Experts generally believe that the U.S. and Canadian business marketplaces share similarities. If that is so, the Starch Information Sources Study sheds light on which media formats key business decision makers say are most useful. The findings echo what other studies have reported – the influence of the Internet continues to grow. For the first time, the Internet’s influence has surpassed all other sources.
Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report for Maternity Shops. The following are the predicted Top 3 Opportunities/Challenges from the report for this industry for the upcoming 12 months:
* Expectant mothers continue to need to replace most of their wardrobe and the current rate of approximately 4 million United States births per year has remained relatively stable over the last decade.
* Birthing gowns are an emerging trend. There’s opportunity for retailers to take advantage of the demand for hospital-approved fashionable gowns for doctor check-ups and delivery.
* Traditional maternity stores may face future competition from the latest entrants to the industry: Online rental of maternity clothing. There is a growing number of online businesses that rent maternity wear, particularly special occasion apparel.
As e-commerce sales continue to grow, more retailers are seeking ways to further boost their online sales. While online sales aren’t expected to overtake or replace brick and mortar stores, the e-commerce channel is the fastest growing part of the business for many traditional retailers. Traditional retailers are finding that they can provide a wider range of choices online, without the need to take up space in their stores. To that end, some retailers are testing in-store kiosks. The kiosks are a place where brick-and-mortar retailing meets the Internet.
More than one recent study has shown how B2B marketers lag behind their B2C counterparts in the social media arena. A new study by White Horse indicates that while 28% of B2C operators have looked to outside experts for help in this arena, only 10% of B2B operators have done so. Similarly, the number of B2B operators who have taken no steps to engage with social media stands at 18%. Only 14% of B2C operators have completely ignored social media to date.
Publishers of printed newspapers have long promoted circulation as the gold measure of ad exposure. And as most marketers know, newspaper circulation at the national level has been declining. The recent recession and the continued move by readers to online formats contributed to a loss in circulation of 18% between 2007 and 2009. But Scarborough Research and the Newspaper National Network say the news is not all bad. These organizations are promoting readership as a new metric to measure ad effectiveness.
The NPD Group, Inc. recently released a look at the luggage market in the U.S. “The economy has taken its toll on the luggage business, but there are some things in these results that can be taken as a sign of the times,” noted Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst, The NPD Group, Inc., “With an eye toward changing airline rules, consumers are looking for ways to make their travel more convenient so smaller bags and toiletry cases have become more important to them these days.” Consumers are shopping for their luggage at both high-end and specialty retailers as well as factory outlets and off-price retailers.
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