Forget The Living Room: Amazon Is Fighting For Your Whole Damn House ! (Including The Kitchen)

Further to “The Unbelievable” portion of our recent E-News (see Chart 1 below) for Big Box retailers:

To further help “connect the dots” to the “Now Believable” and the soon-to-be “Necessity” (see Chart 2 - example for Best Buy), we believe this new article quoting Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Mosaic and Netscape, will be of interest.  (See Article Here)

“These two initiatives could allow Amazon to topple (or at least maim) traditional retail.

“Retail guys are going to go out of business and ecommerce will become the place everyone buys. You are not going to have a choice,” Marc Andreessen told PandoDaily in January.

“We’re still pre-death of retail, and we’re already seeing a huge wave of growth. The best in class are going to get better and better. We view this as a long term opportunity.”

“If Amazon will sell you the same groceries as Walmart and deliver them straight to your doorstep the same day you order them, why make the trip to the labyrinthine monument to capitalism at all?”

We look forward to discussing this with you when you and your executive team are ready for the Unbelievable to become your Necessity.

Thanks,

 

Gail

 

V-Commerce: Amazon's Newest Weapon Of Choice. Trumps E-Commerce.

Big Box Bricks & Mortar retailers continue to react in conventional ways to Amazon’s growing power, which opens new markets for Amazon to propel their annual $13 Billion (27%) growth via V-Commerce.

Thus Amazon is becoming the Death Star of retailing as we know it today – virtually unchallenged. This continuing disarray is outlined in Chart 1.

V-Commerce (Viral-Commerce): To effectively use one customer group, media group or product group for significant commercial gain.

Why Amazon Is Happy Breaking Even With Online Grocery   (See Article here)

“AmazonFresh could be the online grocery service that finally breaks through to critical mass, all helped by its lack of financial burdens and mastery of logistics.”

“It could also mean that delivery fees are lower, order size minimums are waived,”

“and it certainly could mean that home delivery and in-store pick up will never pay out using traditional metrics and full allocated costs.”

“Finally, Amazon views steady grocery delivery as a “powerful way to drive frequent customer interaction,” and opens up avenues to entice consumers to shop for other products with each order.”

A conventional fulfillment & delivery system using “Traditional Metrics and Full Allocated Costs” misses all the above, putting retailers directly in Amazon’s path, not to mention the loss of infinitely greater “Frequent Customer Interaction” and the incredible Third Party Profits therein – from the $8.7 TRILLION worldwide retail market – including Groceries, Pharmacies, Retailers and Restaurants. (US market equivalent is $2.6 Trillion).

Unbelievable opportunity awaits and most retailers are still in denial, even Walmart; thus giving Big Box retailers a wide open field to win.

For years we’ve been urging Big Box retailers to offer:  “(1) The Highest Level Convenience;   (2) The Widest Product Choice;   (3) The Consistently Lowest Price.”

Most retailers are positioning themselves as unique and entertaining places to shop.  However, when Amazon’s V-Commerce strategy is in full roll-out, there will be panic in the executive ranks of most major retailers.

Amazon’s V-Commerce strategic move in Groceries simply increases these Three Top Consumer Choices further in Amazon’s favor against you, stealing your customers, sales, profits & market cap – see Chart 1.

Although dinosaurs were helpless against the asteroid that destroyed them, Big Box retailers are not helpless against the coming Amazon asteroid.

Given the above:  you have the knowledge of what’s coming.

Given the following:  you also have the knowledge of The V-Commerce Solution:   A SuperCyberCenter® Mall with 30 to 60 minutes, 24 / 7 / 365,  Rapid Online Order Fulfillment and 600,000 Third Party Sellers with stores nationwide, including Grocers, Restaurants, Retailers, Pharmacies – virtually all purveyors of time-sensitive retail commodities. 

It’s a tactic that Amazon and Walmart cannot match, even though they both have similar structures.

The Only Thing Left You Have Not Yet Tried ! – A  SuperCyberCenter Local Area Online Mall – Unbelievable, But Now A Necessity – Chart 2 (Best Buy example)

A SuperCyberCenter Mall with your company name on the marquee is similar to having branding rights to venues such as: American Airlines Center, Best Buy Theater in Times Square, Staples Center in Los Angeles, FedEx Field in Washington, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC; Wrigley Field in Chicago and MetLife Stadium in New York and myriad similar other V-Commerce marketing branding examples. Those companies paid a fortune for such prized branding rights.

Amazon is close to reaching this Pinnacle of The Consumer’s Choice – but still has a mountain, or more, to climb – however, Jeff Bezos is trying very astutely and will eventually succeed.  Now is your time.

For the sake of all your constituents – relent and Test This V-Commerce Solution with us, starting in Buffalo, NY, lest the Amazon asteroid strikes before you have your defenses in place.

Respectfully,

Gail

Gail Nichols, Vice Chair

The Now Mall

 

Who Wins? Juggernauts, Innovators, Caretakers or Undertakers: A Surprising Conclusion

AMAZING – Amazon’s Sales Growth Just Beat Walmart’s . . . But Here’s The Shocker !

In 2010, Amazon’s sales growth was $5.3 Billion, while Walmart’s sales growth was only $3.8 Billion !  10 years ago, Amazon barely existed.

In the 24 months ending 12/2010 and 01/2011 respectively, Amazon’s sales growth was $15 Billion and Walmart’s sales growth was $17.5 Billion.  TOTALING $32.5 Billion “NEW” SALES.

The Shocker is:  COLLECTIVELY they are tracking to reach $33.8 Billion  NEW GROWTH THIS YEAR ALONE (equaling the last 2 years).  That’s $66.3 Billion GROWTH in the last 3 years !!

Where did these Juggernauts’ incredible $66.3 Billion NEW sales growth come from during this sluggish economy ?  Let’s do a little exploring.

These sales came from other retailers (including mall tenants).  But, you may ask, which retailers lost this incredible amount of sales, and where will this year’s greater losses come from ?

Some innovative companies are still winning new sales against these Juggernauts (as well as from other retailers) as shown in the following graph.

HOWEVER, companies don’t win or lose – only their senior management teams do.

Let’s evaluate the following management team profiles to discover who the Winners & Losers are and who is most likely to win LONG TERM against these Juggernauts.

But first, take this simple test that allows you to DEBATE these remarkable conclusions from your senior management team’s unique perspective as a Winner or Loser.

OK, First let’s explore these interesting Profiles to discover Who will most likely be the LONG TERM Winner:

JUGGERNAUTS:  were first to discover a new “RADICAL Game-Changing System”, which they quickly exploited to the fullest before anyone else even knew it existed.  Then along came the “copycats” who tried knock-off copies that inevitably failed against the sheer power and knowledge of these Juggernauts, at great cost to the “copycat’s” brand and balance sheet as well as their time lost to find and implement more productive solutions.

INNOVATORS:  are ALWAYS open to new ideas and new challenges.  They take calculated risks that Caretakers would never consider.  They win more often than they lose.  So this team is always very busy with other great and challenging projects.  The problem is:  there is a huge waiting list for access to their time.  BUT, “radical game-changing” opportunities pass by in fleeting moments.

CARETAKERS:  are notorious for holding the line rigorously, doing nothing radically new (other than a few “Bells & Whistles”).  Any major radical change is a non-starter – too risky and anyway “we’ve been doing things this way successfully for years”.  They absolutely believe as long as they’re not losing ground, they must be winning !  They will give myriad reasons to their shareholders and analysts why none of the following options will work for them or their company, such as; “Our people explored the ecosystem and there’s no independent corroboration” – even as these solutions produce extremely positive results for their Juggernaut competitors !

UNDERTAKERS:  Here are 7 reasons this team SHOULD be the LONG TERM winner using a Winning Option outlined below.

1.     THEIR NEEDS ARE BY FAR THE GREATEST.  (Including virtually all regional mall owners whose tenants are losing to the Juggernauts).

2.       They know they have a problem, but can’t find the solution usually because their mid-level management team is looking in the wrong direction (they prefer Safety – nothing Radical – just more of the same old).

3.     They blame the economy for their current predicament hoping a solution will “mysteriously appear” BEFORE they become the next Borders or Circuit City.

4.      They tried all the new “Mods & Apps” but none changed their overall competitive position.

5.      They tried the “copycat” routine with stunning failure, so they are now “Gun-shy”.  (Why waste more time or money on “copycat” things that simply can’t get you out of the hole?)

6.      As only the senior management team is held to account, overall executive leadership must prevail to be the long term winner.

7.     Since they have KNOWINGLY been under fire so long (12 – 36 months), this leadership team is most likely to prevail considering the low risk and very high reward of the options below.

Winning Options: 3 New “Radical Game-Changers” to Catapult Juggernaut Challengers Ahead Of All Others– with ONE Major Winner:

1.     ROOF (Rapid Online Order Fulfillment^©) 100% Turnkey In-Store Shopping & Delivery usually within 30 to 45 minutes, 24 / 7 / 365, NATIONWIDE and it is patented.

Orders are assembled and paid for by us at your local store BEFORE we leave.  Delivered price can be the same as in-store price. We handle returns which are reduced to less than 5% from normal 20% - 30% online.

When You Just Can’t Get Out Or Have Other Things To Do®

If FedEx (or UPS) could deliver your online orders at less cost and in 30 to 45 minutes – there would be a line-up of customers on your website because NOBODY LIKES TO WAIT 3 to 10 days for online orders.

Walmart has been doing Next-Day delivery for years in other countries (not 3 to 10 day delivery) and just brought “Walmart-To-Go” to the USA.  Amazon is trying to do the same thing in Seattle as well as promoting AmazonLocal.com nationwide. ROOF enables you to significantly improve upon the Juggernaut’s Next-Day delivery – or even Same-Day.  (And ROOF strategically complements “Order Online with In-Store and/or Curbside Pick-up”.)

2.     SuperCyberCenter^© – The Online Marketplace For LOCAL Area Retailers & Restaurants

SuperCyberCenters: HYBRID – Patented – Online –  LOCAL AREA – Marketplaces –  uniquely including ROOF (Rapid Online Order Fulfillment) that no other Marketplace offers.

The Last Mile Of The Internet®

Ever wonder what was Amazon’s key growth factor?  Its Marketplace.  Third Party Sellers using Amazon’s trade name for higher traffic and higher sales are now 40% of Amazon’s ONLINE GROWTH and revenues.

Walmart.com also is a significant ONLINE Marketplace.   Many “Copycats” have tried in-house Marketplaces against these well-founded and powerful Juggernauts and colossally failed at a huge cost to their brand; such as Overstock.com simply because they had nothing truly unique to offer.  Our SuperCyberCenter with ROOF is so unique, it is patented.

EVERYTHING – Delivered In A Flash®  THE HIGHEST FORM OF CONVENIENCE & THE FUTURE

The bar has been raised to a NEW standard in customer service:  Choice, Price & Convenience are the three things all consumers want, need & desire.  The Juggernauts only have the first two – We have all three.  Convenience is overall the most important of these three consumer attractions putting the Juggernauts at a huge disadvantage.  Here’s your chance to greatly improve upon the Juggernauts’ overall programs with a powerful NEW patented customer service loyalty program the Juggernauts simply cannot match and cannot copy.

Walmart and Amazon cannot touch this SuperCyberCenter merged with ROOF (Rapid Online Order Fulfillment).

Your 3 SuperCyberCenter Winning Options with ROOF (Rapid Online Order Fulfillment):

A.    Your Brand Name Local SuperCyberCenter with ROOF

Ideal for major LOCAL area retailers, restaurants and/or regional malls.

With LOCAL AREA Stores & Restaurants as Third Party Sellers promoting your stores locally and cross-marketing with these major local retailers, with higher profit ratios than your local store.

B.    Your Brand Name Regional SuperCyberCenters with ROOF

Primarily for major REGIONAL retailers, restaurants and/or major regional mall owners.

With LOCAL AREA Stores & Restaurants as Third Party Sellers promoting your stores locally and cross-marketing with these major local retailers, with higher profit ratios than your local store.

