Business News

Borders disappear, opportunities appear

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

This sometimes throws up similar issues and opportunities, but in very different geographies.

Why lower prices are ultimately in our hands

eschmidl@hotmail.com (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 05 May 2013 23:28:06 +0000

This week, the long-running debate about why Australia has some of the highest retail prices in the world surfaced again. And in a much more prominent and mainstream manner, with The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and AFR all leading with front-page comparisons of prices for international brands here and around the world.

At what cost? Why IT pricing differentials can make sense

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:47:27 +0000

There is a lot written about the difference in the price of software, hardware and online services between here and the US. IT companies, Apple and Microsoft included, come in for a pretty hard time from many IT journalists, rightly or wrongly.

Why JB Hi-Fi keeps defying analysts' predictions

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:22:07 +0000

I was in Melbourne on business last week so took the time to catch up with my stockbroker, Charlie. Good bloke Charlie, known him for more than a decade.

Gear changes in the road race of retailing

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 23:38:28 +0000

Retailing is a fast-paced, day-to-day business; a very different environment to the longer time frames enjoyed in manufacturing and distribution.

The new wave of retailers leaving the GFC blues behind

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:21:05 +0000

The latest buoyant ABS retail sales stats support the reported lift in Westfield's top line mall sales.

Why retail home brands aren’t the devil

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 23:23:25 +0000

The issue of retail own brands came to the fore again over the past week across a number of retail sectors and geographies with the release of half year results.

Farmers' markets and winemakers: New ways of creating profitability in today's market

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 21:40:58 +0000

I've previously written about the rise of farmers' markets in the US, and the urbanisation and corporatisation of them in stores like US Whole Foods and Australia's Thomas Dux. These farmers' market-style stores are places where shoppers want to go to be as close to the produce, and sometimes the producers, as possible.

After four years of change we need new ways to reward store associates

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 22:36:10 +0000

I spent part of last week with senior buyers and CEOs of retailers in the mass merchant and specialty retail sectors. It was interesting seeing the guarded optimism the group had for the year ahead.

Google's move into retail

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:23:01 +0000

Last week's blog was the final instalment in my three-part series on the Retail Trifecta. It talked about investing in store associates to create a great experience for shoppers, so that they increase their dwell time and the amount they spend in store.

The retail trifecta, part 3: People make the difference

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:28:41 +0000

The third winning ticket in the Retail Trifecta is people: the passionate, knowledgeable and service-centric professionals who work in retail stores.

The retail trifecta, Part 2: Great store layouts

eschmidl@hotmail.com (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 22:38:41 +0000

The second part in my three part series on the Retail Trifecta is the creation of great store layouts: destinations that shoppers want to go to, dwell too long in and return to. Environments that are so good, shoppers tell their friends about them.

Creating the perfect store: Getting the back-end right

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:12:42 +0000

This week we look at the first of the three elements that create the Retail Trifecta: Point of sale and back office systems. What I discuss below is collected from the successful retail trends we are seeing around the world right now. They are each contributing to the creation of the "Perfect Store," whether it be a high street or mall store that shoppers loves to shop day or night.

The perfect store: Harnessing the winds of shopper change, Part 1

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 22:12:13 +0000

Some of SmartCompany's readers, and attendees at conferences I have spoken at, will be familiar with my 'Retail Trifecta', a concept I published here at SmartCompany back in August 2010.

2013: The year Australia's independent regional retailers embrace online

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Whilst our major Australian retailers have moved swiftly from Christmas, through New Year's sales and now into Back to School marketing mode, it's the independent discretionary retailers spread out across regional and rural Australia that benefit too from our long break.

What's in store for retail in 2013?

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 23:14:43 +0000

At the end of each year I write to the top 20 CEOs and leaders in the CROSSMARK client base. I've been doing it for almost a decade.

A six-month update on the refurbishment of US retail icon JC Penney

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:36:18 +0000

It's six months since I was last in a JC Penney, or "jcp", store in the US. When I was there last week I wanted to see if there was any discernible change at store level another six months into the calm transition that Ron Johnson, former architect of Apple's retail store strategy, and his top team at jcp are driving.

Retail-friendly local government policy

kmoore@startupsmart.com.au (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 14:00:00 +0000

One of the key issues facing bricks and mortar retailers is the question of how to get you in-store when products are often sold online at better prices and can be delivered straight to your door.

What Click Frenzy reveals about our risk averse enterprise culture

eschmidl@hotmail.com (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 22:58:48 +0000

It was interesting, though not unsurprising, to see the media coverage on the launch of Click Frenzy last week. Click Frenzy Australia was an idea hatched in less than eight weeks to harness the groundswell of enthusiasm Australian shoppers are finally showing to online shopping. It was based on the similar 'Cyber Monday' event in the US.

Cyber Monday, and some frustrations of shopping online from Australia

eschmidl@hotmail.com (Kevin Moore) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 22:37:36 +0000

Cyber Monday continues to grow around the world. It's the largest online shopping day in the US, being the first working day after the US Thanksgiving long weekend. It's a day also known as "Black Friday", when the majority of US retailers turn a profit for the first time in the year.