DANGER AHEAD - Jeff The Retail Giant Killer Strikes Again, But Did He Finally Make A Fatal Error ?

DANGER AHEAD:

Jeff The Giant Killer Strikes Again,

Outmaneuvering The Retail Giants. . Again.

BUT – DID HE FINALLY MAKE A FATAL ERROR ?

For years, Jeff Bezos has single-handedly led retailers away from the hidden realities (Chart 1) of the $4 Trillion Online V-Commerce Market he intends to dominate. (Chart 2)

He skillfully led them to a place of failure (Same-DAY delivery) to Jeff’s significant benefit,

Exactly as in the Fairy Tale:  Jack The Giant Killer.

As farfetched as this may seem to some of you,

Even this Fairy Tale pales in comparison to Jeff’s astonishing success, as most retailers already know the hard way.

It’s mostly due to his continuing and clever deceptions that have already led to the death of myriad retail Giants (e.g. Border Books, Circuit City, Blockbuster, etc.)  – just like in the Fairy Tale.

For years, we’ve been warning retailers that “The Key to The Giant’s Castle” is 30 to 45 minute (Same-HOUR) fulfillment and delivery (Chart 1),

But Bezos convinced them Same-DAY was the Secret to Success, instead of the Consumer’s #1 Choice:  Same-HOUR Fulfillment  (Chart 1),

And everyone quickly endorsed that erroneous conclusion,

Ignoring The Obvious Reality: 

Same-HOUR is less costly than Same-DAY when done right,

AND Same-DAY offers far less Consumer Convenience (33% want Same-DAY),

Than the Consumer’s #1 Choice: 30 to 45 Minute (1-HOUR) fulfillment (83% prefer Same-HOUR). See Chart 1

Then, To Everyone’s Complete Surprise:

Last week, Jeff announced his new 30 Minute Prime-Air “OctoCopter” DRONE Fulfillment Service,

Delivering from his huge new nationwide automated local area warehouses.

Secretly, he’s been quietly developing his Same-HOUR service for some time now,

While letting you believe Same-DAY was his sole objective !

Brilliant Deception – AND IT WORKED – AGAIN – (here’s the U-Tube Prime Air Video if you haven’t already seen it)

NO QUESTION ABOUT IT:  Jeff’s “OctoCopter” DRONES absolutely trump his Same-DAY Service for 80% of his inventory units,

Given the FAA finalizes its new rules governing use of unmanned aerial vehicles in Jeff’s favor,

This will happen when all the objections and difficulties are overcome (especially with someone like Jeff behind it).

All while most retailers are still trying to duplicate his Same-DAY service that he will eventually mostly phase out for all the right reasons.

IN THE MEANWHILE:  This huge Same-DAY Red Herring,

Just gave Jeff a clear and unobstructed pathway to the $4 Trillion Online V-Commerce Market,

Including time-sensitive items like groceries and restaurants and fast food’s “Hamburgers, Fries & A Coke”

Which collectively comprise over 60% of the $4 Trillion Online V-Commerce World Market.

All because major retailers bought into Jeff’s deception,

Ignoring: 

(1)   The Consumer’s #1 preference of 30 to 45 Minute (1-HOUR) fulfillment (Chart1)

(2)   Increased V-Commerce “Networking” Profits

(3)   The opportunity to finally offset Amazon

30 to 45 Minute (Same-HOUR) Rapid Fulfillment always has been the Consumer’s #1 demand,

Which we’ve been trying to tell Bricks and Mortar retailers for the last 7 years, with amazing difficulty,

Until J. P. Morgan came to our rescue in July, 2013 – Chart 2.

And that Jeff’s “OctoCopter” now confirms.

Then, as if that isn’t bad enough;

The Same-DAY Bridge everyone was crossing just collapsed mid-stream,

With the 2013 Cyber Monday’s 19% growth rate triple-trumping Bricks & Mortar store’s Black Friday sales, which, for thefirst time fell 2.9%.

Reality Check:

Things like “Beam-Me-Up-Scotty” and Jeff’s “OctoCopter”  (that Domino’s Pizza and others were testing months ago),

Are things that are Certainly Going To Happen sometime in the future.

But today’s Consumers want FREE 30 to 45 Minute 24 / 7 / 365 Rapid Fulfillment OF EVERYTHING – Delivered In A Flash® . . . . TODAY

Not just a few, small, light-weight items sometime in the future  . . . . . Maybe.

