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•Guest Series Article 1: Winning The New Consumer
•Guest Series Article 2: Winning The New Consumer - Marketing To The New Consumer
•Guest Series Article 3: Winning The New Consumer - The Merchandising Perspective

By Jim Nadler, Vice President Marketing, afterBOT, Inc.

As we approach year end 2009, the economic reality continues to be a challenging one. While leading indicators show the recession is officially over, the unemployment rate now stands at 10.2% — its highest rate in nearly 30 years with no sign of near term improvement. The effect has been a continuing decline in consumer spending — a domino effect that has been apparent in virtually every retailer's reported results.

While evidence suggests the economy is again growing, the term "jobless recovery" is often used and most believe will have a profound long-term impact. With few exceptions, the Stores Top 100 Annual Report shows high single-digit to low double-digit revenue drops across the board in year-on-year comparisons, clear evidence we are seeing the emergence of a "new consumer." It is a consumer who is focused on needs vs. wants and value vs. brand and who relies on discounts and coupons for nearly every major purchase.

Click Here To Download:
•Guest Series Article 1: Winning The New Consumer
•Guest Series Article 2: Winning The New Consumer - Marketing To The New Consumer
•Guest Series Article 3: Winning The New Consumer - The Merchandising Perspective