Window display in a Milan store.

ABSTRACT
No communication means no sale. Next to informing communication should also persuade the customer. And in this context (good) sales people are vital. Retail companies used to be person and smile-intensive, but nowadays they have to be capital-intensive too. The context has changed and a new challenge emerged: how to communicate better with fewer sales people? Opting for IT and sensorial solutions offers answers to the dilemma “cheap coffee for all” versus “expensive customisation”. [Read more →]

ESADE recently asked me to record a short movie with my reflections on retail management, and this is the result.
This video offers a sequence of various micro themes that create a link between marketing and finance, describing how to become the customer’s preferred choice and illustrating some common errors.
It also includes an episode on how to reduce the price sensibility, something that is, I imagine, of general interest in this turbulent climate.

Photo: C. de Psiquiatra (flickr.com)

ABSTRACT
Before coming up with a solution, we’ve first got to know what we’re dealing with. To begin with, if we’re talking about ‘crisis’, we should do so in the plural. Otherwise, a wrong diagnosis will lead to ineffective decision-making.
To address the crises, we encounter a good ally in the direct marketing, supported by neuroscience. Thus the focus should be on providing a positive shopping experience based on emotions to encourage clients to buy. [Read more →]

Emilio Botín, the President of Banco Santander.

ABSTRACT
The day previous to the Formula One Grand Prix in Monza, 200 international journalists witnessed how Emilio Botín, the President of Banco Santander, and Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari’s President, signed a five-year sponsorship agreement during a press conference. The actual amount was never disclosed but rumours name a sum close to 40 million euros.
Until present, it has been the most important marketing action in the history of Banco Santander. Becoming the main sponsor of the legendary F1 motor-racing team Ferrari permitted the Spanish bank to position itself as a serious contender in the international league. Moreover, this leadership attitude conveys a positive message of economic strength and confidence in the future. [Read more →]

Desigual stand at the Bread&Butter show.

ABSTRACT
Against all odds, there are those who are capable of seizing the opportunity to grow in times of crisis. And they do so because they have the courage to cast off old-fashioned concepts; they invest in their brand, and transmit their brand culture in the stores. They make the world their market based on ‘insight’ and innovation. And all of this configured in one complete business model. This means that now is the best time to start a solid project in retailing. [Read more →]

Photo: F. Sánchez (Francisco Aragón S.L.)
and R. Pradas (Menshen S.L.).

ABSTRACT
“Retail brands” -the inaccurately called “private labels”- can be innovative too. In fact, if they align their strategies and collaborate together, products like the Bosque Verde shoe cleanser emerge, which was awarded the Liderpack price for being the most innovative in Spain. The preconceptions that arise when touching on the issue of brands selling to the wider public can lead to errors in decision-making. Those who define a problem badly, have a hard time finding a solution. [Read more →]

ABSTRACT
Filling the shopping trolley is one thing. However, when it comes to “going shopping”, it is not only a question of having the money but also of the future expectations we have.
Projecting an image of leadership that is in tune with the customers’ life experiences and conveys a positive message despite the adverse circumstances is a path that has been taken by some industry leaders. Companies that have been able to look beyond the here and now. [Read more →]

Photo: David Naylor (flickr.com)

ABSTRACT
When stores want to increase their sales or profit margins, they generally use textbook merchandising techniques.
But oftentimes, these techniques do not address the ultimate goal of a retail company: to become the customers’ long-term preferred option. Because if customers don’t come back, no technique will do any good: the shopping trolleys will not even be used. In retailing, the store is the product. [Read more →]

Greg Dyke (image: BBC News).

ABSTRACT
Philosophy and management did not always go hand in hand. But if they do, companies can achieve great things.
In retailing, things work better if they are based on a philosophical vision that customers can identify with, especially if it is expressed in a narrative manner (storytelling).
Once the BBC changed its aspirations from becoming the best-managed public entity to becoming the most creative company in the world, it successfully converted itself into a reference brand in the market. Similar to the BBC, the retail business model of Aquí é is anchored in a contemporary philosophy customers and employees can identify with. It is therefore certain that this supermarket chain will have a tremendous impact on the purchasing habits of grocery shoppers and set new standards in the food shopping sector. [Read more →]

ABSTRACT
Selling directly to end customers allows controlling the entire purchasing process. This means you can create the perfect mix of commercial and marketing strategies to differentiate yourself and sell without restrictions. In addition, retailing allows companies to make branding by giving customers the chance to experience with their five senses what the brand means. Those firms entering retailing with an innovative business formula manage to stand out and avoid price wars. [Read more →]