Meridith Hankenson Alexander’s Post

This article comes out on the heels of a post I made yesterday. Not directly related- but outside of the ever evolving retail landscape and the move to shop online as Matt Garfield stated, department stores such as Macy's have been known to offer a vast amount of categories and sku's and a more than confusing promo pricing strategy. This almost always leads to an overwhelming shopping experience for the customer- especially if you are trying to attract a digitally savvy consumer as a way to evolve. More consumers are choosing quality over quantity and brands and companies that are experts in their specific niche. That niche💡, however, could be anything as long as its claimed, proven, and executed with excellence. ➡️ From a product category, to specific manufacturing processes, to their in store experiences, all the way to offering amazing value at the right time at the right prices ** 😉 aka off price. Cheering Tony Spring and the Macy's team on as they build their bold new chapter. Amy Pocsik Brenda M. Salamone Sally Marrer Meghan Houle, ACC #retailstrategy #retailinnovation

OMG ……….Did you kill #nomnoms 🔫 Easter weekend. A canvas of rebirth and new beginnings. 🌷 Just like a phoenix rising, Nom Noms is embracing its transformation. 🌍✨ Can’t believe it’s been a decade in the making….. …..A journey of passion, resilience, grit and discovery. 💪 Say ciao to the old logo, old packaging & old branding as shown in this video…… ‘’Change is not a threat, it's an opportunity. Survival is not the goal, transformative success is." - Seth Godin. 🚀 Nom Noms is not just stepping into a new chapter. We're leaping. ☘️ Global flavors, redefined…..🌏😋 Global flavors move into mainstream 🌶️🌏 Innovation, our compass 🧭 Sustainability, deeper than ever before. 💡 Community, the heartbeat of our journey 💕 This Easter symbolizes more than renewal. It's a testament to the power of rebirth. 🐣 Apple Starbucks - They've shown us how rebirth can redefine success. 🍏☕ Nom Noms is set to join these ranks 🚀 🌟Anticipate more than a comeback. 🌟Expect a revolution in flavor, packaging, purpose & impact Because ….. Our fight is not normal….. Our fight is against the bland, boring & the ordinary. #nomnoms is coming to liberate palates 👅 ……..and to give your tastebuds permission to travel ✈️ 💥Join us, share your stories of transformation and renewal. 🗣️Because together, we're not just rebuilding. We're creating legacies. 🎉The rebirth of Nom Noms is just the beginning……… 🔔Wanna stay #nommed ? - Turn on #notifications - ring that bell …. Go on 😜🛎 🚀#NewBeginnings #Transformation #EasterRebirth #GlobalFlavors #Innovation #Sustainability #CommunityLegacy Kroger Loblaw Companies Limited RodeoCPG Publicity For Good Metro Inc. Whole Foods Market Compass Group Sysco Sysco Canada Inc. UNFI UNFI Canada #grocery #retail

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Fun Fact: Macy's was not the first department store to have a Thanksgiving Day Parade. ⬇ Let's talk about the rise and fall of the Gimbel's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 1920, Gimbels, a Philadelphia department store, created a Thanksgiving Day Parade to promote their new 'Toyland' exhibit. They used it as a way to decree the beginning of the holiday shopping season. By 1939, the Gimbels' Thanksgiving Day Parade had half a million attendees. In the 1940s, the parade adapted to be very patriotic due to WWII. The Parade continued to evolve in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, bringing along iconic balloons Mickey Mouse, Fred Flintstone, and Popeye. In the 1970s, it became clear that Gimbels, the store, could not keep up physically. In 1973, the store had fallen far from the top and was acquired by British-American Tobacco. In 1986, BAT determined that, after acquiring several other retail companies including Kohls, there was "little potential for increased profitability" and shut down the store. The Gimbels Parade transferred ownership to the local news network in Philadelphia. The parade still exists, but it's now the "6ABC Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade". Not quite the same ring to it. Macy's has gone on to be the most successful department store parade in history. We can take the following lessons from this experience: 🦃 Great marketing doesn't guarantee great product 🦃 You don't need to be first to be the best 🦃 Be iconic Happy Thanksgiving! What’s your favorite parade memory? What floats are you looking forward to seeing today? #macysparade #marketing #creativity

