ETD: 694 How do shoppers shop?; Father’s Day Spending
Edges Out Mother’s Day; Privacy Vs. Internet Piracy
; Consumers Opened Wallets in May; In Europe, 2 Sides to Weak Dollar
E-Tailer's Digest
etd_post@gapent.com
Thu, 12 Jun 2003 07:37:23 -0400
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E-Tailer's Digest --- Everything for the Retailer
Issue #0694 June 12, 2003
George Matyjewicz, Moderator mailto:georgem@gapent.com
Published by: GAP Enterprises, Ltd. http://www.etailersdigest.com
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CONTENTS
[1] Greetings
[2] How do shoppers shop?
[3] Father=92s Day Spending Edges Out Mother=92s Day
----- ---- --- -- -> Important Offer <- -- --- ---- ---- --
[4] Privacy Vs. Internet Piracy
[5] Consumers Opened Wallets in May
[6] In Europe, 2 Sides to Weak Dollar
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[1] Greetings.
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Hi All:
Father's Day in the US is Sunday. And spending this years is predicted to=
=20
be more than on Mother's Day (see 3 below). Are you ready?
How do folks shop? Is it price? Service? Uniqueness? What do you think?=
=20
(see 2 below)
I will be exhibiting at the International IIA conference in Las Vegas from=
=20
June 21-24. If anybody is in the area, stop by for a visit. And, I sure=
=20
could use some special reports. Anybody have something they would like to=
=20
share? 1,500 - 2,500 words and we will make it a special issue, and it=20
will remain at our site for posterity.=20
http://etailersdigest.com/resources/Specials/ And we do get a lot of=20
visitors, like yesterday, when I got this note:
"I always like reading Mr. Dale Minard's articles. Please give him my=20
best. He is a solid business person who understands both retail and=20
wholesale needs."
-Jon Weiglin
-Retired President and COO of the LA Mart
That note was as a result of "Smaller is Better" at=20
http://etailersdigest.com/resources/Specials/Smaller_Better.htm
Now, let's get to everything for the retailer.
Sincerely
Dr. George Matyjewicz
Chief Global Strategist, GAP Enterprises, Ltd.
mailto:georgem@gapent.com
http://www.etailersdigest.com
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[2] How do shoppers shop?
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Sunday is Father's Day in the U.S. (see 2 below). Time to hit the discount=
=20
stores and get dad a tie or short, eh? According to the NRF, consumers=20
will spend more on Dad this year, then on Mom for Mother's Day. Which got=
=20
me to thinking. What effort do you spend buying a gift for a loved=20
one? Do you wait until the last minute, or do you really plan? Since my=20
kids were younger, I taught them to take their time buying presents and to=
=20
find something really special for that special person. As a result, over=20
the years, buying presents has been an exciting, fun experience - sourcing=
=20
(sussing for our English members) out something special. It keeps you=20
thinking all year, and makes you observe that special person to really find=
=20
a unique present.. How about you? What do you do?
Online, the theme seems to be to search globally, but shop=20
locally. Visitors search for particular products online, then try to find=
=20
a store near them where they can buy. I was keynote speaker at a giftware=
=20
trade show in Dallas, where an independent retailer ("mom & pop") shared an=
=20
interesting experience. A new customer came in to her store, and bought=20
$250 of specific items. Since she did not know this new customer, she=20
asked questions. The customer said they were looking for particular items,=
=20
searched online, then found her store, which was less than a mile from home.
There are a number of shopping bots online where visitors search for a=20
particular item and the bot will bring up the stores that carry the items=20
and the prices. That's been very common for computers, and now seems to be=
=20
common with most all retail items.
When you see stores like WalMart, who offer great prices, and service, it=20
is difficult to compete. Independent retailers make up 70% of all=20
retailers in the US, and more in other countries. So what do they=20
do? Selling unique items seems to be one choice. Shoppers are always=20
looking for that unique present that you can't find at discounters. And,=20
as we all know, the markup is higher for unique items, so we can still make=
=20
money. What kind of unique items do you sell?
Finally, I see that even celebrities are getting into the unique=20
items. Pamela Anderson now has a wake up service, where she will call you=
=20
every morning at specific times. You can even send somebody a birthday=20
wish from Pam. http://celebritywakeup.com
Let's hear about your experiences.
