it, what webinars exist, sign up for a few, download some papers, and quite simply get yourself up to speed. That part is easy! Next comes the hard part..finding out which of the players are best for your situation. You can always call your old buddy, John and see what he has to say. It's beginning to look like a long process.

What if you could sign-in to a social network and ask a large group of people what they know? What if you could narrow that group to those interested in the same topic you are interested in, Loyalty? What if you could see what other conversations or exchanges have taken place about that topic? What if you could get candid information about some of the vendors in that space? and vendors.....What if you could be there? That is the ultimate opt-in advertising you can get! Or pretty doggone close!!!

Well, you can do this today and it is called Social Networking made available through social media, Web 2.0 platforms. It's not just for children anymore. It's for doing business.

Perhaps there is a network already in existence that focuses on your subject area. Or you may want to create your own group in places like LinkedIn, FaceBook or TheRetailTradeCenter. They all offer free services. It's time to jump in with both feet!!!

Thanks for stopping by;

The Shopper Next Door

Starting the conversation

Lee Kent — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:14:00 GMT

"If you want to truly understand the times, you need to be interacting with the rest of the world!" (Lee Kent 9/1/2008)

Sound ominous? It does to me and let me tell you why. Should you relate to any of what i have to say, then listen on and see how we might overcome this together.

Here it is in a nutshell...I'm shy! I know lots of people say that and those of you who know me can't believe this loud mouthed, loose tongued, no-nonsense person could make such a claim. So maybe shy is the wrong word. I am horrible at meeting people. I just don't know what to say or rather how to start the conversation. In my generation, little girls were taught to speak when spoken to...Yes, we've come a long way baby!

So how am i suppose to interact with the whole world if i can't start a conversation?

When I attend a networking function, I look for people I know and walk away from people I don't know. I come away with a few business cards but rarely do I call them and set up a follow up. I work at home so I don't get out often. I don't know how to talk anything but southern (long, detailed, and more than you want to know). Does any of this sound like you? Can you add a few things of your own? I could not call up a client and 'sell' them if my life depended on it!!! and oh yes, did I mention that I am an entrepreneur and my livelihood depends on selling!

Well, if you are anything like me or just interested in my story, pay attention. Here is what i discovered:

I do 'like' people though my actions seem to indicate otherwise
I want to meet people
I love my work but don't know how to make it interesting to others
I am transparent when you get to know me
I've always been better at talking 'at' people and not talking 'to' people
I love to espouse wisdom on my topic of passion, Shopping! oops I mean Retail.
I am a story teller (southern speak lends well to this)
and friends, i LOVE gadgets, tools and other such apps!

So where does this leave me? Aha! If you turn this list upside down, by George, i think it spells success. There are so many great tools available today that... allow people who love to tell stories, espouse wisdom, talk 'at' while still talking 'to', get your message across, meet more people and build trusted friendships with people you like so you can better understand the times that enable better business decisions without leaving home, having to start a conversation, do a follow up call or even sell! whew! This is called social media!

In the last several months, i have amassed 100s of new relationships by following this reasoning. I simply jumped into the conversation at Twitter (general top of mind), Friend Feed(threads of public interest), Face Book (personal), LinkedIn (professional), and TheRetailTradeCenter (retail). Then added tools like Del.icio.us, Stumble, Yoono (in beta), and Evernote, to help me manage all of it. Then make yourself a Lijit to allow search capability across all of it! Wow!

'Too much time' you say? 'I don't get it' you say? 'How does this help business' you say? 'Not so' I say!

Stay tuned to future posts to learn more. Admit it, some of this is very intuitive and you really DO 'Get it'! Now go out and Do it!

Thanks for Stopping by;

The Shopper Next Door

Let me Introduce Myself with Social Media

Lee Kent — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:57:00 GMT

Greetings from the Shopper next door!
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have been off exploring (another word for shopping) the world of social media and trying to figure out what it might mean to us in Retail. Aside from the obvious, advertising and brand building, how might this media impact the way you do business, who you do business with and the role of the customer. I discovered that this social media thing has many angles...