And remember The 4 V-Commerce Pillars which are essential to any successful 30 to 45 Minute FREE 24 / 7 / 365 Rapid Fulfillment V-Commerce Network:

1.      The RIGHT SIZE Professional WELL PAID “Shared” Workforce Pool of Drivers and Customer Service Reps.

2.      A full Consortium of local participating retailers is critical to supporting this huge workforce pool needed for V-Commerce Critical Mass,

That one retailer alone could never achieve – even Walmart.

AND Amazon is proportionately a bigger threat to local bricks & mortar “Mom and Pop” retailers than Amazon is to you.

3.      To attract the order volume needed for items 1 and 2 to achieve Critical Mass,

The right Major Anchor Tenant (Marketing Partner) is absolutely essential:

Same as Anchor Tenants are absolutely essential to every successful Major Regional Mall – NO EXCEPTIONS – NO DIFFERENCE.

And such Anchor Tenants, online & offline, get numerous added benefits for participating – such as:

a.      A low, to no cost prime location in the Consortium Network’s Online “Mall”.

b.      Net-Net 30 to 45 Minute (1-HOUR) FREE Fulfillment and Delivery 24 / 7 / 365 ON EVERY ORDER

At no cost to you as a Major Anchor Tenant

c.       Increased In-Store sales from Cross-Marketing with the other participating local area retailers (similar to any Regional Mall).

d.      Significant ROYALTIES as the Major Anchor Tenant from the added sales of the participating local area retailers

who ALSO have Amazon as their main competitor with no other effective method of competing.

e.      BONUS:  This Patented V-Commerce Network Is 100% Turnkey;

You and Your Staff Do Absolutely NOTHING Extra – EVER.

4.      A “Network Operating Partner” with our 35+ years of experience is needed to support items 1, 2 and 3 above, knowing exactly what to do and more importantly, what NOT to do.

a)      Operating liabilities such as third party product liabilities, traffic delivery accident liabilities and staffing liabilities, etc., are all the responsibility of the Network Operating Partner (similar to any Major Regional Mall and/or FedEx, UPS and USPS).

NOTE:

As you haven’t yet tried V-Commerce, possibly you still don’t believe the above is possible, or even necessary,

Same as you originally didn’t think Amazon and E-Commerce were possible, let alone necessary to most Consumers 15 years ago,

                        And more today than ever before.

And now comes the Amazon 30 Minute Fulfillment “OctoCopter” – Impossible You Say ???

Well Maybe for Domino’s Pizza.

Of course, you could simply continue giving your 30 – 45 minute orders to eBay or Google who are trying hard to copy our Network,

But without Anchor Tenant benefits equivalent, or even close to the above (one of The 4 Pillars to V-Commerce success),

Your order level will be less than optimal, with far more in-store assembly work, and less profitability in-store and virtually no Third Party Royalties (the biggest factor of all).

And eBay and Google are just as much your competitors as Jeff Bezos and Amazon.

“Cyber Monday sales surged, sending online shopping toward a single-day record siphoning consumers from brick-and-mortar stores

The results deliver another blow to physical stores, which just suffered the first spending decline on a Black Friday weekend since 2009.

Web sales this holiday season are projected to climb as much as 15 percent to $82 billion, more than three times faster than total retail growth of 3.9 percent to $602.1 billion”

HOWEVER;  To get your share of the $4 Trillion Online Market J. P. Morgan recently identified (Chart 2),

You need to step out of Amazon’s Fairy Tale into the online reality of V-Commerce starting with Charts 1 and 2

The sooner the better.

BUT WAIT – What Do We Suddenly See When We Look More Carefully ?

Jeff just made a fatal error, as he was eventually bound to do:

Jeff Just Admitted His Achilles’ Heel – 30 Minute Fulfillment Terrifies Him,

Which is why he now is abandoning his Same-Day Red-Herring and touting 30 minute fulfillment – which he can’t yet offer.

Regardless, he is now professing he is way ahead on his 30 Minute Fulfillment.

When The Truth Is: 

Jeff is light years behind on what “most” (but not all) retailers now know is the future of retail – 30 Minute Rapid Fulfillment.

But for those few remaining Doubting Thomases, Jeff’s “OctoCopter” just confirmed our above statements, once and for all.

YES – drones are a great idea – but realistically not any time soon – and further away for large bulky orders (where the real profits are).

But, for sure 30 Minute Fulfillment Drones are coming,

And for sure they are less expensive (well maybe) and more reliable (well maybe not).

But for absolutely sure it’s safe to say V-Commerce is here today, and has a clear 5 to 15 year window before our enhanced version of the drone (or any other “OctoCopter” or Beam-Me-Up-Scotty version) realistically appears.