George
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[3] Father=92s Day Spending Edges Out Mother=92s Day
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According to the National Retail Federation's (NRF) 2003 Father=92s Day=20
Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch for NRF,=20
the average consumer plan to spend an average of $99.65. By comparison, the=
=20
average consumer spent $97.37 this year on Mother=92s Day. In the three=
years=20
the survey has been conducted, this is the first time consumers planned to=
=20
spend more on Father=92s Day than Mother=92s Day.
From dinner to DVDs and from ties to tools, dads can expect a wide range=20
of gifts this Father=92s Day. This year, 20.2 percent of consumers plan to=
=20
give their dad clothing, while nearly 15.0 percent plan to give him home=20
improvement or gardening tools or appliances. Additionally, 13.9 percent=20
plan will give dad a gift certificate and 12.4 percent will buy books or=20
CDs. Many consumers also plan to take their fathers out to eat (22.5%) and=
=20
get him a card (44.9%).
=93Dads are notoriously hard to shop for, but this year consumers are going=
=20
out of their way to find their fathers a gift that shows how much he means=
=20
to them,=94 said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. =93Consumers are=20
continuing to demonstrate that, despite their caution, they=92ll spend their=
=20
hard-earned money on what=92s most important to them=97and no one wants to=
=20
skimp on dad.=94
The study also found that women will spend more money than men on the=20
holiday, with the average woman planning to spend $101.38, compared to men,=
=20
who will spend an average of $70.89. (Many women will be purchasing gifts=20
for both fathers and husbands.) Consumers aged 25-44 lead Father=92s Day=20
spending, with the average person in that age group planning to spend over=
=20
$130 on the holiday.
Discounters should see enhanced sales this holiday, with 35.9 percent of=20
consumers planning to purchase Father=92s Day gifts from a discount=
retailer.=20
Additionally, 30.1 percent of consumers plan to spend at a department store=
=20
and 24.5 percent will spend at a specialty retailer. Also, 12.0 percent=20
plan to shop for their Father=92s Day gift online.
Details at...
http://www.nrf.com/content/default.asp?folder=3Dpress/release2003&file=3Dfat=
hersday0603.htm&bhcp=3D1
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[4] Privacy Vs. Internet Piracy
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The Recording Industry Association of America says it hasn't decided what=20
to do with the names it won last week in a bitter court battle over=20
Internet piracy.
Internet provider Earthlink, under subpoena, agreed to reveal a customer's=
=20
identity after last week's ruling. Verizon is continuing to appeal the case.
Under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, copyright holders can send=
=20
cease-and-desist letters to Internet providers when subscribers are=20
discovered sharing unauthorized material. The RIAA says the law also allows=
=20
access to infringers' identities by filing a subpoena, without first=20
obtaining a judge's order. Verizon disagrees.
According to Ohio State law professor Peter Swire, Verizon's loss "will be=
=20
a terrible blow for privacy. ISPs will be flooded with legitimate and=20
illegimate claims, and there's no due process."
But the record labels, beset by slumping sales and frustrated in their=20
attempts to close down online swap services such as Kazaa, with tens of=20
millions of users, have begun chasing individuals aggressively. The RIAA=20
recently settled lawsuits against four college students for $12,500 to=20
$17,500 each.
Details at...
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/21683.html
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[5] Consumers Opened Wallets in May
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New York - The American consumer increased spending 1.5 percent during May=
=20
compared with the same month the year before, according to the Goldman,=20
Sachs retail composite index. The index compares sales of stores open at=20
least a year. The leading gainer was The Gap, which posted a 10% sales=20
increase. Other retailers with positive gains were Costco, 4.0%; Nordstrom,=
=20
3.4%; JCPenney, 3.2%; TJX, 3.0%; Wal-Mart, 2.1%; and Target, 0.7%. Sears,=20
Federated, Kohl's, and Saks all reported declining same-store sales=20
results, ranging from 0.1% (Kohl's) to 1.9% (Sears). The picture looks even=
=20
rosier for June, which is traditionally a better month for many retailers.=
=20
A rise in consumer confidence (the second highest in the last seven=20
months), low interest rates, the tax cut, and signs of a recovering economy=
=20
should contribute to increased retail spending.
In another note, some 36 percent of Americans are using cash more today=20
than they did a year ago. The reason? Almost half say they are concerned=20
about adding to their credit card debt. =97 American Demographics magazine.
Quinn Halford, Editor In Chief
Matthew Kalash, Editor
Gifts & Dec Direct
http://www.giftsanddec.com
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[6] In Europe, 2 Sides to Weak Dollar
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The point is that retailers like Pinault-Printemps-Redoute see two effects=
=20
from the rise of the dollar. The department stores, like Printemps, that=20
source much of their goods from Asia, have a nice profit bump. Asian goods=
=20
are often denominated in (cheaper) dollars, and sold locally in the=20
stronger Euro currency. European-based brand names that source much of=20
their goods from Asia are also doing well, e.g. Adidas and Puma.
In contrast, high-end goods made in Europe but sold worldwide in=20
dollar-denominated retailers, like P-P-R's Gucci group designers, suffer=20
from the double whammy of a strong decline in tourist traffic in major=20
worldwide shopping centers, and the weak exchange rate back to Euros. Most=
=20
recently, the Richemont group (Cartier, PIaget, Montblanc, among others)=20
has had notable difficulty with the sudden weakness of the dollar, as would=
=20
any group that gets a high percentage of sales outside of=20
Europe. Richemont earns over half its sales from the U.S. and=20
Asia. However, some companies like Adidas, which get over 30% of sales=20
from the U.S., have done a pretty good job in hedge funds to protect them=20
from currency fluctuations.
From January to April, imports from China to Europe rose by almost 50%, to=
=20
16.3 billion Euros.
The article "In Europe, 2 Sides to Weak Dollar," by John Tagliabue was in=20
the NY Times, 6/10/03, W1, W7.
-- Jan O.
owens@uwp.edu
jan-owens@wi.rr.com
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GAP Enterprises, Ltd. http://www.gapent.com/
Sarbanes-Oxley 2002 http://www.sarbanes-oxley2002.com
E-Tailer's Digest http://www.etailersdigest.com
ETD Archives: http://topica.com/lists/etailer/read
Prior to 29 Dec=20
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Marketing Your Web http://www.gapent.com/myweb/
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<font face=3D"arial" size=3D2> E-Tailer's Digest --- Everything for
the Retailer<br>
Issue
#0694<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab> &=
nbsp; </x-tab> &nb=
sp;
June 12, 2003<br>
George Matyjewicz,
Moderator
<a href=3D"mailto:georgem@gapent.com"=
eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:georgem@gapent.com</a><br>
Published by: GAP Enterprises, Ltd.
<a href=3D"http://www.etailersdigest.com/"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.etailersdigest.com</a><br>
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
<br><br>
CONTENTS <br><br>
[1] Greetings<br>
[2] How do shoppers shop?<br>
[3] Father=92s Day Spending Edges Out Mother=92s Day<br>
----- ---- --- -- -> Important Offer <- -- --- ---- ---- -- <br>
[4] Privacy Vs. Internet Piracy <br>
[5] Consumers Opened Wallets in May<br>
[6] In Europe, 2 Sides to Weak Dollar<br><br>
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<br>
[1] Greetings.<br>
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<br>
Hi All:<br><br>
Father's Day in the US is Sunday. And spending this years is
predicted to be more than on Mother's Day (see 3 below). Are you
ready?<br><br>
How do folks shop? Is it price? Service?
Uniqueness? What do you think? (see 2 below)<br><br>
I will be exhibiting at the International IIA conference in Las Vegas
from June 21-24. If anybody is in the area, stop by for a
visit. And, I sure could use some special reports. Anybody
have something they would like to share? 1,500 - 2,500 words and we
will make it a special issue, and it will remain at our site for
posterity.
