New Out-of-Home Ad Space: Recycling Machines

Advertisers are getting access to a new interactive out-of-home ad platform that is close to the point of sale. That’s thanks to Tomra, which operates a network of recycling machines at supermarkets and other retail locations across the U.S.

The company is introducing poster spaces, video messages and product-specific coupons to its “reverse vending machines,” which sort and accept recyclable beverage containers. In addition to supermarkets, it operates RVMs at sports stadiums, amusement parks and university campuses.

Read the entire article here.

Retail Consumer Satisfaction Up But Wal-Mart Disputes It’s Lower Number

Consumers might have been stingy in the fourth quarter, but they came out of the period happier about the way they were treated by retailers, the American Consumer Satisfaction Index demonstrated, with Wal-Mart and Dollar General being exceptions.

Considered in two categories, department/discount store and supermarket, Wal-Mart gained a point in the ACSI rating system to 70 as a general merchandise retailer, but it lost two points to 69 as a food retailer. Wal-Mart’s ACSI supermarket rating slipped in the quarter even though its sales gained. Claes Fornell, director of the National Quality Research Center, which is an ACSI sponsor, noted that Wal-Mart’s supercenter operations are so price oriented that service isn’t as big a deal to its customers as it is to those of some other retailers.

Read the entire article at Bnet.com

Merchandising job trends by Indeed.com

To view more employment trends, please visit Indeed.com

Big Brands Tailor Marketing Around Customers’ Pay Days

Makers of household goods and food are paying more attention to the “paycheck cycle” as cash-strapped consumers are showing a tendency to make their largest purchases when their salaries first come in and to cut back as that money runs out.

With more consumers living from paycheck to paycheck, some companies have looked at ways to time their promotions around periods when consumers’ wallets are likely to be well cushioned.

Read the entire article at CNN.com

Shoppers Abandoning Department Stores, Maybe for Good

The recession has hit department stores particularly hard—and their future, too, may not be too bright, as consumers may not return to their department-store shopping habits even when the economy returns to its pre-recession glory, writes the Dallas Morning News.

Certainly not all customers who will have grown accustomed to discounts and living frugally will go back shopping at department stores. More than half—55%—of consumers polled by WSL Strategic Retail say they are shopping less at malls.

Read the entire article.

Planogram Compliance Measures: Low Tech and Lightly Used

Measurement of planogram compliance is a decidedly low‐tech matter. More than one third of respondents to the latest ISI Network 30‐Sec Poll (35%) indicated that they have no process in place whatsoever to track planogram compliance. Those that answered “yes” rely heavily on spot checks (49%) and store manager sign‐offs (46%).

Retailer reliance on third parties is also commonplace. “Use of 3rd party reline team to implement required changes,” said one retailer respondent. “A merchandising team does them.” said another.

Read the full report

RetailWire/Dechert-Hampe Study Results: What’s Next at Retail?

What’s the next big (or small) concept that will rock retailing? That was among the questions asked in the newly released RetailWire/Dechert-Hampe report, Retail Formats in Transition. Based on the study results, and your own prediction of where store formats are headed, which retail operators have the best handle on where the market is going and what consumers will be looking for in the next few years?

Click here to get the report.

Virtual Trade Show Open for Business

With the 14th Annual NARMS International Spring Conference Annual Meeting & Exposition right around the corner, it is time to start making plans to get the most out of our annual event. Each year, it seems that there is just not enough time to get to all the educational workshops, speakers and exhibitors. In order to make a little more time, NARMS is pleased to announce that our inaugural Virtual Trade Show is open and available right now!

The NARMS Virtual Trade Show is your opportunity to discover what products and services our exhibitors provide for your daily business operations. Most of the exhibitors are associate members of NARMS. The link to the show is available on the front page of www.narms.com or you can go directly to http://www.virtualbeginnings.com/start/narms to register. There are detailed, step-by-step instructions available on the site.

The Virtual Trade Show is the classic case of a win-win situation and perfectly fits our strategic plan to fully integrate our web presence with what we do at NARMS everyday. It is a way to thank our generous exhibitors by offering them a marketplace for their wares that precedes and extends the actual event. Many of these goods and services are tailor-made for members of the at-retail merchandising and marketing services industry. For the members, this is an opportunity to take a stroll around the exhibit hall prior to arriving at Colorado Springs . You will also have the opportunity to re-visit after the event.

In today’s world it is important that we connect with other business leaders both in person and on-line. The Virtual Trade Show is a perfect example of the convergence of traditional trade association activities, like an annual conference, with current and future technologies of the web. Both of these opportunities working together in concert creates an even stronger bond and connection that will help you find the goods and services you need and help your trade association continue to be a strong and vital partner.

So take advantage of the NARMS Virtual Trade Show both before and after Colorado Springs by taking a stroll around the exhibit floor. And don’t forget to make your plans for Conference by visiting the Conference Center today.

If You Want to Stand Out, Join the Crowd

The NARMS JobBank and Career Connection are great ways to reach out to the retail merchandising talent pool.

To find candidates for a senior finance job that opened up last month, executive recruiter Ed Kaye scanned the roster of a relevant industry association and quickly homed in on a longtime member. He placed a cold call, and the recipient, a manager at a similar company, agreed to interview for the position and was eventually hired.

Mr. Kaye, a senior partner at recruiting firm GSP International in Woodbridge, N.J., isn’t alone in searching associations’ membership directories to identify talent. The strategy is the most common way recruiters find potential candidates who aren’t actively looking for a new job, according to a recent survey of 450 members of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Read the entire article at WSJ.com

Coupon Clipping All the Rage, Again

Some of America’s biggest packaged goods brands are trading in expensive advertising campaigns for old-fashioned coupons, writes the Financial Times.

Procter and Gamble, one of the largest US advertisers, has shifted much of its marketing dollars to coupon campaigns in a bid to stop customers from turning to low-cost private label products.

Read the entire article at RetailerDaily.com