Wal-Mart Updates Laptop Merchandising

Wal-Mart’s PC buyer blogs that they’re updating their merchandising and branding for computers beginning May 19th in 3,800 stores.  Obviously Wal-Mart sells lots of computers.  But this appears to be a serious effort to make that process easier and more informative for customers.

Here for more, direct from the source.

Free Check Cashing is a Bonus?

This whole economic stimulus check thing still baffles me.  I’m happy to get the money, but I still see it as a last-second Hail Mary pass by our Mr. Lame Duck Worst American President Ever.  This guy comes in and obliterates a world power’s bank account (see U.S. National Debt Clock), and American’s are supposed to just aw-shucks it away?

Not this guy.

Anyway, retailers are wisely offering bonuses and incentives if you spend your stimulus money in their stores.  Good idea. 

I keep seeing a particular “bonus” that I just can’t get over: Free check cashing.
You’ll cash my check for free??  REALLY??!!  You mean I have this piece of paper worth money, and for no cost whatsoever you will give me the money due to me???  Eureka.

I understand that our grand country is made up of people of so many economic classes.  It’s not 3 anymore, it’s like 300.  And I’m no financial advisor, that’s for sure.  But how do you, consumer, NOT have free check cashing?  If you have to choose where to spend your money based simply on who won’t charge you money to give you YOUR MONEY, then this stimulus check won’t even begin to solve your financial troubles.  My non-professional advice: Do some research and find a decent bank and open an account there.  One with free check cashing.

And shame on retailers for trying to promote this free check cashing thing as some type of bonus or incentive.  10% off your purchases, free gift cards, free annual membership…sure, those are bonuses.  But telling someone - in this time of economic strife - that you’re giving them a bonus by not charging them money to give them their money?  That’s just tacky.

Go here for a roundup of stores offering “deals” for your stimulus check:
http://dealnews.com/features/Make-the-most-of-your-stimulus-check-Stores-that-offer-stimulus-check-bonuses/228063.html

Retail Policy: Be Evil

http://consumerist.com/5008708/apple-escorts-you-from-the-store-for-trying-to-purchase-an-iphone-with-cash

UPDATE: I changed the title of this post from something about the No A$$hole Rule. I’m definitely NOT saying that the customer was being an a$$hole.  The guy wanted to buy an iPhone with cash, big deal!Thanks for the catch, Jenny.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Oslo!

Today is my son’s 3rd birthday, and I couldn’t be any prouder. 

Happy birthday, Manton Oslo Marcuson.

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Junta42: A Funny Thing Happened While I Was Out

I broke some of the most important rules of blogging recently.  Namely, I didn’t blog.  That’s just the way it will always be for me.  My busy-ness level is cyclical.  I have kids.  I have interests outside of work and blogging.  It’s ALMOST Spring here in Indiana, even though it’s mid May.  Do NOT get me started on that one.  I don’t get paid to blog.  It’s not a function of my job, really, though I can’t stand rules like that.  And I’m not even an acknowledged blogger within my own company (the kickoff meeting of our annual sales conference last week gave me a specific reminder of that).  I think I’m OK at blogging, nothing special.  It’s all good, so they say.

So when I received an email last week telling me I’d made the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs, I wasn’t biting.  Now I feel bad, because they named me to their list.  Apparently I’m Mr. Irrelevant, to borrow an NFL draft term.  I came in at #42.  But that was good enough to make their “top” list, which has its own press release and everything.

Not only that, but I ranked well in my category, publishing. I’m 2nd only to my friend and esteemed colleague, Joe Wikert.  (HE made our company’s list last week though.)

Seeing that “content strength, depth, regularity and, to a very small extent, popularity” are what it takes to make the list, I must have some solid content strength and depth.  Regularity and popularity?  Eh.

I may need to dig around a little more to find out what all this means.  Movie deals?  Licensing revenue?  Speaking engagements? 

Thanks, Junta42!  I feel legitimized.

“About the Junta42 Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs
The Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs list was designed to organize and feature the best blogs on the internet that discuss some aspect of content marketing. This page is a must bookmark for anybody interested in creating content to attract and retain customers.

Each blog on the list has been rated by our expert staff in terms of content strength, depth, regularity and, to a very small extent, popularity. Junta42 members are also able rate each blog by Hitching (or voting) on the blogs they like the best, creating an independent user rank in the process. The list shows more than 42 blogs as the “up and coming” to the Top 42 list. The Top 42 list will be updated periodically as new blogs are reviewed for the list.”

Spending, Inflation, and BOOKS! (On a treemap!)

Without hesitation, follow this link.  Just trust me, it’s really cool and lots of fun.  Here, I’ll provide it again:

New York Times: All of Inflation’s Little Parts

This type of graph is a Vonoroi Treemap.  It’s full of rich data, and though it might take you a minute to figure out what you’re looking at, it will be worth your time.

Now, I’m going to talk about books and how Americans spend money on them.

See the section labeled “Recreation” on the far left, at about 10 o’clock?  Within that section, hover your cursor over the point-of-a-knife shaped chunk on the far right.  That, friends, is our book world!  Kinda makes you feel like we’re on the head of a needle stuck in an enormous pincushion, doesn’t it?

