Alex Woodruff Biz Buzz

The last time I saw an outlet opening that looked like it was in the wrong place, I was convinced by a fellow Brit that it served a growing need and would survive. Ok, I’m not into manicure and nail painting. But apparently it was all the rage at the time in London. So I [...]

Don’t blink - it’s adiads
Question: Why do the Chinese copy big brands and produce fakes of their own?
Answer: Because they can.
Can in the sense of “are not stopped” - by the authorities, who have obviously not got the situation under control.
Can in the sense of “know how to” - having been trained by western companies.
When [...]

Gaining attention at the PoS (point of sale) is never easy when there are seemingly hundreds of competitors trying desperately to get noticed. Like in the very first days of marketing, at the market stall it feels you have to shout loudest to sell more.
Only a certain number of suppliers gain the honour of a [...]

Product managers are responsible for the whole of the marketing mix. But some parts of it are slightly beyond their grasp.

Not your place.
In August I saw the local lottery trying to boost sales during the summer lull with a special Mercedes SLK promotion, free to all entrants. Arranging the cooperation with the carmaker will [...]

Grabbing attention at the point of sale (PoS) can be crucial in some markets. Especially highly competitive ones, where the first place the customer encounters you is not in the media - as you’d hoped - but standing on shelf, next to all your competitors just before the purchase decision is made.
In such instances, [...]

While many German retailers try to cut costs and make customers feel like cattle (especially discounters like Aldi and Lidl), others have worked out that customers like to feel comfortable in their surroundings. If they do, they tend to buy more. One of my favourites is DM.
Good on them not only for some great products, [...]

I was intrigued by this point of sale (POS) merchandising unit on open display at a Spanish airport. But I guess that is where the product manager or trade marketing people want it to be: on open display. POS material is all about calling out to people and encouraging them to buy.

But what I wonder [...]

Do you lose customers by not stocking the items they need, or should you not stock certain items because customers are not coming to your outlet anyway. What comes first, the ebb or the flow? And can you change the tide?
My local baker isn’t sure either. When I first came to Germany shops weren’t even [...]

A call to retailers: give your customers more hassle-free shopping! No I haven’t been drinking coffee. No I’ve not got anything against old people. Just today, as a working man, it finally dawned on me.
I traipse off to the supermarket to do the shopping and there’s nothing but glue-kneed geriatrics plodding around. One of whom, [...]