C.     Be an Anchor or Regular Tenant in your LOCAL SuperCyberCenter with ROOF

Put your local stores ONLINE where your local customers can go to find local products and get immediate in-store shopping & delivery.

Use the power of well-respected major retailers to draw the premier customers in your LOCAL area to your store (as well as to your website) away from the Juggernauts who have been hurting your sales and profits for years.  Cross-market with other tenants and anchors for mutual recognition, growth and sales.

3.     Master SuperCyberCenter with ROOF INTERNATIONALLY for all SuperCyberCenters – The ONE Overall Long Term Winner.

Perfect choice for a major international company with significant global influence and an exceptional innovative executive management team.

The Ultimate Shopping Convenience®  

EVERYTHING – Delivered In A Flash®

Are you ready to Innovate to Win against Juggernauts with a truly new and fully proven RADICAL Game-Changing Network ?  If yes, please let me know your preferred ‘Winning Option” before September 15 and I will have the appropriate person contact you ASAP.  Your customized Earnings Analysis for your SuperCyberCenter with ROOF “Game-Changer” option is available upon request.

Thank you,

Gail

Gail W. Nichols  - Vice Chair

Marketplaces: Holy Grail of Retail E-Commerce - Your Silver Bullet for Rapid Growth

We offer you a unique look at the largest multi-channel e-commerce opportunity to come along since the birth of the Internet.  Retail E-Commerce Marketplaces (REMs) have been called the “Holy Grail of Retail”. 

And now, you can have a Branded REM SuperCyberCenter^© – your “Silver Bullet” for rapid growth.

Overview of REMs:

Retail E-Commerce Marketplaces (REMs) are the online equivalent of large Regional Malls with multiple Third Party Stores joining together to benefit from the enormous amount of consumer traffic (shoppers) generated by the Mall layout, location and cross-marketing.  Typically, Regional Mall Third Party Stores pay a minimum base rent and a percentage of sales over the base rent to the Mall owner/manager based on traffic and location.

REMs have become a major driver of new business for online merchants and Regional Mall owners that leverage REMs as channels for increased sales. REMs are the primary type of multichannel ecommerce.

Consumer transactions are processed by the REM owner/manager, functioning as the merchant of record, and are fulfilled, then delivered by Third Party Stores/Sellers.  REMs offer a wide variety of products and provide consumers with the convenience of purchasing such products from a single location then having everything delivered.  REMs generally provide better prices, greater selection and higher levels of availability than traditional online retailers. 

Proof that REMS are the “Holy Grail of Retail”:

The largest REMs are:

• Amazon, one of the fastest growing retailers today with 40% of sales ($16 Billion annually) through its REM;

• eBay with its announced $2.4 billion purchase of GSI Commerce (one of the first and largest REMs); and

• Walmart, through the recent creation of its “Project Titan” REM.

Delivery is by FedEx, UPS and USPS usually within 3 to 10 days.  However, both Walmart and Amazon are trying to speed up delivery with Next Day service.

REMs are the newest major retail sales channel enabling smaller retailers to become online e-commerce Third Party Sellers, while an early few of the top national well-branded retailers will become successful long-term REM owner/managers.  (Not all major retailers can support their own REM due to lack of Brand dominance, experience and current market positioning.)  Large, well established Regional Malls will also eventually become successful long-term REMs duplicating their existing malls.

Like all new sales and marketing channels, the early visionaries have the best chance of success in this powerful but highly selective new arena.

Pros Of REMs:

1. REMs can increase owner/manager’s sales 35% to 50% (see Amazon above) and profits 50% to 100%REMs instantly broaden owner/manager’s products and marketplace

2. REMs increase traffic to owner/manager’s e-commerce websites and Bricks & Mortar locations that could not be done without a REM

3. REMs enable cross-marketing online and in-store with Third Party Sellers

Cons Of REMs:

1. REM owner/managers must have sufficient initial traffic to attract enough Third Party Sellers

2. REM owner/managers need specialized experience to run and succeed with a REM

3. REM owner/managers need strong branded national presence for rapid consumer acceptance

4. REM owner/managers need a unique marketing differentiator to attract sufficient Third Party Sellers

Branded REM SuperCyberCenters^© – Your “Silver Bullet” For Rapid Growth

As the main function of retail e-commerce is DELIVERY Of Products, major differentiators include: speed of delivery, efficiency, hours of service, payment & collection and quality control features of delivery.