Let's start from an angle we all understand. Most of us would prefer to 'buy' based on the input we get from our trusted friends.. but how do we gain trusted friends? If you are reading me right now, have i become a trusted friend? Do you believe me yet? What will it take for you to believe me and add me to your trusted friend list? Let's start at the beginning and see if i become your friend by the end of this.

The first thing you may ask about me is, who is this person anyway? Is she qualified?

I invite you to take a look at my LinkedIn profile (social media) and you will see that i have over 30 years in Retail technology consulting and have worked with some of retails 'best in class'. I have held good titles and worked for prestigious firms. Go ahead and Link with me. I love new friends!

Ok, so that's great but that does not tell me how well she is regarded by her peers? Who are her peers anyway?

Again, LinkedIn (social media) is a great place to start in order to see who some of my friends are and if you know any of them. Maybe someone has even written an endorsement there. Then I invite you to visit TheRetailTradeCenter (social media) to see who has connected with me. And since I created TheretailTradeCenter (social media), take a look at some of the early adopters to see who some of my supporters are. Every new venture usually begins with the people who believe in you. (Early joiners to communities are usually found the furthest back.) I am happy to add you as a contact too!

But what about street cred? Does anyone else follow her that has anything to do with social media or retail?

This is when we dive into the social 'conversation' of Twitter, Friend Feed, Utterz, etc. (all social media) Here I invite you to visit my Twitter profile (social media) and check out who is following me. This is not for everyone but I will dive into some of the ways to use Twitter, FF, and Utterz in later posts. I belong to all of them. If you are inclined, Follow me!

Is she well read in the subjects she is talking about?

Check out my Blogroll (social media) for a start. You can find it on the left hand side of my main Blog page under "What I'm Reading." and believe me, i read it every day. More about that in a later post.

and finally, This is all great but do these people like her?

This is when i take you to FaceBook (social media). Though it is just starting to capture the adult world, FaceBook is more about personal relationships and not something you share with everyone you know. Do you perhaps see some of the same names in my FaceBook profile as you have seen in other places we have explored today?

So whether or not you have decided to trust me or add me to your trusted friend list, (I hope you have) you have now seen just the beginning of how social media can be used for business. Can you see some possible uses for social media in your job? Stay tuned to future posted to learn even more!

Thanks for stopping by;

The Shopper Next Door

Take 10 in your Atrium and Connect

Lee Kent — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

I will call this my Education phase for now and will focus on bringing you information that might help you better understand the concepts of social networking and how they might benefit you.

Let me begin with a little story that held a lot of 'in-site' for me. About a year or so ago, our Church went on a major capital fund raising campaign to build some additions to the Church. One would be a building for teens which would be located across the street from the main Church, next would be the tunnel that would allow access from the new building to the old building and, finally would be the Atrium which would be the large opening where the tunnel dumped everyone. OK, so this sounds nice but WOW, a tunnel under the street and an Atrium. What on earth for? Not to mention how expensive it would be. So i watched with trepidation as the money was raised and the building progressed.

I also listened because if all these people were willing to pour their money into this effort, it must have more to offer than i thought. The Atrium bothered me the most. I pictured something like our fellowship hall with linoleum floors, folding tables and chairs, a piano at the front etc. Why did we need another room like this?

Well,last week the Atrium opened! The bulletins preceding it reminded us to 'Take 10' and stop by the new area. Be sure to wear our name badges or order one if we didn't have one. It promised to be exciting and the area had been sealed off previously so we could not see anything that was going on.

Friends, i am here to tell you that this social networking apostle (that would be me) was sleeping on the job!! I had forgotten myself that social networking takes on all shapes and sizes and manifests itself in so many ways BUT the bottom line is...we all want to COMMUNICATE and we all want to find the CONVERSATION. That is exactly what happened at the grand opening of our Atrium!!!

It was SPECTACULAR! The Atrium looked like the lobby of a grand Hotel.They had food and coffee, relaxing chairs, a baby grand piano, flower arrangements and PEOPLE!!! Everyone was wearing name badges and sayinghello. I even had someone come up to me and introduce herself with.."I couldn't help but notice your yellow jacket!" (i of course was ecstatic and yellow is the It color) then she said, "because i have one just like it and i wanted to see how you were wearing it!" Needless to say, i met more people that day then i ever thought.

Why,because it was COMMUNITY. Sure a Church is suppose to BE community but if you don't allow community to happen, it doesn't! Get it!

That is why all the hype related to social networking and social media. They are the ways that allow community to happen! and then there's "What's in it for me?" In less than 5 minutes i met someone with a similar interest, we both love Anne Klein and her great yellow swing jacket! Whatever your fancy, you can find it if you find the right community,have an open mind, jump in the middle and, USE it!

After all, we like to buy from our friends, learn from our friends, share with our friends, trust our friends right? So let's MAKE more friends!

Thanks for stopping by;

The Shopper Next Door

Your homework:

Start making new friends by adding your old ones. Sign In to TheRetailTradeCenter.com and select 'Promote the Site' from the main menu. Send a message to 5 of your Retail minded friends. Ask them to join the Center and look you up to Add as Contact. Then let them know what is on your mind in the common areas for the Center.

What I Learned about Social Networking - Part II

Lee Kent — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

THE SHOPPER NEXT DOOR
Everything I know, I Learned While Shopping...

As i pointed out in my previous post, i went on a journey to learn all about social media so i could figure out what it might mean to us. My first reality was all the TOOLS! Widgets, Bligets, Lijits, apps, social networks, jott, twitter, del.icio.us, and the list goes on. And i will be doing a project focused on the tools to share it all with you.

This lead to my first take-away and that is our desire/need to COMMUNICATE! We want to find people who can help us and in turn, we will help them back. So i decided to begin with the people...but how do you find the people you need when you don't have any idea what you are after??? (whew..did you follow that?) What did i do, you ask? I went to the fastest growing social network, FaceBook, and started to query all kinds of key words then i followed the trail. As my networks began to grow and expand from one platform to the other, i settled on about 90 people that i follow with regularity but only about 5 have anything to do with Retail. Folks, i have to say that to be the industry in front of the consumer when the consumer wants to talk and communicate, it was hard to accept that we were not the leaders in this space. We've got some splaining to do!!! But i digress...i am here to begin identifyig the problem so we can address it. Right!

Like i said, i have met so many interesting people along the way and a few of them are worth a mention here. First i will have to give the most credit to two folks, Chris Brogan and Jeremiah Owyang. Their blogs, tweets, newsletters and podcasts have been the spring board from which i have sprung. I continue to follow them around like a puppy in order to pick up their crumbs and learn how to keep up with the game. and friends you would not beleive what a game is going on. I learn something new every day!

When was the last time you could say that you learned something new and, might i add, fun, EVERY SINGLE DAY? I discover and test new products/services, launch into new conversations with people i have never met before, add new apps to my site, all in an effort to somehow bring this back to better shopping for ME, oops i mean the customer. After all, you have my vested interest in mind. The least i can do is lay the ground work for you.

So off i went in search of the 'CONVERSATION' that related to Retail and, in particular, the better shopping experience, and what do you suppose i found? SILENCE!!!! yes, absolute and complete SILENCE!!! Sure i saw advertising, online store fronts, flat web sites that asked customers to tell their stories (this IS good brand building awareness though) but no 'conversation'. The folks that are out there conversing right now are sharing what they think of tools. They are writing about what they see work or not work. They are voicing their opinions. But most importantly, they are collaborating! As Jeremiah has alluded in several of his posts, the conversation is preempting the relevancy of the corporate web site. That was my para-phrase so hopefully Jeremiah will forgive me if i got it a little wrong.

The bottom line is that we in Retail need to jump in the game and thus in the 'conversation'. Not to sell our products and services or tell the masses what is on special today but rather to tap others of similar interests outside the company. To expand our collective intelligence. To learn what is possible. And most of all to learn something new EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Sincerely;

The Shopper Next Door

Your homework:

The way to find the conversation is to start the conversation and see where it goes. We have added a topic in the Lounge of TheRetailTradeCenter.com called 'What Has Your Interest'. Stop by there and post your comment then invite 2 friends to come join you at the Center and share their interests as relates to Retail. See if you can provide some thoughts to someone else's interest.

What I Learned about Social Networking - Part I

Lee Kent — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Hello followers! The Shopper Next Door has returned from a long sabbatical and hopefully has much to share with all of you. I know the blog platform at TheRetailTradeCenter.com is not the best for blogging but as soon as i can scrape up some moolah, i will be upgrading the Blog module of this Center. If you are so inclined to help me out, look for the Donate button on the Concierge page and make a kindly (generous ) donation. It will be much appreciated. In the mean time, i will continue to post blogs in both the Center and to my Corporate site.

Now to tell you about my quest. I went away to learn all about social media and to find the 'conversation'. Why, you might ask? What does that have to do with shopping? Well, actually, i was not really sure about that myself. (another reason i went on the journey) I thought that since i had created a social network for Retail, the least i could do was find out what it was all suppose to mean and do for all of us. I FOUND OUT PLENTY!!!

The first thing i found out is that there are a plethora (i am trying to use big words to keep my mind alert) of tools for social media and communication that are popping up on almost a daily basis. It is very hard to keep up with all of them but i intend to begin introducing some of them to you in my next project.

The key take-away from this is that everyone wants to communicate! We love that the internet has made it a smaller world and a world in which we need not venture out of doors but alas, we still long for personal relationship. We want to meet people we can talk to and get information from. We love connecting!

I'm going to steal a little from the concept of the book "The World is Flat" (by Thomas L. Friedman) only to say that while the 'progress of globalization' requires a 'leveling of the playing field', it need not require a 'leveling of the character'. Though Web 1.0 brought us the world, we could only see one side of each character. A step forward but still not far enough. Now with Web 2.0 and social media, we can finally see all sides and so characters are becoming round! This means they are more interesting, they allow for deeper relationship building, they allow for open candid conversation (you can say anything you want when the other person does not know where you live) and you can connect with people you may have thought unreachable.

So this is the beginning of social networking and a place to start understanding how to get in the game. To get in the game yourself, do our little homework assignment below and stay tuned for our next topic about the 'Conversation' i found.

Until next time;

Your Shopper Next Door...

Your homework:

Tell us about yourself through your profile at TheRetailTradeCenter.com then add a picture, comment on at least one other picture or forum and see if you can entice someone to connect with you! Watch yourself become round and the world unflatten.

they like me, they really like me!

Lee Kent — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:43:00 GMT

I have just returned from the Big Show in New York and i am still spinning from all the excitement i felt this year! The theme was "Set Retail in Motion" and believe me, you could feel the motion. The booths were   more   exciting as well as engaging and many of the topics were made to standing room only crowds! Now why do you suppose this is??? Well, i am anxious to share my opinion about this.

First off, i felt the confidence. For the first time in oh so many years, it seemed that the retailers had their sea legs on and were riding the current waves with confidence. They had done their homework! They were focused on their priorities! They wanted to learn! They were 'in motion' but looking 'beyond'.  And one of the truly great observations was that, they really do care about the customer! it almost brings tears to my eyes every time i think about it. They really do like ME! They like me so much that they have found out 40% of the time, what I am looking for is not on the shelf...and they want to fix this!!! They know that RFID goes beyond the supply chain and can really help me in certain areas. I would love to be able to pick up a pair of shoes, scan them and then be able to see if they are in my size, maybe another color, and what else do you have that is sort of like this and WOW, i can even request that they be brought to me. They know that the store experience is very much a part of the reason i have come there to shop. I didn't come because of some ad i saw, i came because i like to shop with you. and guess what, if i am passionate about you, i actually spend 60% of my pocketbook with you!