Jeff is a really bright guy and knows this all too well, including all the pros & cons,

But Jeff had no other choice,

He had to announce his claim to 30 minute fulfillment while he still had the credibility to do so.

Your Chance To Capitalize . . . But The Reality Is:

Jeff needs more time to get his 30 Minute Fulfillment Prime Air Drone into long term profitable operating realities.

And the Bricks & Mortar retailers are probably going to give him the time he needs – before competing in the 30 Minute area.

Thus missing:

(1)   The largest new $4 Trillion World Retail Market of all time, ($2 Trillion U.S.) – Chart 2,

(2)   Their stockholders’ largest market cap gain of all time,

(3)   And their new online customers’ demands.

(4)   Probably the last real chance to offset Amazon.

All in the name of:

(1)   Waiting for other Bricks & Mortar retailers to go first,

(2)   Doing everything “in-house” regardless of the realities,

(3)   Doing nothing “risky” regardless of the higher risks of actually doing nothing,

(4)   Only dealing with Fortune 500 Companies, instead of with accomplished, financially vested, entrepreneurs (Charts 3 and 4).

No wonder Jeff’s deceptions are so successful.

But his competitors (and yours) eBay and Google are not being so “generous”,

Because they grew up in this new online retail generation,

Same as Jeff did, not caring about conventional Bricks & Mortar retailing guidelines.

EBay & Google understand this new generation Consumer and their demand for the Highest Convenience, Widest Choice & Best Price.

And are determined to prevent Jeff from dominating V-Commerce as he now does E-Commerce.

However, while eBay & Google are far closer to 30 Minute Fulfillment success than Jeff is with his “OctoCopter” (and who knows what else),

They are light years away from winning the $4 Trillion World V-Commerce Market without The 4 V-Commerce Pillars.

So you can just imagine;

Jeff is working at warp speed to offset this threat to his goal to dominate the $4 Trillion V-Commerce Worldwide Retail Market.

Someone will win this huge V-Commerce market J. P. Morgan detailed a few months ago,

That we have been detailing for major retailers for the last 7 years – Charts 1 and 2,

We have the Keys To The Giant’s Castle,

But we have always realistically known we can’t do it alone,

AND We Certainly Tried,

But it was bigger than we were, and is even bigger today.

Therefore, Jeff is assured of winning . . . at your expense,

As long as you are willing to let Jeff play his already successful game uncontested.

BUT IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE THAT WAY.

Are you that rare retail exception that is willing to try something powerful, proven and new ?

IF SO, Call us;

We Can Get You There.

Starting with a simple inexpensive TEST City to conclusively prove all the above to you and all your Doubting Thomases.

Most Respectfully,

 

Gail Nichols

www.TheNowMall.com

 

 

BREAKING NEWS - The Retail Sleeping Giants Are Awakening !

BREAKING NEWS

The Retail Sleeping Giants Are Finally Awakening !

Giving Big Box Retailers The Chance Of A Lifetime To Leap-Frog Amazon.

National Retail Federation’s (STORES.org) May 2013 lead article published last week is appropriately entitled “Moving Fast” which is a powerful double entendre for Big Box retailers.  (see National Retail Federation (NRF) article here).

Principally, this article pertains to the opportunity that enables your team to take a commanding lead in your industry as well as Retail In General.  It says:

“Late last fall, USPS joined a crowded field of retailers and logistics experts, all attempting to find the Holy Grail: the right product, price point and customer for Same-Day delivery.”  (see Chart 1 below)

NOW CONFIRMED:  The Consumers #1 Choice = Instant Gratification

For years, Big Box retailers have heard from us that their solution to Amazon is to focus on the retail consumer’s #1 choice of “Convenience” = Rapid Delivery = Instant Gratification = The Retail Holy Grail (Chart 1).

This NRF article confirms our R&D results shown in Chart 1, which is what the Grocery & Restaurant industries with highly time-sensitive products have known for years, but have never achieved. (Other than Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza, one of our founders.)

The consumer’s #2 choice is Price and their #3 choice is Widest Product Selection – as this article also confirms – and as Walmart has known for years.

It took Amazon 15 years in retail to help prove the point that Convenience (Rapid Delivery = Instant Gratification) is the consumer’s #1 choice.

Now that the roof on retail bricks & mortar stores has finally fallen in because they historically missed this strategic point, this article describes it as follows:

“Amazon has pushed the envelope on what’s possible and has gotten pretty successfully to two-day delivery on a lot of items,”  see Chart 2 for confirmation

Now The Sleeping Giants Are Beginning To Awaken To The New Consumer Reality.