<a href=3D"http://etailersdigest.com/resources/Specials/" eudora=3D"autourl"=
>http://etailersdigest.com/resources/Specials/</a>
And we do get a lot of visitors, like yesterday, when I got this
note:<br><br>
"I always like reading Mr. Dale Minard's articles. Please give
him my best. He is a solid business person who understands both
retail and wholesale needs."<br>
-Jon Weiglin<br>
-Retired President and COO of the LA Mart<br><br>
That note was as a result of "Smaller is Better" at
<a href=3D"http://etailersdigest.com/resources/Specials/Smaller_Better.htm"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://etailersdigest.com/resources/Specials/Smaller_Bet=
ter.htm</a><br><br>
Now, let's get to everything for the retailer.<br><br>
Sincerely<br><br>
<br>
Dr. George Matyjewicz<br>
Chief Global Strategist, GAP Enterprises, Ltd.<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:georgem@gapent.com"=
eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:georgem@gapent.com</a><br>
<a href=3D"http://www.etailersdigest.com/"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.etailersdigest.com</a><br><br>
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<br>
[2] How do shoppers shop?<br>
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<br>
Sunday is Father's Day in the U.S. (see 2 below). Time to hit the
discount stores and get dad a tie or short, eh? According to the
NRF, consumers will spend more on Dad this year, then on Mom for Mother's
Day. Which got me to thinking. What effort do you spend
buying a gift for a loved one? Do you wait until the last minute,
or do you really plan? Since my kids were younger, I taught them to
take their time buying presents and to find something really special for
that special person. As a result, over the years, buying presents
has been an exciting, fun experience - sourcing (sussing for our English
members) out something special. It keeps you thinking all year, and
makes you observe that special person to really find a unique
present.. How about you? What do you do?<br><br>
Online, the theme seems to be to search globally, but shop locally.
Visitors search for particular products online, then try to find a store
near them where they can buy. I was keynote speaker at a giftware
trade show in Dallas, where an independent retailer ("mom &
pop") shared an interesting experience. A new customer came in
to her store, and bought $250 of specific items. Since she did not
know this new customer, she asked questions. The customer said they
were looking for particular items, searched online, then found her store,
which was less than a mile from home. <br><br>
There are a number of shopping bots online where visitors search for a
particular item and the bot will bring up the stores that carry the items
and the prices. That's been very common for computers, and now
seems to be common with most all retail items.<br><br>
When you see stores like WalMart, who offer great prices, and service, it
is difficult to compete. Independent retailers make up 70% of all
retailers in the US, and more in other countries. So what do they
do? Selling unique items seems to be one choice. Shoppers are
always looking for that unique present that you can't find at
discounters. And, as we all know, the markup is higher for unique
items, so we can still make money. What kind of unique items do you
sell?<br><br>
Finally, I see that even celebrities are getting into the unique
items. Pamela Anderson now has a wake up service, where she will
call you every morning at specific times. You can even send
somebody a birthday wish from Pam.
<a href=3D"http://celebritywakeup.com/"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://celebritywakeup.com</a><br><br>
Let's hear about your experiences.<br><br>
George <br><br>
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<br>
[3] Father=92s Day Spending Edges Out Mother=92s Day<br>
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<br>
According to the National Retail Federation's (NRF) 2003 Father=92s Day
Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch for NRF,
the average consumer plan to spend an average of $99.65. By comparison,
the average consumer spent $97.37 this year on Mother=92s Day. In the three
years the survey has been conducted, this is the first time consumers
planned to spend more on Father=92s Day than Mother=92s Day.<br><br>
From dinner to DVDs and from ties to tools, dads can expect a wide range
of gifts this Father=92s Day. This year, 20.2 percent of consumers plan to
give their dad clothing, while nearly 15.0 percent plan to give him home
improvement or gardening tools or appliances. Additionally, 13.9 percent
plan will give dad a gift certificate and 12.4 percent will buy books or
CDs. Many consumers also plan to take their fathers out to eat (22.5%)
and get him a card (44.9%).<br><br>
=93Dads are notoriously hard to shop for, but this year consumers are going
out of their way to find their fathers a gift that shows how much he
means to them,=94 said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. =93Consumers are
continuing to demonstrate that, despite their caution, they=92ll spend
their hard-earned money on what=92s most important to them=97and no one want=
s
to skimp on dad.=94<br><br>
The study also found that women will spend more money than men on the
holiday, with the average woman planning to spend $101.38, compared to
men, who will spend an average of $70.89. (Many women will be purchasing
gifts for both fathers and husbands.) Consumers aged 25-44 lead Father=92s
Day spending, with the average person in that age group planning to spend
over $130 on the holiday.<br><br>
Discounters should see enhanced sales this holiday, with 35.9 percent of
consumers planning to purchase Father=92s Day gifts from a discount
retailer. Additionally, 30.1 percent of consumers plan to spend at a
department store and 24.5 percent will spend at a specialty retailer.
