CrossCheck Blog

In the words of character Carrie Bradshaw, “I like my money right where I can see it — hanging in my closet.” Following a post-recession aversion to spending, luxury retailer stores are beginning to see consumers loosen their purse strings, toss out old handbags and purchase new in-style replacements. With consumer confidence on the rise, specialty retailers are advised to stay ahead of the trends in customer services to retain and attract new revenue.

Adolescent boys have dreamed of playing guitar ever since Chuck Berry recorded “Johnny B Goode” in 1958. Of course, many teen girls now have those same aspirations. Whether they include plugging in and turning up the volume, or simply strumming an acoustic six-string, their visions are generally accompanied by numerous trips to the local music store and test driving an “ax.”

Early visits to specialty retail music stores entail a lot of gawking and listening to other people play. In fact, there’s an excellent chance that one of the employees is a weekend guitar slinger in a local rock band. When business is slow, they might pick up a sunburst Fender Limited Edition Stratocaster with a rosewood neck and play a few bars — with gnarly volume and digital delay, of course — to an iconic guitar-hero song from any number of eras.

The combined $32.3 billion that Americans are predicted to spend this year for the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day translates to increased profits for specialty retailers across the country. The data was produced by a cooperative effort of the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

It's true -- Timetrade discovered that if Amazon opened a store nearby, 71% of its online shoppers would go to the store instead of the website.

Specialty retail owners and managers who want an outstanding fall season might focus on this simple but ruthless truth: you're romantically involved with your customers, and getting a sale is like getting a date.

It's possible that researchers at Carnegie Mellon have gotten a little carried away with their analysis of sales psychology. They took brain scans while people were shopping and found out that when they decide to buy, their "insular cortex" activates: 

Want outlandish success this holiday season?