Major Differentiators of Your Branded REM SuperCyberCenter versus Walmart, Amazon & eBay REMs:

·         Rapid Online Order Fulfillment (ROOF) Program – 100% Turnkey, Patented

o   1-Hour, 24 / 7 / 365 order assembly and local delivery from your stores and your Third Party Sellers’ instead of 3 to 10 Days delivery by FedEx, UPS & USPS

o   Product payment to store cashier by ROOF CyberValet Shoppers before leaving

o   Personal Customer service at-their-door with product inspection prior to transfer and payment

o   Returns processing to store where product purchased

·         Virtual contact center for consumer inquiries, order processing oversight, tech support

·         National sales team that recruits, coordinates and manages your SuperCyberCenter’s Third Party Sellers

·         National transport team experts recruit, train and supervise CyberValet Shoppers

Why Partner With Us:

We have over 30 years REM experience internationally in Rapid Fulfillment of Time-Sensitive Commodities (Groceries, Retail, Pharmacy, Restaurant & Fast Food).  Frankly, nobody else anywhere has anything close to our combined experience and/or abilities.

Our competitive advantages also include our REM patent, proprietary technology, various trademarks, Smithsonian Computerworld Award and our prior success in creating numerous industry-changing patented products and services now ubiquitous worldwide.

Please contact us today to review how your company can qualify for a Branded REM SuperCyberCenter owned by you and operated for you by The Now Mall and our affiliates.

As there is room for only a limited number of major REM retailers in local communities, please call us now while your preferred areas remain available.  We look forward to working with you.

Thank you,

Gail

The ONLY Way Retailers Can Compete With Amazon and EBay

As Jack Welch once said: “If You Don’t Have A Competitive Edge, Don’t Compete.”

Amazon’s phenomenal web-only growth could exceed $80 billion by 2020..…exceeding Sears’ current sales by 2013, Target’s by 2017 and Kroger’s by 2020.

You don’t stop juggernauts like this by playing their game.

Rather, you need to change the playing field to your game, with your rules, that they simply can’t match.

HERE’S HOW:

The Achilles Heel of all web-only retailers, no matter how big they are, is TIME – that translates into consumer convenience.

3 to 10 day order fulfillment is simply not convenient when compared to 1-Hour fulfillment from stores.

Store-based 1-Hour fulfillment with effectively 0% returns is less costly than web-only programs with 30% return rates.

The truly amazing thing about this is: It’s very easy for retailers to change these rules of competition and impossible for web-only retailers to get into this new game.

Amazon’s game started with the Internet’s new e-commerce facility starting in 1999 that caused the biggest retailing change of the last decade.

Retailers can change that game to Rapid Online Order Fulfillment (ROOF) in 2011 and direct new online orders to their stores while using their web facilities to round out their retail sales channel.

Implementation is easy: Retailers already have the key assets in play – their local stores and their e-commerce program.

Our Rapid Online Order Fulfillment (ROOF) program provides 100% turnkey 1-Hour personal shopping and delivery – store staff doesn’t do anything other than ring orders through their cash registers.

Retailers can be operational as quickly as they like.

We invite you to call us to take the lead now while it is still available.

Thank You,

Gail

The National Retail Federation (NRF) publishes great articles.

Here is an excerpt from Retail's BIG Blog January 12/11 posting "Not on Facebook? Here’s why you should be" by Margaret Case Little, Communication Manager.

Margaret interviewed Bernie Brennan to get his views on social media and mobility as a retail game changer. With a recently published best-selling book on the significant opportunities that retailers have to build market share by amplifying their culture and strategy through these new digital channels, Bernie’s insights into this component of the evolving industry are worth a read.

"In your book, “Branded!: How Retailers Engage Consumers with Social Media and Mobility”, you write about retailers who are successfully implementing social media and mobility strategies. What made you want to write the book?

