STORES Magazine - March 2009 - (Page 18)

trEnDS Cut It Out fullprice/markdown THERE’S nothing like economic necessity to move consumers beyond LL FU ICE the shackles of self-consciousness – PR in this case, easing their reservations about clipping and using coupons. Nearly 57 percent of survey respondents who admitted they were self-conscious about redeeming coupons at the grocery store six months ago now say that they no longer feel awkward about pulling out their coupons as long as they’re saving money. The research, conducted by Toronto-based ICOM Information & Communications, found that 43 percent of shoppers claim to be using more coupons than they were six months earlier. Particularly noteworthy is the shift among consumers 35 years and younger. Twenty-six percent of these shoppers used to feel embarrassed and ill at ease at the prospect of handing over coupons, but they’re over it now, thanks to the savings they’re pocketing. & RETAIL HITS MISSES A Bag with Bounce and Benefits IF YOU think reusable shopping L bags are all the same, think again. FUL ICE Its-laS-tik bags are made out of PR Sending Out an S.O.S. FIRST impressions can make all the difference when it comes to landing a job. But for financially challenged women attempting to enter or re-enter the workforce, buying an “interview suit” often just is not possible. That’s why Dress Barn is continuing its commitment to helping women put their best foot forward with its S.O.S. — Send One Suit — weekend. Last month the Suffern, N.Y.-based company partnered with Dress for Success for a weekend-long event to collect gently-used career apparel from customers. Shoppers were encouraged to donate one new or nearly-new interview suit. This marks the eighth consecutive year that Dress Barn has partnered in this event. More than 200,000 suits and separates have been donated by Dress Barn customers during the previous seven years. Donations are distributed to more than 60 Dress for Success affiliates, providing more than 31 percent of their annual suiting needs. L FUL ICE PR 18 STORES / MARCH 2009 spandex and stretch to hold twice as much as a plastic bag. Another benefit of the springy spandex fabric is that it mimics the bounce in a person’s step, allowing a shopper to double the load of the bag with less shoulder and back stress. Produced by a small company called what’s ur bag, its-laS-tiks are made in a New Orleans factory destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and rebuilt by survivors. Five percent of the profit from the sale of the bags goes to Hope House, a local charity that helps the homeless. The bags come in a variety of sizes, colors and patterns, each named with a bit of New Orleans flair. Among the choices: Big Easy, Bourbon Street and Garden District. Nielsen Suspends PRISM BLAME the economy for Nielsen’s decision to RK suspend the PRISM Data System for measuring MA N audiences and gauging the effectiveness of inDOW store marketing. The service, which began as a pilot in 2007, had the potential to give in-store marketers an audience measurement system similar to those used for television and radio. It was also expected to measure “closure rates” — a metric which indicates the proportion of shoppers exposed to instore marketing who actually purchased goods from a specific category. Experts saw the writing on the wall when Wal-Mart, an original backer of the effort, said it would not participate in the national rollout, citing the current economic environment as a factor. Sadly, this was a project with a great deal of potential — and one that will likely be difficult to restart once the economy turns around. WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - March 2009

STORES Magazine - March 2009 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Movers and Spenders What Shoppers Think Take Your Laundry Online 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Luxury for Less Q & A CONCEPT2WATCH Checkout Management Online Entrepreneurs Sustainability POS Online Strategy Online Scheduling SaaS Online Marketing Merchandise Security PCI Compliance LPinformation Supplier Directory Exception Reporting Industry Perspective Theft Research LOEB Retail Letter ARTS Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar End Cap

STORES Magazine - March 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.