The Istobe eCommerce Analytics Blog

Seems like you can’t turn anywhere this week without hearing more about the stimulus package currently being debating in Congress. Last night, almost every channel carried the hour-long press conference where the President took questions about the economic downturn and how current actions are supposed to help us going forward. I have to admit that I eventually fell asleep while watching (new baby), but I did stay up long enough to hear Obama talk about how the economic health of the nation is reflected in the economic health of consumers…and if I may expand on his words a bit…with the economic health of businesses. So the question for many of us is how do we stack up – how well are we actually doing?

Read Do You Pass the Customer Base Fitness Test? »

I have to admit that it’s been a while since I’ve written on this Istobe blog, but for good reason. My wife and I welcomed a little girl into the world (Vivian June) on December 28th and have been battling sleep deprivation and dirty diapers ever since (and yes, she’s definitely worth it).  The bad news is that I just haven’t had much time to read all of the news feeds and blog posts that I would have liked to over the course of the last few weeks. So, as I looked blurry eyed through my blog posts and news items this morning, I noticed a few articles that point out some important marketing trends for retailers in 2009:

Read Marketing Trends For Retailers in 2009 »

With so many reports out there talking about why retailers are going to be taking such a hit this year, I thought it might be worthwhile to focus on the positive. The down economy has opened up several opportunities for retailers to try out new and interesting ways of reaching their customers.  I wanted to share a few of these with you.

• Read Surviving the Holidays: 5 Marketing Tips for Retailers »

With the holiday season upon us, and with the specter of economic downturn no longer looming but now in full unfurling, the hue and cry for free shipping to draw customers has never been greater. Almost everyone insists that drastic price cuts and coupon-like free shipping are necessary evils to keep your customers from the competition. But I would urge smaller retailers to resist giving up margin and making deal-seekers of their entire housefile. Instead they should get more personal.

Read Retail Marketing Strategy Should Rely More on Personalization, Less on Free Shipping »