We believe that the rapid emergence of the “digital era” represents the most dynamic change in the relationship between retailers and consumers in the history of retail. Because this paradigm change is so dramatic, the degree of implementation on the part of retailers varies substantially. We were encouraged by industry leaders as well as executives of NRF to write a book directed to the executive leadership of retailers, as opposed to a technical book.
What are the three most innovative social media tactics you’ve seen utilized recently?

Frankly, there are many, and new initiatives are being implemented almost daily. To answer your question specifically, here are three compelling initiatives:

1. Commerce on Facebook. This enables customers to be interactive, discussing planned purchases, while they shop online. There are three proactive retailers: 1-800-Flowers.com was the pioneer, Best Buy, and JCPenney, who are executing this strategy and are featured in Branded!

2. Localization is a compelling strategy that relates to dealing with customer needs on a local level. Now with the use of social media networks and location-based mobility, the retailer can truly serve individual stores’ local needs. Macy’s and Best Buy are leaders in this initiative.

3. Effective use of Twitter. Success of Twitter is based on a company’s open culture, and hiring, empowering, and inspiriting associates to be ambassadors of the company. Zappos is the industry leader in the social media channel."

We invite you to read the balance of Margaret's NRF blog posting.

TheNowMall.com is a locally-focused sales, marketing and distribution network enabling retailers and restaurants to offer 1-Hour Personal Shopping & Delivery as an additional channel for consumers to purchase their favorite products online.

Please let us know if you'd like us to publish more of similar retail-oriented articles on TheNowMall.com blog.

Happy Shopping !

Gail

Aspirational Shoppers

Are you "Aspirational" ?!  "Aspirational" shoppers -- consumers who have fancy tastes but cannot afford the most expensive items -- are feeling more confident.

"Rich shoppers have recovered far more quickly from the recession than middle and lower income consumers, and are hitting stores in droves to snap up cashmere sweaters, designer dresses and diamond necklaces at stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus" according to this Reuters article

"Upscale retailers have had the extra benefit of catering to a clientele willing and able to pay full price, unlike middle-of-the-road chains like J.C. Penney Co and Liz Claiborne's Lucky Brands stores, which still have to watch their prices."


Whether you're Aspirational or just feel inspired to shop but find it hard to get out, if you live in Aventura, FL, you can shop online for retail, groceries and restaurant meals (including Food Court yummies) and get 1-Hour personal shopping and delivery via http://aventuranowmall.com/

It's A Long Way Back From The Abyss - How To Save Your Shopping Mall

The government ‘Retail Sales’ stats chart (below) tells the overall industry story – actually, it’s worse if you adjust for 12.6% core retail sales currently being diverted from the malls in 2010 via online shopping.  And this online sales drain is projected to grow to 35% by 2020 - who will be left in the malls then?

Given all things, shopping malls have a huge hill to climb.  Truly an industry visionary is needed to turn the tide.... and it literally means 'thinking outside the box'.

Shopping malls are essentially big boxes built beside major vehicle traffic byways and highways and contain (hopefully) all your favorite stores and restaurants...or at least enough to cause you to get out of your easy chair, into your car (on on the bus) and make your way through the traffic and the parking lots to see what's new...and buy something.

Your other choice to shop is online...and that's what is so scary for owners and developers of shopping malls.  The trickle of online shopping in 1998 has turned into a torrent in 2010 - and soon will become a raging tsunami by 2020.  What does this mean for malls?  It means they need to find new ways to lure shoppers into their big boxes - and not just for entertainment - the bottom line for mall owners is on-site retail store sales.

Retailers are happy if you buy in-store and/or online - either way is a sale to their head office.  But only in-store purchases benefit the malls.

Retailers are busily upgrading their e-commerce sites to respond to burgeoning interest in shopping online. Problem is - 30% of all online purchases are returned.  Big cost to retailers and big hassle for customers.  No, it's not a savings to the retailer (or convenient for the customer) to have to go to the store to return the online purchase - although the retailer hopes you will (so you will buy something else while you're there).

How can malls make shopping more convenient, fun, hassle-free and relevant for you - the consumer?  Glad you asked!