The incredible opportunity for your company is:  These Giants Are Not YET Fully Awake as this article also attests.

This NRF lead article for their May 2013 issue details how Retail Giants are finally being FORCED by Amazon into giving the Consumers their #1 choice:  Rapid Delivery – at great cost and inconvenience and still missing the Holy Grail this article references.

However, this article only deals with “Same-DAY” delivery as Amazon is only doing Same-DAY in select markets, in limited time frame windows (not Same-HOUR 24 / 7 / 365) but this article correctly states:

“From my perspective, there’s a lot of inside-the-industry hype (about Same-Day), but it’s not the customer demanding it.”  Absolutely Correct.  They want Instant Gratification = Same-HOUR. See Chart 1

“only 4.2 percent of consumers use Same-DAY delivery frequently” Absolutely Correct.   83% want Same-Hour Fulfillment – see Chart  1. Offer it and discover the huge market you’ve been searching for – Chart 3 – and with ADDED profits most executives simply can’t conceive or believe – Chart 3.

This article confirms what we’ve been saying for years – Chart 1 – which is “The Retail Holy Grail”:  NOBODY “WANTS” SAME-DAY DELIVERY which means waiting for “something” to arrive “sometime” during the usual 4 to 8 hour time period, or 2 hour windows – same as “waiting for the cable-guy” and then at a huge cost that nobody wants to pay.

People Simply Hate To Wait

This NRF article also outlines why TheNowMall.com does the various things we uniquely do, that others have never done before, such as providing a huge, dedicated CyberValet® Shopper/Driver pool that is necessary to handle on-demand orders in 30 to 60 minutes during the various Peaks & Valleys 24 / 7 / 365 including Seasonal Peaks & Valleys as this article mentions, PLUS Free Delivery Etc.,  Etc. (see Charts 4 & 7 for more details)

Same-HOUR is less expensive than Same-DAY for myriad reasons that the retail industry can’t yet grasp simply because there are a lot of underlying factors that even this enlightened article is wrestling with.  However, we perfected how to deal with these issues years ago even before we did McDonald’s 30-minute fulfillment program or we couldn’t have succeeded beyond even McDonald’s wildest expectations (except we made it “look” too easy !). See Chart 5

But when the retail industry “finally sees the light at the end of the Amazon tunnel”, stand back and watch the stampede, to which this NRF article continuously alludes.

But for now, the Sleeping Giants are only thinking about “Same-DAY” not the consumer’s wish for Instant Gratification = Same-HOUR, simply because Amazon is now only doing Same-DAY, leading the parade again but in the wrong direction, as this article is very clear about.  Where are all the Industry leaders ?

While Same-Day is a huge step forward from their 3 to 10 day delivery position 9 months ago, it’s not the long term game-changer that is sorely needed – see Chart 2.

But the best is yet to come.

Your Chance Of A Lifetime To Offset Amazon & Walmart

As you have been reading our E-News Updates for some time now, you are probably already 90% convinced that only 30 to 60 minute Rapid Fulfillment can BEAT Amazon, while (as this article indicates), the rest of the retail industry is at least a year or two behind you in vision, INCLUDING AMAZON & WALMART !    

To support this:  Last year we were told by one of these still struggling Retail Giants as they started their Same-Day tests:

“Your concept is clearly different in its approach and perhaps one day, many people will shop this way. For now though, we are going to pass.  This is not to say "not ever", simply "not now." (due diligence officer, S. Jensen – August 2012)  Across the country, millions of people every year have been consistently ordering “this way” from our Co-founder, Tom Monaghan’s Domino’s Pizza, for well over 50 years !

In 2010, we were told by one of the largest Regional Mall owners:

“E-commerce will not affect us because 15% of nothing is still nothing” (due diligence officer, P. Flanagan – March 2010) now converting some of their malls to other rental uses.

This is Great News for your Big Box stores !

The MINUTE you open your first SuperCyberCenter Mall in Buffalo, NY,  for your industry competitive reasons against Amazon & Walmart; AS A BONUS, the other 25 top Big Box retailers & Major Regional Mall owners (who are also hurting because of Amazon) will immediately increase their due diligence.  Key media (including Neil Cavuto – Fox News) and most retail Industry Analysts will also immediately focus their attention on this newsworthy event.  They all religiously read our periodic E-Newsletters as Rapid Delivery is a trending topic.