Also, 12.0 percent plan to shop for their Father=92s Day gift
online.<br><br>
Details at...<br>
<a=
href=3D"http://www.nrf.com/content/default.asp?folder=3Dpress/release2003&a=
mp;file=3Dfathersday0603.htm&bhcp=3D1"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.nrf.com/content/default.asp?folder=3Dpress/re=
lease2003&file=3Dfathersday0603.htm&bhcp=3D1</a><br>
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=20
<br>
[4] Privacy Vs. Internet Piracy <br>
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<br>
The Recording Industry Association of America says it hasn't decided what
to do with the names it won last week in a bitter court battle over
Internet piracy. <br><br>
Internet provider Earthlink, under subpoena, agreed to reveal a
customer's identity after last week's ruling. Verizon is continuing to
appeal the case. <br><br>
Under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, copyright holders can
send cease-and-desist letters to Internet providers when subscribers are
discovered sharing unauthorized material. The RIAA says the law also
allows access to infringers' identities by filing a subpoena, without
first obtaining a judge's order. Verizon disagrees. <br><br>
According to Ohio State law professor Peter Swire, Verizon's loss
"will be a terrible blow for privacy. ISPs will be flooded with
legitimate and illegimate claims, and there's no due process."
<br><br>
But the record labels, beset by slumping sales and frustrated in their
attempts to close down online swap services such as Kazaa, with tens of
millions of users, have begun chasing individuals aggressively. The RIAA
recently settled lawsuits against four college students for $12,500 to
$17,500 each. <br><br>
Details at...<br>
<a href=3D"http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/21683.html"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/21683.html</a><=
br><br>
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D <br>
[5] Consumers Opened Wallets in May<br>
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<br>
New York - The American consumer increased spending 1.5 percent during
May compared with the same month the year before, according to the
Goldman, Sachs retail composite index. The index compares sales of stores
open at least a year. The leading gainer was The Gap, which posted a 10%
sales increase. Other retailers with positive gains were Costco, 4.0%;
Nordstrom, 3.4%; JCPenney, 3.2%; TJX, 3.0%; Wal-Mart, 2.1%; and Target,
0.7%. Sears, Federated, Kohl's, and Saks all reported declining
same-store sales results, ranging from 0.1% (Kohl's) to 1.9% (Sears). The
picture looks even rosier for June, which is traditionally a better month
for many retailers. A rise in consumer confidence (the second highest in
the last seven months), low interest rates, the tax cut, and signs of a
recovering economy should contribute to increased retail spending.
<br><br>
In another note, some 36 percent of Americans are using cash more today
than they did a year ago. The reason? Almost half say they are concerned
about adding to their credit card debt. =97 American Demographics
magazine.<br><br>
Quinn Halford, Editor In Chief<br>
Matthew Kalash, Editor<br>
Gifts & Dec Direct<br>
<a href=3D"http://www.giftsanddec.com/" eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.giftsa=
nddec.com</a>
<br><br>
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<br>
[6] In Europe, 2 Sides to Weak Dollar<br>
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<br>
The point is that retailers like Pinault-Printemps-Redoute see two effects=
from the rise of the dollar. The department stores, like Printemps,=
that source much of their goods from Asia, have a nice profit bump. =
Asian goods are often denominated in (cheaper) dollars, and sold locally in=
the stronger Euro currency. European-based brand names that source=
much of their goods from Asia are also doing well, e.g. Adidas and=
Puma.<br>
<br>
In contrast, high-end goods made in Europe but sold worldwide in=
dollar-denominated retailers, like P-P-R's Gucci group designers, suffer=
from the double whammy of a strong decline in tourist traffic in major=
worldwide shopping centers, and the weak exchange rate back to Euros. =
Most recently, the Richemont group (Cartier, PIaget, Montblanc, among=
others) has had notable difficulty with the sudden weakness of the dollar,=
as would any group that gets a high percentage of sales outside of=
Europe. Richemont earns over half its sales from the U.S. and=
Asia. However, some companies like Adidas, which get over 30% of=
sales from the U.S., have done a pretty good job in hedge funds to protect=
them from currency fluctuations.<br>
<br>
From January to April, imports from China to Europe rose by almost 50%, to=
16.3 billion Euros.<br><br>
The article "In Europe, 2 Sides to Weak Dollar," by John Tagliabue=
was in the NY Times, 6/10/03, W1, W7.<br>
<br>
-- Jan O.<br>
<br>
owens@uwp.edu<br>
jan-owens@wi.rr.com<br><br>
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Links to follow<br>
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