What if you could browse local stores online and decide what you want to buy - then place your order online and get it delivered within 30 to 45 minutes (or whenever else you specified) instead of 3 to 10 days?  What if it cost you less delivered this way than if you went to the store yourself to get it?

That's the basis of our ROOF (Rapid Online Order Fulfillment) program now being rolled out across the country by http://www.thenowmall.com/ in partnership with shopping mall owners as a new way to increase in-store sales while accommodating online shoppers.  Participating malls and stores will be distributing FREE Delivery Passes and many will be offering Customer Delivery Discounts + Online Passes you can print and redeem in-store for special deals.

We'll soon be announcing the "ROOF" mall locations via Twitter and on this blog as well as our website. 

You can help get your mall to offer ROOF faster - email your request to We Want ROOF NOW!  Tell us the name of your mall (including city and state).  We'll let you know their scheduled Opening Day.

Register yourself on TheNowMall.com as a Member (it's FREE to join) in your local Area.  We'll send you updates by email about Opening Day of ROOF in your local mall plus a VIP invitation to Opening Day Festivities!  Bonus for Members: When ROOF opens in your mall, you can transition to Advantage Membership that includes a 10% discount on all items you order for delivery via TheNowMall.com site PLUS you can choose your Favorite CyberValet Shoppers.  Membership has its privileges.

Together, we can save your favorite mall from the abyss and your neighborhood store owners will love you for it - including Grocers, Pharmacies, Retailers, Restaurants and Fast Food outlets.

And we promise our CyberValet Shopper Team will look after your local shopping needs with tender loving care - guaranteed!

Cheers !

Gail

Shopping Centers Can Offset Double-Dip Recession With ROOF (Rapid Online Order Fulfillment)

Here's how Shopping Centers can offset the Double-Dip recession with ROOF (Rapid Online Order Fulfillment)....

We continually mention the effect on mall sales by the rapidly growing number of “Internet-Savvy” Shoppers (76.3% of the population) because they are such an obvious problem (12.6% mall sales loss in 2010; growing to 32.6% by 2020), while ROOF (Rapid Online Order Fulfillment) is such an obvious solution (25% mall sales gain - 100% guaranteed). 

Offering your customers our turnkey ROOF service with 1-Hour in-store shopping and delivery from any retailer and restaurant in your mall is a major competitive advantage to attract time-starved, convenience-oriented, cost-conscious consumers.  Especially when you distribute the ROOF FREE Delivery passes throughout your malls.

HOWEVER:

We have 4 other major constituents beyond “Internet-Savvy” Shoppers who comprise the full 25% sales gain, including: “Mobility Challenged” Shoppers (60% of population); “Convenience” Shoppers (80% of population); “Bulky Item” Shoppers (almost everyone) and “Extended Reach” Shoppers (everyone outside your normal trading areas).

Our concern, due to this economy, is we may not have emphasized the value of these other constituents enough – particularly “Extended Reach” Shoppers.

The current general anxiety about a possible “Double-Dip” Recession would, beyond the obvious immediate negative effect on mall sales, also extensively lengthen the recovery period.

Therefore, we reach into our “Kit-Bag” and pull out the “Extended Reach” Shoppers as a strong solution to this problem for Regional Shopping Centers.

A well-documented strategy to increase sales in a recession is to aggressively steal sales from your competitors. (Article)

ROOF is the Regional Mall's “Secret Weapon” allowing you to easily reach beyond your regular trading areas to attract customers and sales from competing regional malls and their tenants who now use “distance” to shield them from you.

It’s a wide open “Turkey-Shoot” for you, a marketing match-up that Regional Mall management can’t lose.

The other 4 ROOF shopper groups listed above also offer unique marketing and growth opportunities; most importantly, “Extensive Community Goodwill”.

With all these new constituents, there is a lot we can do together.

Given we start now, based on 3 to 4 weeks to prepare for your first mall's ROOF launch, we would be ready for "Back To School" shoppers.  Then, we would open your second round of malls before Thanksgiving to take advantage of the huge year-end holiday shopping season.