So how do they do all this? Well, retailers are still wrestling with the store infrastructure and how to build out the   platform that will enable them to delight their customers. They still think that ERP is not the answer but rather some form of an ERP vision that allows for best of breed in order to help them differentiate. They know that to be cost effective with greater needs for communication, this means creating devices with multiple functionality. like a wireless phone that is also a scanner and a walky-talky. and these same retailers are actually talking to vendors about what they want! A new day has dawned!

Hooray for '07! i can't wait to see where it takes us but i can't close without bringing up this last take-away. Icon-Nicholson, who i believe is right at the forefront of all things exciting in retail gave a presentation about the future of RFID. One of the key take-aways from this message (delivered by Rachael McBrearty) was that retailers should always assess initiatives from the customer's point of view!  Now doesn't that sound familiar to you? I call that the ME factor and they just proved ME right!

So,get out there and show your support to retailers everywhere! SHOP!
They really do like us!

Sincerely;
The Shopper Next Door

Oh what's a retail minded Diva to do?

Lee Kent — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 14:56:00 GMT

Technorati Profile

   As my following of readers knows, I love to shop and I firmly believe that everything I know, I learned while shopping! With this in mind, you no doubt are convinced that I am well qualified to talk to you about Retail! Did I also mention that I have an opinion, about EVERYTHING! Let me pontificate....

With the introduction of the WalMart factor and the 'find anything at the best price on the internet' factor, cost has been removed from the equation and brand distinction has become everything. The problem is, our latest information about consumers is saying that they still don't see the differentiation. Now we know some retailers are doing a great job of this and really always have. Let's look at Trader Joe's (can't wait to see them in Atlanta) and Whole Foods (or whole paycheck re: Brian Kilcourse). These are great examples of 'what TO do'. Unfortunately not everybody gets it and we have to ask the question 'WHY'?

As one with an answer, oops I mean opinion, about everything, let me share some thoughts.

FACT: As mentioned in a previous Blog, retail leaders with a strong sense of technology are emerging on top
FACT: Technology is needed to help the 'buying' process (that would be the customer) more so than the 'selling'
FACT: Thus getting to IT decisions faster, is a powerful trend
FACT: Or retailers will lose market share in their own markets. (When Coach thinks The Apple Store is their biggest competition, what does that bring to mind about 'buy side' technology???)
FACT: Innovative solutions are harder to find since Oracle and SAP are trying to eliminate the competition

So what do we do about this? Yes, i say 'WE' because without you retailers, I can't shop!

First off, retailers need access to technology. They need to be able to research alternatives, build business cases, understand impact and the total cost of ownership long before a new project can be approved. To do this they need to know who is out there with what offerings, they need to talk to other retailers without the risk of divulging their company secrets, and they need to have access to vendors without the threat of additional sales calls, before the sales cycle has even begun. This is called 'gaining confidence' and retailers need this to build their strategies.

OK, and what about the vendor? The vendors are concerned about the playing field right now and what the activities of Oracle and SAP might mean to them. They are having more and more difficulty reaching retailers to get their messages in front of them at a time that the retailer is ready to listen.  They are not sure what retailers are buying, how and from whom.

With all that in mind, let me introduce you to a new concept..TheRetailTradeCenter.  As an advocate to the retail industry (remember I can't shop if the retailers don't exist), I believe it is in my best interest to help them resolve this pain and gain the brand differentiation our 'bored' consumers are complaining about. Hence, TheRetailTradeCenter, a brain child of a true retail-minded diva (sorry Cathy, it just seemed to fit!). The kind that dreams up ways to keep shopping front and center of her life! Bring the mountain to Mohammad, so to speak.