This is because they all know:

“IF” Same-HOUR fulfillment can be done ECONOMICALLY, Profitably & Efficiently, without Interruption to their current store operations, which Same-Day delivery simply cannot ever do – a new world is upon them.

As nobody else on this planet has anywhere near our 50 years’ combined INSTANT GRATIFICATION knowledge and ability – it’s easy for us to prove that it’s practical with a major Marketing Partner.

When The Retail Holy Grail is conclusively proven via a simple test in Buffalo, NY –a small but well-defined test city, this will give you an enormous opportunity at relatively no cost to execute an Industry-Changing Business Method Worldwide that puts your stores light-years ahead of any and all competitors, including Amazon. 

This solution includes more than just Rapid Fulfillment; it brings you incremental in-store sales and ADDED industry profits as well as increased market cap/share value - as we have achieved before as per Charts 6 & 7.

Same-Day Delivery Failure Is Now Reported

Big Box retailers have been hit hard by Amazon and many are doing many great and positive things to offset this damage, but no strategy has yet risen to this extreme long-term game-changing challenge –including Same-DAY delivery.

Your current Same-Day delivery results have been costly and disappointing and have not met your expectations (as this NRF article clearly indicates is true for all retailers), nor has Same-Day delivery in the least offset Amazon’s nor Walmart’s growing threat to your E-commerce future - see Chart 2.

Your Once In A Lifetime Opportunity:

Before the Sleeping Giants wake up to the real future of E-commerce as the consumer is demanding (Chart 1) – now is your chance to Capture Dominance In Retail with a simple field trial of the Retail Holy Grail: 30 to 60 Minute, 24 / 7 / 365,  Instant Gratification, with FREE Delivery with us in Buffalo, NY; then Pittsburgh, PA; then Atlanta, GA, before your national roll-out of your SuperCyberCenter Network.

As Winston Churchill said:  “Americans always do the right thing . . . after they have tried everything else.” And Best Buy has tried everything else, as have most other retailers, and so far everything else has failed to offset Amazon – including Same-DAY delivery.

The obvious is upon you – Instant Gratification: 30 – 60 Minute Fulfillment – 24 / 7 / 365 = The Retail Holy Grail = Same-HOUR Fulfillment.

It’s almost here.  One major retailer is close to launching their first SuperCyberCenter Mall with us. 

Now is your chance to take the coveted Master Worldwide Marketing Partner Position and, in the least, take control of the future of your Industry – Chart 3.

We sure hope your stores join us in the Winner’s Circle.

Please call or email us ASAP.

Thanks,

Gail

 

Why The Web Has Won

Rachel Ryan, Director of Finance at the National Retail Federation (NRF) has a terrific posting on Retail's BIG Blog. Here is an excerpt:

"In the past decade there have been two winners in the retail space -- warehouse clubs and Web-based stores, according to Patti Freeman Evans, research director at Forrester Research. Why has the Web superseded other channels? Evans shares three reasons for the success of the Web, as well as what changes retailers need to make to compete.

So, why has the web won?

The web has created a new competitive market in which geography is no longer the driving force. Companies cite Amazon, eBay, and small online shops as their competition, in addition to traditional players. The web has created a border-less world in which much broader and global markets exist. Successful retailers must have conversations about how best to manage that marketplace.

The web has empowered brands allowing companies to enforce their brand image and message. 57% of U.S. respondents agreed with the statement, “When I find a brand I like, I stick to it.” It is therefore up to retailers to ensure that the consumer experience with their brand is consistent. For example, store associates should have access to the web to educate themselves and sell product – thereby having access to the same information that the consumer has access to.

Channel sales are getting blurred. In the next two years, over half of U.S. retail sales will be influenced or impacted by the web. Nike refers to this new world as “bricks and mobile” and internally stresses the importance of watching what is happening online, both at digital interfaces such as Facebook and competitors’ websites."

TheNowMall.com provides "bricks and mortar" retailers another channel to sell locally via our 1-Hour Personal Shopping & Delivery program.  This 100% turnkey Rapid Online Order Fulfillment (ROOF) program increases customer loyalty and store sales while reducing the usual e-commerce return rates (normally 30%) by getting products into the customer's hands within the hour rather than in days.

The ROOF program is currently offered at Aventura Mall, FL with over 300 retailers and restaurants.  Customers browse and order online (or by phone) via TheNowMall.com Network whose CyberValet Shoppers go to the store, purchase the items and deliver them to the customer usually within the hour.

National rollout of the ROOF program is in conjunction with other regional malls.

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