Looking forward to working with you and your Team.

Gail

Shopping Mall Retailers' New Offensive Sales Strategy - Sales Soared 400% - OUT of The Malls

Retail Stores' New Offensive Sales Strategy: Divert in-mall sales off-premises with in-store kiosks. (See Article) Mall owners lose and retailers win.

Shopping Mall Owners’ New Defensive Sales Strategy: Recapture these lost sales quickly + attract an entirely new and growing customer base for your malls….with a 100% guaranteed solution that’s so unique, it is patented.

HERE’S THE CURRENT SITUATION FOR REGIONAL MALL DEVELOPERS: (Click for Article)

“Time-starved consumers are finding it more convenient to browse items online instead of driving to the mall. But growth has been rapid, with online sales soaring nearly 400% since 2000.”

“As e-commerce continues to grow at robust rates — the sector posted a 10% year-over-year sales increase in the first quarter, according to market research firm ComScore Inc. — experts have predicted that online sales could grow to as much as 30% of total retail sales over the next few decades.”

"The entire retail industry, in one way or another, is becoming driven by digital, and the days of just going to the store and shopping are really declining" said ComScore. “We’re really at the tip of this iceberg."

DANGER: To continue to ignore evidence of the massive sales shift to the Internet is a perilous strategy. Sure, malls can try raising base rents to offset reduced overage but with mall sales p.s.f. declining, so go base rents. See Article

GOOD NEWS ! ROOF (Rapid Online Order Fulfillment) is the 100% Guaranteed turnkey patented solution to recapture these lost sales + gain 5 new customer groups. ROOF immediately puts the Internet into mall properties as the highest form of Customer Loyalty and Social Media program. EVERYTHING: Delivered In A Flash®

1. ATTRACT FIVE (5) NEW CUSTOMER GROUPS: ROOF (Rapid Online Order Fulfillment) is needed and desired by all time-starved, convenience-oriented, cost-conscious consumers, including:

a. “Internet Savvy” Shoppers (76% of population): ROOF provides 1 Hour service (in-store shopping and delivery) from shopping malls so customers don’t have to wait 3 to 10 days for online orders from afar.

b. “Mobility Challenged” Shoppers: Can’t easily get to malls: Seniors (12% of population); Caregivers (29% of population); Disabled (19% of population); plus Busy Families and Offices.

c. “Convenience First” Shoppers (80% of population): Local shoppers who prefer strip malls instead of large regional malls due to easier parking, less traffic, less walking, proximity to their homes.

d. “Extended Reach” Shoppers (25% of new local population): Currently outside local malls’ normal trading area (buying from other malls elsewhere).

e. “Bulky Items” Shoppers: They visit the malls often and purchase in its stores – but only what they can carry. They see what else they want, go home to order bulky items online – elsewhere.

2. GUARANTEED to Increase Mall Sales by 25% and Profits by 50% (or more).

3. GUARANTEED No Set-Up Cost Risk: 100% guaranteed refund of the one-time nominal ROOF set-up fee over 12 months from our ongoing 15% Rebate program.

4. ENORMOUS GOODWILL from Tenants and Community: Increase Customer Loyalty + in-store inventory turns + virtually eliminate the normal 30% return rate of online orders.

We’re seasoned professionals ready to work with you to install ROOF quickly and successfully in your malls. Various performance testimonials and references are available upon request.

Click Here for the entire brief ROOF for Shopping Centers slide presentation. Insure your properties against ongoing Internet losses with ROOF. And, gain a new customer base you’ve never been able to attract before.

The Problem is Clear. The Opportunity is Clear. To Start is Easy. Call or email us today !

Gail

P.S. We’re delighted to report that 8 of the Top 100 Shopping Center developers are in various stages of joining the Regional Mall ‘Internet Revolution’ with ROOF – the “Holy Grail” of Local Search & Shopping.

As our e-Newsletters can only provide a brief overview, we suggest you at least start your due diligence now…get that part behind you so you can see the other advantages we bring you prior to your making a ‘go-ahead’ decision. Please contact us for an in-depth analysis and strategy for your malls.

Gail W. Nichols - Vice Chair