Let’s throw it way back to 1603 to the origin of two words that have had a big impact on commerce in the last 400 years or so: caveat emptor or buyer beware. As legend has it, a man named Chandelor bought a bezoar stone for £100 because the seller claimed it had healing properties—it …
Consumer intelligence from the only source that matters: Consumers Read More »
In the early days of the pandemic, a phrase started getting tossed around: the COVID-15. As we—and we’re speaking collectively here—burrowed into our couches and our beloved sports equipment sat to gather dust, we embraced hibernation with more vigor for snacks and drinks than normal, and for some of us, the weight started creeping on. …
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In Los Angeles, there’s a wholesale merchandise liquidator called Via Trading—where product misfits are given a second life. You get the idea if you’ve ever seen the A&E show Extreme Unboxing. People bid on pallets of returned merchandise, hoping to resell valuable products for profit as they weed through tons of broken and unsalvageable items. …
For many brands, creating the initial business concept is the easy part. A bright idea – that most often fills a void – comes into the mind of the founder, and a business is born. Look at Phil Knight, creator of Nike. If you’ve read Shoe Dog, you’ll know the story—but here’s the CliffNotes version. …
Back in 1981, just as he was beginning his presidency, Ronald Regan appointed Mark Fowler as the new head of the Federal Communications Commission. This appointment spearheaded a political movement that would eventually lift advertising regulations that had been in effect since the 1950s. Deregulation opened the floodgates, and a new form of product marketing …
With Christmas just a week away, it’s gift-buying crunch time. But this year, low inventory levels for some products are turning even the most enthusiastic of shoppers a little bit Grinchy. The current supply chain disruption proves that a single glitch in the production or movement of goods can have ripple effects across the globe. …
This article first appeared on forbes.com on November 23, 2021. The choked supply chain is driving both inventory and pricing problems, and it couldn’t come at a worse time as we head into the fourth quarter. This is when, typically, brands rely on the holiday season to power consumer spending, raising all ships, including the …
This article, written by Paul Kirwin, originally appeared on Forbes.com on September 14, 2021. Retailers have been facing constant change for the past decade, and that pace has only accelerated since Covid-19 struck. The rate of e-commerce penetration in the U.S. grew by 10 years in 90 days in 2020, reaching around 33%, according to …
Let’s throw it back to the 1983 holiday season for a moment. A new toy had arrived on the scene, and baby, it caused a storm! Xavier Roberts’ Cabbage Patch Kids debuted that year, and by November, they were in such high demand, and the supply was so scarce, that riots broke out in stores …
By now, you may have heard us talk about the 85/15 split. What we mean by this is that retailers who rely on reviews solely from their brand.com are only accessing 15% of the review landscape. And this is problematic. At a time when an epic battle between supply and demand is underway, brands have …