Books make up 0.1% of American’s recreational spending.  We tie with newspapers and magazines.  We’re sextupled by club memberships.  We’re doubled up by TVs. 
The other statistic given is the Consumer Price Index, a key measure of inflation.  Books went up a bit in 2008.  Technology products went down a lot.  So did toys, because we found out that putting lead in them is apparently a bad thing.  We’re getting so smart!

Recreation, 6% of American Consumer Spending:

	Share of Spending	Change, 2007-2008
Pets and pet supplies	0.4%	6.8%
Veterinary care	0.3%	5.9%
Cable	1.2%	3.6%
Lessons	0.2%	3.4%
Admissions	0.7%	2.4%
DVDs	0.2%	2.1%
Newspapers and magazines	0.1%	1.8%
Books	0.1%	1.4%
Club memberships	0.6%	1.4%
Music instruments	0.0%	1.2%
CDs	0.1%	0.3%
Photographers, film processing	0.1%	0.3%
Bicycles	0.3%	0.0%
Sports equipment	0.3%	-1.0%
Sewing	0.1%	-2.4%
Toys	0.2%	-5.2%
Audio Equipment	0.1%	-6.1%
Cameras, film	0.1%	-6.1%
Other video equip.	0.0%	-11.3%
TVs	0.2%	-18.3%

 

Now books are a sophisticated, complex things, so we actually fall into two categories.  The other is Education/Communication (makes sense). 

	Share of Spending	Change, 2007-2008
Delivery	0.0%	12.2%
Books and supplies	0.2%	6.3%
College tuition and fees	1.4%	6.1%
Elementary and H.S. tuition	0.4%	5.5%
Child care	0.8%	4.2%
Postage	0.2%	3.9%
Technical school	0.1%	3.8%
Land-line local charges	0.8%	3.4%
Land-line long distance	0.5%	2.2%
Cellphone service	1.0%	0.8%
Internet	0.3%	-0.4%
Phones	0.1%	-5.3%
Software	0.0%	-5.3%
Computers	0.2%	-12.0%

This category also makes up 6% of American consumer spending, and we make up 0.2% share of spending.  In this measurement we inflated by 6.3%.  But we are lumped in with supplies so we do still have the option of blaming it on them.  (Damn compasses and protractors!)
Technology again gets cheaper: Internet, phones, software, and computers all went down in cost.

Play around with this treemap a while, you’ll have fun.  I’m left to ponder with where we go from here.  Our costs go up with rising fuel costs, like many other products and services.  Yet we’re only teetering on the edge of an inflation problem (unlike many foods and plane tickets).  We’ll see what happens next, because this economic ride is not yet over.

 

Drugs Will Again Lure Customers

One of the most clever things a store can do is uncover a way to simply get more customers walking in the doors.  Everything else (sales) tends to fall into place once you figure out how to do that.  And these days no idea is left unturned, so it’s news when someone figures out how to get more people in the door.

Wal-Mart will do it by cutting costs on prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications.  Maybe this seems like no big deal, but it is, because all they’ve done is find another way to convince shoppers to shop Wal-Mart first for staple items.  And yes, drugs and meds are absolutely staple items in the U.S. in 2008.

Details:

• Over 1,000 over-the-counter products sell for $4 or less.
• Some 90-day prescriptions are only $10.
• $4 prescriptions already account for 40% of prescription business at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club. (Can you IMAGINE how much money 40% of their script biz is?)

Other retailers have tried to compete with Wal-Mart in this arena, and Wal-Mart has even made some of these efforts in response to the competion.  But who do you think will end up winning?  It’s tough to bring down the giant.
(Now if only we could create a book to merchandise in the pharmacy…)

Tell Me Something About Linens -N- Things…

They’re considering bankruptcy, right?  So how did they fail while Bed Bath & Beyond has not?  I mean that with all sincerity.  I really want to learn something from this: What does BB&B do right that Linens -N-Things does not?  Because I think they are very similar.

LnT posted $2.79 billion in sales last year, but a net loss of $242 million.  And we know that they also have stiff competition from Wal-Mart, Target, Ikea, Williams-Sonoma, Amazon.com, etc.  But Bed Bath & Beyond isn’t in the same situation.  So what gives?  Where’s the big difference that keeps one large (800 stores) retail home goods chain afloat and sinks another (600 stores)?

MUST.
LEARN.

Line Your Walls with Books for a Better World

I think books are pretty.  Well, many books are pretty, and many are ugly.  What I’m saying is that of all the millions of books ever published, it’s pretty easy to find some pretty ones.

Plus, from what I can tell, you can actually learn a lot from books.  No, seriously!

But, it turns out walls of full book shelves have another great purpose: Insulation!

So, you should line your walls with shelf after shelf of books.  Telegraph UK and guru Cory Doctorow recommend it, and now I do too.

If short on space opt for bookshelves
lining the walls in a sitting room or
playroom, which also act as an insulator.
(Jan Baldwin, Telegraph UK)

My Green Mobile Phone

I’m pretty thrilled with my switch from Sprint to T-Mobile, for many reasons so far.  I’m paying less money, I understand my monthly bill, and the people in the stores and the CSRs on the phone are super nice.

And finally, because they will be planting a tree for me.  And yes, I might hug it.