as black friday nears us stores get creative
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

to battle e-commerce

As Black Friday nears, US stores get creative

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today As Black Friday nears, US stores get creative

Shoppers with their arms full walk to their cars during the Black Friday sales at a Best Buy store
New York - Arab Today

The photo op with Santa Claus has long been a holiday mainstay for American children. But this year, shopping malls in several states are scheduling glamour shots for man's best friend.

As the Christmas shopping season kicks into high gear on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, portraits of St. Nick with a family's beloved dog are just one way retailers are looking to attract customers in the face of exploding e-commerce.

Brick-and-mortar stores have expanded their bag of tricks -- and gotten increasingly bold -- as they look to lure shoppers who might otherwise be happy to stay on the couch and pick up gifts while still in their pajamas.

The flagship Bloomingdale's store in New York has held yoga classes, and Nordstrom has displayed Tesla cars near the section for men's suits.

A number of shops now ply visitors with food and drink.

For the holiday shopping season, malls are hosting gingerbread decorating sessions, visits from the Grinch -- Dr. Seuss's beloved Christmas villain-turned-softie -- and ugly Christmas sweater nights.

Temporary ice skating rinks and magical winter decor are also being used to draw customers intent on an in-person holiday experience.

Wal-Mart Stores plans to throw more than 20,000 "holiday parties" at which children can pose for "selfies with Santa."

"All of these retailers are desperate to get people into their stores," said analyst Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, who added a note of caution about all the promotions.

"Whether they work or not is open to debate."

- The draw of the internet -

Most experts predict a solid holiday shopping season, with IHS Markit projecting overall sales growth of 4.2 percent to about $685 billion, said Chris Christopher, executive director at IHS.

Online sales are expected to account for 18.3 percent of holiday sales this year, up from 16.8 percent last year, according to IHS.

Surveys show that creating a festive holiday atmosphere is one way to prompt consumers to pocket their smartphones for a few hours and hit the mall.

About a third of consumers said they enjoyed holiday shopping as a family tradition and 23 percent said they most enjoy holiday decorations, said a National Retail Federation survey.

Tourist Karen Boyd, who was visiting New York this week from Palo Alto, California, said she expects to do half of her shopping online and half of it in stores this year.

"The years I've done 100 percent online, it doesn’t feel like you've done your holiday shopping!" she said near Saks Fifth Avenue's famed holiday window display as Christmas carols played in the background.

- New apps and curbside delivery -

As e-commerce has grabbed bigger market share, chains like Target and Gap have invested heavily in smartphone apps and sophisticated "big data" programs to target consumers and price most effectively.

Upscale department store Nordstrom is offering 24-hour curbside pickup at a handful of stores for the final nine days of the shopping season.

"Customers increasingly want to shop where, how and when they choose, and 24/7 Curbside Pickup is one service we're offering to support their experience," said Shea Jensen, senior vice president of customer experience at Nordstrom.

Department store Kohl's is taking to heart a common motto -- if you can't beat them, join them.

Kohl's will accept returns of goods bought on Amazon at its stores in Chicago and Los Angeles -- and will pack and ship the unpackaged items back to the online behemoth at no charge.

The hope is that Amazon shoppers will linger and buy a few items from Kohl's.

"We have a really very simple, straightforward objective here, and that is driving traffic is the number one priority we have as a company," chief executive Kevin Mansell said earlier this month.

- Heart of the problem? -

For Saunders, while doggie pics with Santa might draw pet lovers to stores, other initiatives are less inviting. And for him, the real issue is on the product side.

"A lot of these retailers aren't delivering what people want," he said.

David Simon, chief executive of the mall giant Simon Property Group, said stores should shake up their approach to customer service, highlighting Apple's attentiveness to customers and sleek store design.

"I think if they did that in a more comprehensive way through checkouts service, styling . . . they would see a pickup in their in-store sales," Simon said on a recent conference call.

Shopper Melin Ghotan said "bad customer service" had marred her recent purchase at a video game store -- a clerk balked when the Los Angeles mother requested a second shopping bag for the items.

"I'd have rather bought it online," she said as she walked near New York's lamdmark Rockefeller Center.

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

GMT 20:29 2018 Sunday ,02 September

Tricks to make your iPhone battery last hours longer

GMT 02:25 2018 Thursday ,11 January

GoPro shares dive as it cuts staff

GMT 05:09 2017 Saturday ,23 December

as investors suffer 'reality check'

GMT 19:51 2017 Saturday ,09 December

Bitcoin surges towards $17,000

GMT 12:16 2017 Monday ,04 December

Buy it with bitcoin in New York
Arab Today, arab today

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

as black friday nears us stores get creative as black friday nears us stores get creative

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

as black friday nears us stores get creative as black friday nears us stores get creative

 



GMT 16:16 2014 Wednesday ,10 September

Samirah Ibrahim receives Saudi cultural attaché

GMT 09:32 2017 Sunday ,24 September

China confirms will limit oil exports to North Korea

GMT 19:56 2016 Saturday ,17 September

Typhoon Meranti death toll rises to 28

GMT 09:40 2018 Monday ,01 January

OIC Summit opens in Kazakhstan

GMT 06:37 2015 Monday ,07 December

Iran film directors protest colleague's jail term

GMT 18:37 2017 Friday ,25 August

Mental health issues should be prioritized

GMT 04:39 2017 Thursday ,31 August

Trump vows to right 'self-destructive' tax code

GMT 05:29 2017 Tuesday ,22 August

Celebrations across India on 71st Independence Day

GMT 10:54 2017 Wednesday ,11 October

Child obesity grows tenfold since 1975

GMT 02:31 2016 Tuesday ,06 December

Dubai Women Establishment delegation participates

GMT 04:29 2018 Wednesday ,19 September

North and South Korea: Kim and Moon hail new future

GMT 14:18 2013 Monday ,19 August

Newlywed Lebanese couple pose at car bomb site

GMT 11:11 2011 Friday ,12 August

Palestinian university ranks seventh in Arab world

GMT 15:16 2015 Wednesday ,26 August

UAE ambassador attends charity ceremony in Qalubiya

GMT 16:59 2016 Tuesday ,26 July

Hedge funds in new cycle of oil short-selling
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday