CrossCheck Blog

I don't exercise. If God wanted me to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor. - Joan Rivers It makes sense to reach for something only if you know it’s there, but given all that’s happening in retail it may be difficult to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s virtual, and it may be very difficult to discern how the blurring distinction between virtual and physical shopping can be manipulated to the advantage of your business and your customers.

When two Canadian teenagers surfing the Internet found the manual for the ATM machine their bank stationed at their local mall they decided to see if they could hack into it. Following the manual’s instructions while standing at the ATM in the mall (on their lunch break from school, no less) they were able to launch the login for “operator mode” and promptly discovered that the bank had never changed the default password, which was conveniently included in the manual.

When an independent company with fewer than 100 employees comes under a cyber attack like the one that recently hit Target and Home Depot, it can expect to lose about $3.5 million just to deal with the situation – and that does not include compensation for lost opportunities or for the extreme psychological toll such an experience would certainly exact.

The National Retail Federation downgraded its 2014 growth estimate by half a point to 3.6%, realizing, unfortunately, that weak demand early in the year ran deeper than just a response to the especially harsh winter. Customer liquidity is probably not the problem, especially since median incomes are finally on the rise and the home improvement sector has risen nearly ten points in the past year.

The autumnal equinox marks a critical transition point for most specialty retail shop owners and managers. It’s around now that your stress level skyrockets as you clear out the summer collection and prepare for the holidays. Since we’re in the business of alleviating some of your stress by protecting your cash flow, we did some research for you that might alleviate a little more – and that might help you plan your holiday presentation. There are two major components: color and you. Color first. Customers take about a minute and a half to form an opinion of your shop’s environment, and color dominates that thought process.

So, when will retailers begin Holiday Season advertising in August? It couldn’t be that far off. The starting gun for Black Friday used to be regular business hours, then an hour earlier, then long before dawn, but today retailers have pushed it all the way back to the previous night, competing with the sanctity of Thanksgiving dinner for our time and attention.

With all the bright colors, improving technology features, and lofty price tags; it comes as no surprise that electronics are the most heavily showroomed items by consumers.

Mother’s Day is one of the most celebrated holidays and retailers try to capitalize on it with various promotions. Surprisingly enough, a lot of the Mother’s Day marketing does not tap into the emotional side of the consumer’s buying behavior. Most of the marketing efforts remind consumers “Mother’s Day is …” So just in case you need one last reminder, Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 11th.

We’re throwing a huge party today – did you receive your invitation? We’re celebrating the 28 million small businesses that operate in the country. (That’s a lot of balloons!) Today is officially National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day. Anyone running his own business knows it’s far from “small:” over 50% of the population works in small business, and small businesses are responsible for 65% of the net new jobs created since 1995. Seems like a great reason for a party! And what’s a party without party favors? Read on for some ideas to keep your small business in the party spirits.

Read Part I Here