All kidding aside, we are happy to announce this first of it's kind, Retail Technology Social Exchange and to let you know that it is coming soon. Like, later this month. If you would like to read a little more about it, visit the 'Place Holder' web site at www.TheRetailTradeCenter.com. It's going to be as easy as 'My Space' to use and purports to be the place that will bring technology to retailers.

How's that for a ME Factor point scorer!

Sincerely:

The Shopper Next Store

and the retailer is stepping up to the plate...

Lee Kent — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 15:05:00 GMT

  While attneding last weeks ALEx conference (Annual Leaders ExChange put on by RILA, Retail Industry Leadership Association) i got to see the glimmer of a new face for retail. Now THAT sounds DEEP doesn't it?

We began the event as usual with a CEO roundtable complete with interactive devices for audience participation. (This is a very cool thing to add to any meeting, btw, as it actually gives the audience feedback from every member in the room on the given topic pr polling question.) This audience was asked what their #1 concern this year has been.  The amazing response was overwhelmingly Health Care!!!

Yes, retailers have turned the corner and are now viewing their organizations as major corporations that need to attract and retain excellent people. As was pointed out in yet another round table conversation, the 7% overall gain we have seen in retail this year; dispite gas prices, credit card rate increases, the housing market decline,   and yes, war; has been largely due to a strong, visionary, tech savvy management team who values good people and respects their customers! WOW, i said!!! Retail has come of age.

It has not been enough that retail and the extended retail industry (that includes consumer goods and distribution) has provided bizzillions of jobs to bizzillions of people (don't quote me on those numbers Retail is finally recognizing and demanding recognition from others that our industry is not just about the minimum wage employees who execute the plan, it is about the talent in the organization that creates the vision and can build a plan for minumum wage employees to execute successfully. One of our panelist made a comment i really liked when he said that successful people in our industry must be able to speak in the 18 dialects of the customer. Now that takes talent!

Retailers have to get it right these days or they will not make it. The game is hard and fast. The real players will be embracing technology from the top down, they will be looking for the kind of talent they have never looked for before, they are stepping up to the plate to look beyond just merchandising. and of course, they must develop a brand that connects to the customer's lifestyle. So of course we have come all the way back to my favorite topic, ME! It is all about ME, the shopper next door. I think we may be getting surprisingly   close to adopting my ME Factor approach! What do you think????

Sincerely;
The Shopper Next Door

Turn on the lights, it's show time!

Lee Kent — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 15:59:00 GMT

I attended a CIO roundtable last spring where the following question was thrown to a panel of CIO's:
How do you think your company perceives the role of the CIO today? (or something like that ) One of the CIO's responded that unfortunatley the role is perceived as 'the guy who keeps the lights on'. Pretty sad but i know exactly what he meant. (Ken )

The IT role in many retail organizations has yet to move beyond the perception of a service arm and into the strategic role that it truly is. But all that is for another discussion. The picture that came to my mind when that comment was made was that of a large server box with cables running into it like spagetti and the CIO caught up in all the spagetti, strapped to the box. The last cable was being droped from a big black hole above (with a snakes head)and upon contact, the lights went out! Now, hows that for a vivid imagination? The problem is that it is true. So many retail organizations are constanlty sitting in the dark and the CIO is tied to the box so he/she really can't help.

So what do we do? Well i for one listen to Nikki Baird (Forrester) so when i had access to one of her free presentations about Trends in Store Mobility, i jumped on it. (presented by Intermec..we must give credit where credit is due). Nikki of course pontificated on how technology can bring rich information to the consumer. (We love that. It scores big in ME Factor, ChaChing pts). She reminded us of the access to intel that retailers have today both through business intelligence as well as through online and in-store patterns.  She showed us what some of those apps are but then she reminded us that much of this technology is being embraced very slowly. whoa is me.

