Our indie retailers are being hunted by four major forces:
Amazon
Big-box stores
Brands (selling direct)
Zola
While we've known about Amazon and big-box stores for some time, they are becoming more sophisticated. Amazon is so powerful now that it's the focus of anti-trust inquiries by the government. Big-box stores are spending millions on their digital operations.
Bridge's goal is to give indie stores great software that reverses the gains being made by these forces.
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That is the question my family posed to me last night during our more-frequent FaceTime conversations.
With the passing Labor Day weekend, students entering their in-person or online school year, and the ending of a strange summer season during a global pandemic, people are looking forward to a time that can bring spirit and happiness to the darkness: the holidays.
But how holly and jolly will this holiday season be in terms of shopping? After all, the holidays are notorious ...
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What can indie stores learn from hotels? Sell now, redeem later. Hotels are selling gift cards and future stays at a discount—sometimes up to 33% off. Your store can likewise sell $100 gift cards for $66. Lesson: Do what it takes to get the money today.
I also recommend offering a gift card subscription service. Your customer pays, for example, $80 per month and you send it a $100 gift card. This brings in recurring revenue.
Many businesses are struggling during the state-mandated shelter-in-place orders. One industry that is weathering the storm well is technology. Technology companies often deliver services digitally, which obviously makes them ideal to side-step these orders--but they often utilize another feature that makes them profitable now and in general: subscriptions.
Scott Galloway, a business leader and host of an online business class called 'The Sprint,' recently brought to my attention the ...
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Zola is offering 20% off. Are you? To be competitive, you may have to discount products like Zola.
Your Bridge Store allows you to put items on sale, as well as offer coupon and discount codes.
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Thursday, March 12, 2020
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Joseph Ribkoff Trunk Show at Cheeks Tomorrow (Thursday)!
Joseph Ribkoff Trunk Show at Cheeks this Thursday, March 12th from 10am - 7pm at the Squirrel Hill location, 5873 Forbes Ave.
* Meet The Joseph Ribkoff Rep⠀⠀
* $100 Gift Certificate Drawing⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* One Day Only Discounts⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* Gift With Purchase
Stop in!
Join Cheeks At The Boutique Warehouse Sale, March 6-7!
Cheeks is participating in the Third Annual Warehouse Sale this Friday (9am-5pm) and Saturday (9am-3pm). The affair takes place at 6401 Penn Avenue in East Liberty, the Trader Joes shopping plaza, in the building next to Staples. 7 diverse Boutiques will offer major discounts on past seasons of clothing, shoes, lingerie, fine home goods, and wellness products. PieBird will also be on hand offering delicious pies.
Organizers are ...
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What is killing retail? Austan Goolsbee, a University of Chicago economics professor, shares three factors other than the Internet affecting retail including: big-box discount stores, a shrinking middle class, and shoppers preferring ‘services’ over tangible things.
I found this except interesting:
“In 1920, Americans spent more than half their income on food (38 percent) and clothing (17 percent) and almost all of that was through traditional retail stores. ...
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February 6, 2020
February 6, 2020
Join us on Saturday, March 7 for our Bridal Brunch! We are celebrating bridal registries past, present, and future with specials from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
Discounts will be offered on wedding registries and registry completion. Enjoy brunch and champagne while you shop.
Know anyone recently engaged? We would love to meet them. All are welcome!
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February 1, 2020
February 1, 2020
NEW YORK SHOW SPECIALS!
Take Advantage Of Our Specials During The New York Show, Sunday, Feb 2nd - 5th
Get 15% freight cap! and additional 10% discount on any regular item orders over $850!
Total shippable merchandise must be equal or greater than $850
1933 S. Broadway, LA Mart #800 Los Angeles CA 90007 - Tel: 800-752-7576
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January 14, 2020
January 14, 2020
Take Advantage of our specials during the Atlanta Show Jan 14 to 21 - 2020.
- Get 15% Freight Cap! And An Additional 10% Discount On any Orders Over $750! -
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Target now sources 80% of its online orders from stores, not warehouses, shares the Wall St. Journal.
Stores have less foot traffic (foot traffic to U.S. stores fell about 6.2% on Black Friday ) and more online shopping (online sales reached $7.4 billion on Black Friday, up from $6.2 billion last year), forcing stores to convert 'floor' employees into roles dealing with e-commerce and shipping. "At the Brooklyn store around 80 workers handle internet orders, collecting products from shelves or...
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October 25, 2019
October 25, 2019
From which store would you shop, the one offering free 2-day shipping or the one charging $105 for standard delivery?
The first one, of course. Which leads us to the rules your store needs to follow:
Rule #1: Do NOT seek to break even on shipping Rule #2: Seek to LOSE money on shipping!
Most retailers share with me their fear about losing money on shipping. What ends up happening? They end up losing: the entire sale. What about that $1,000 Herend order? The store is less likely to get it because it'...
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October 22, 2019
October 22, 2019
How can you prepare for Black Friday / Cyber Monday? Here's a checklist:
1. 'Seed the sale' by telling customers to expect deals. "Promote sales, promote sales, promote sales," said Sucharita Kodali, principal analyst of e-business and channel strategy at Forrester. "It's the number one thing that shoppers look for during the holidays." (Source: Retail Dive)
You can do this via posts on Bridge and social media.
2. Craft an irresistible offer.
3. Organize your upcoming sales / discounts. You can do ...
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September 24, 2019
September 24, 2019
Don’t miss this chance to take advantage of great discounts!! This Thursday!!
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September 20, 2019
September 20, 2019
Join us please!! Great discounts on everything you need before the holidays!!
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September 5, 2019
September 5, 2019
Enjoy 20% off select Vietri products as part of our Holiday pre-sale (Old St. Nick, Ornaments, Perla Natale, and Ucello Rosso). Discount to be applied at checkout, no promo code necessary.
GET YOUR ITEMS PERSONALIZED BY VIETRI FOUNDER, SUSAN GRAVELY. At checkout, add what you would like personalized on your products by Susan herself in the "Custom Message" field.
Stores that offer convenience and deals are winning, shares today’s WSJ. Sales at Walmart, Target, and T.J. Maxx are up while they’re murky at Macy’s, J.C. Penny, and Nordstrom. Just offering deals isn’t enough, nor is just offering next-day delivery. A store is going to have to accept smaller margins via deals and convenience offerings. The alternative is: join Macy’s with its 50% stock drop.
Nordstrom’s sales are down 5% and profit fell about $20m.
Kohl’s, which has a partnership with Amazon, ...
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August 8, 2019
August 8, 2019
I read the New York Times and want to ask: Are we sharpening our executioner's sword? That is what FedEx wondered as it helped Amazon grow by delivering its packages. Finally, FedEx woke up and decided it's better to make less money tomorrow than help usher in its death in the near future. As the Times reports, FedEx is terminating its ground delivery agreement with Amazon at the end of August, thereby passing on the delivery of millions of packages.
Amazon has historically partnered with ...
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