Tell me, why would a retailer who has seen the numbers (and they are real) that show 73% of buying decisions are made at the shelf.;throw in the fact that retailers and suppliers argue a good bit over how well their ad dollars are being spent; And then add to the mix that we are seeing an average of 15% more sell thru using in-store media (thanks again Nikki). Why oh why are they embracing this slowly? No one watches ads anymore but we still need to know stuff that we don't already know that will help us make decisions.

Of course i do know part of the reasons why retailers are not using the information they have access to, why they are not embracing technology, etc. It has a lot to do with the spagetti architecture that sits at the store level today. What do they tackle first? Clean up the mess or add new technology? And if they add new technology how many years wil that last before they have to rip all that out and start over? These are good questions and we have lots of brains out there in retail technology land so i remain hopeful that someone will develop the 'retail stack' but that alas, is fodder for another chat.

The thing is, doing nothing is NOT the answer. Retailers really need to just turn the lights on! Decide who they want to be and, to coin an already much used term, Just Do It! (thanks Nike)  or at least, Just Do Something! Lets look at Bloomingdales (we all know how much i like to shop there, thanks Amber). Whether it was their intention or not, their loyalty program is what drives their business. No need for more technology right now (other than getting the twenty-somethings out of the brochures that they send to me ). I shop there and at Chicos (sorry i missed your presentation Gary King) because they basically make it seem that THEY are paying ME to do so. What a concept! ChaChing, top score on the ME Factor scale!

So retailers everywhere, the time is now and the word is 'go for it'. Decide what you want to be when you grow up and it all starts when you turn on the lights and KEEP THEM ON!

Yous Truly:
The Shopper Next Store

You've Got to Capture My Attention...SomeHow!

Lee Kent — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 17:45:00 GMT

  Friday was my Birthday!  (way cool and btw, Happy Birthday to Ron Griffin too, my twin brother of different mothers) And for my birthday i finally did it! What you ask??? I broke down and bought TIVO! So, what's the big deal?

As much as i enjoy proving myself right, alas i am right again at the expense of the customer.   Yet another industry has demonstarted that they just don't get it! We, that's the papal 'we' for all of us cusomers, don't really care which network our favorite show comes on. I for one, don't even know which channel is which network anyway. 'We' simply want to be able to turn on the TV and see our shows, So what were they thinking when they decided to put two of my top ten against each other? (Grey's Anatomy vs CSI) I can tell you what they were NOT thinking about...ME! Big Mistake! Where was the ME factor in that decision? I could have told them it would be WAY in the ClaClunk points. So I, like many before me, have gone the way of TIVO.

Maybe i have found my solution but the thing that bothers me most is that i am now creating a new problem for retailers and their suppliers. I will no longer be watching the ads.  Ok, maybe this is no great loss if they are not telling me anything new or if i have already made up my mind about what to buy but there is the missed opportunity of telling me things that i don't already know. Yes, there are things that i don't know! For example without an AutoZone ad (catch this Ken Brame    I might not know that when the 'Check Engine' light comes on, i can take my car to AutoZone and they will tell me what is wrong FOR FREE! How will AutoZone put this message in front of potential customers now?

During the recent Global POS and Store Operations Summitt, we all learned how David's Bridal (thanks Veronica Smith-Katz) is doing just this. They are forming partnerships and alliances with other retailers. Did you know that David's can help you select flowers, plan your honeymoon, book a band? They can even help you pick restaurants (thanks also Veronica for my Birthday dinner, used your coupon)  David's is able to offer all of this becasue they have partnered with other retailers to showcase products and srevices that complement their business and that hlep thier customers (did you hear that, ChaChing 200pts) have the best wedding expereince they can have!

Retailers, it's time to put on your thinking caps too.   If some 73% of buying decisions are being made at the shelf, or in your store, how might you use this information to enhance 'your' customer's shopping expereince too???

Yours Truly:

The Shopper Next Door

Introducing the ME Factor

Lee Kent — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:17:00 GMT

While shopping for my fashionable yet comfortable, rubber soled shoes (not an oxy-moron) to wear to the Global POS and Store Operations Summit in Vegas Sept 13-15, I had a thought! Are retailers really thinking about ME when they change their stores or add new technology? Take for example the new ATM system at my bank. I can’t do multiple things in one transaction anymore! What were they thinking! And here’s another favorite…my number one shopping hole, Bloomingdale’s (Atlanta, Perimeter), decided to drop their petite professional lines such as Ellen Tracy, Dana Buchman, and Anne Klein(I’m 5’2”). I love to shop so of course I spend major $$$ (ChaChing, J) there every year. Am I a ‘Premier’ customer? Yes. Did they notify me? No. Did they offer me any alternatives? No. And did I mention that I LOVE to shop? BIG mistake!

Need I say that I arrived in Las Vegas a bit skeptical. So, you can imagine my surprise that the buzz at the Summit was clearly customer, customer, and customer. (Happy dance, all is not lost. They really do care about ME!) So where’s the disconnect? Aha! The people in attendance at the Global POS Summit were store operations people. Of course they are thinking about the customer. Case in point, going back to my Bloomingdales story; After the petite fiasco, since I no longer was shopping at Bloomingdale’s, I was passing through the store when I happened on one of the floor managers. I told her my story and she asked what they could do to win my business back. Yes, there is restitution! After negotiating complete alterations services, I have returned to the Bloomingdale’s fold. But this does not fix the problem now does it?

‘It is all about the customer!’ may be the mantra of retail but are they really listening? Was FaceBook listening when they ran ads on their site and outraged their customers! Now don’t get me wrong, many of these customers were not outraged by the ads themselves but rather that ‘their’ space had been invaded. You see, the customer has come to believe that their ‘space’ is personal while the corporation is thinking, another revenue stream. NOT! Isn’t this the same disconnect we see in retail? The customer has come to think that the shopping experience is personal while the retailer above the store level thinks they are still controlling the business. It’s time we all got on the same page and I don’t know about you but, my money is on the customer.

As recently as a decade or two ago, retailers WERE still in charge. They could dictate the shopping experience; tell shoppers how to buy and where to buy. All of this has changed. The customer is in the driver’s seat now, the internet has leveled the playing field, WalMart has taken price out of the equation and retailers have to figure out how to stay in the game. All this change is expensive if not daunting and since it is in MY best interest to help them see the light (did I mention that I shop a lot J), I have come up with a new strategy for retailers to follow for every project to ensure that I am at the top of their minds. Let’s use a new ranking system that begins by assigning Customer Impact Points aka the ME Factor to everything.

Let’s say the retailer is thinking of putting in a new coupon based loyalty program; so how might this work? To gain my attention for a loyalty program, I am likely already shopping there. With me so far? Maybe it is because Amber knows me by name (she does, ChaChing J 100pts) and treats me like a queen with her undivided attention (she does, ChaChing J 100pts). I am now well positioned for the loyalty program. I sign up and receive mailings with coupons (ChaChing, J 100pts). Oh boy! A shopping spree! Let’s see what is on sale or just arrived? Still with me, because here comes the clincher? I look at the brochure and unfortunately it is full of 20-something fashion (ClaClunk, L 100pts) which I am NOT. The coupons never make it to my purse and I never make it to the store (ClaClunk, L 200pts). Who just lost out?

So here’s my suggestion and challenge. Let’s help retailers help ME, oops I mean help themselves, (whichever) by assigning ME Factors to all product and service offerings. Do you sell technology to retailers? Do you know what your ME Factor is? You should and if you can’t come up with one directly, it might be time to look at partnerships or alliances that do! If you aren’t sure, pass your story to me and I will gladly tell you what I think! Did I mention that I love to shop? J

Yours Truly:

The Shopper Next Door