#inspiration #lesson #testimony ...YESTERDAY WAS NOT THE DAY... I'll set this up by saying, I often like to hold myself accountable by being the first to admit my wrongdoing, saying I'm sorry, checking up on people, or even saying excuse me where others probably wouldn't consider doing it. I believe in being as polite as possible and engaging wherever/whenever it is plausible. That said, I went to Home Depot yesterday in a hurry and it was slam-packed. From my perspective, folks were bumping into each other, trying to squeeze into spaces that just weren't there, leaving carts in the middle of tight aisles, and nobody said excuse me or anything...for the most part. I started out saying excuse me, but then I thought, okay, I ain't gonna be the ONLY PERSON in this store today saying excuse me. I made it up in my mind that we're just gonna be some cart bumping, rushing, non-excuse me saying SOB's up in this camp today. I got my stuff, checked out, and jetted right up outta there like I was at Talladega Superspeedway. And didn't think twice about it. WHY AM I SAYING THIS? First of all, please do not go up in stores with attitudes and such. Always practice having good decorum/etiquette. You'll go further in life that way. In as much as I try to be a stickler for good energy and consistency, I'm only human like the next person, and yes I do fail. Maybe on another day, I would have still practiced being patient and being uber-polite to people. But yesterday was not the day. I made up in my mind that I was gonna be an in-store crash test dummy and be okay with it. SOMETIMES LIFE HAPPENS LIKE THAT. Trust, you live long enough, you'll come out of character. Just hold yourself accountable and learn from it, for what it's worth. NOTE: No disrespect intended for the store itself. Heck, I'm probably gonna be back in there today.

I’m not crying. You are. We live in an era where consumers are more discerning than ever. They can sense an ad from miles away, and if they feel they're being blatantly sold to, they might tune out. But what if a brand could connect with you on a deeper, more emotional level? What if they could make you feel something genuine before you realized you were being marketed to? 🎬 Enter the cinematic world of commercials, like Publix Super Markets's "Celebrate milestones with Publix." This isn't just a commercial; it's a story. It captures raw emotions and life's precious moments that resonate with everyone. It's a masterclass in making the viewer feel first and market second. The beauty? You're engrossed in the narrative, feeling each emotion, without even realizing that it's an advertisement until Publix subtly introduces its logo at the end. No direct mention of products, no hard sales tactics, just pure, genuine emotion. The shift towards emotional marketing is clear: it's no longer about telling people why they need a product or service, but making them feel why they need it. As marketers, we must remember that emotion is at the core of every buying decision. If we can tap into that, we're not just selling a product but creating an experience. https://lnkd.in/gNy4n4zs #Marketing #CreativeMarketing

I like talking about my name. Most of the time, in those conversations, people note that my name is typically spelled with a "c" instead of a "k." I then have the opportunity to talk about my heritage and background and how my name is spelled this way in Germany and neighboring countries. Recently, I have made an effort to greet employees of companies by their first names, for example, at the Publix checkout line. Strong company cultures are built upon names and the stories that are connected to each of them. If you are a business owner, are you taking the opportunity to get to know the person behind the name? What interests them? Why have they decided to work for you? A simple question will get you to remember their names and help you know the individual better and, in turn, make you most effective in leading them forward. It all starts with the name. #leadbyexample

Come for the coffee. Stay for the community. you can walk inside any Starbucks and find a group of students enjoying their coffee while pouring over books and notes. You’d think the beverage or the food would be the defining factor in drawing the masses. But at this point, drinking coffee and enjoying a warm pastry is more of a convenience. Students migrate to Starbucks for the community; the atmosphere; for the way the brand and place make them feel. Those who sit beside them are searching for the same things; they want to connect with people that are in the same path, while enjoying a product. The takeaway here is the following: People will only appreciate what you create if there’s value in it. You can have the new shiny toy, but if a product does not bring crowds together, then it is simply not valuable. Starbucks and the student life intersect because of the way they bring people together from all walks of life into a unified brand. Estu. #studentlife #starbucks #community #brands

A couple of weeks ago I shared lessons learned working for Starbucks. It seemed to resonate with my network and others. It was fun for me to think about what working for Starbucks had taught me. Today I would like to share some memories from Sears that I will never forget. Sears used to feature Super Saturdays, Scratch and Save, and other weekend promotions. We would have a 7:00am open time which meant arriving at the store for 6am. It was then that I learned that we should never underestimate the word "FREE" especially when the word Coffee comes after it. A few customers came for the free coffee and then left the store. I was shocked that people would drive to a mall on a Saturday morning just to get a free coffee. We would often do in-store events to create excitement for the store team. I recall a "Guess the Baby Picture" of managers during Back to School. Or a staff room dressed up for Christmas to help the team get into the spirit. Sears followed the "Great Place to Work" mantra and wanted their associates to feel appreciated and recognized. It was a great way to have fun while doing the hard work. "Satisfaction Guaranteed or your money refunded" was a huge competitive advantage that gave customers piece of mind. Some customers would stretch the intention of the policy. I can recall customers wearing dresses they wore to weddings, lawnmowers that were returned in the fall after a full season of use, and even underwear that was returned after use. However we always had to keep in mind that these were a minority of customers. As the senior leaders put more emphasis on cost the return policy became more restrictive and as a result wasn't as customer friendly as it once had been. A few memories from me, do you have memories of Sears? Share them with me and lets take a stroll down memory lane. #reflections #careerreflections #sears #retaillife Meet Steve Elliot, a distinguished Toastmaster, and the co-founder of e3 Public Speaking. With a passion for empowering individuals, Steve specializes in facilitating public speaking classes for both youth and professionals. Through his extensive experience and commitment, he helps others unlock their potential, gain self-confidence, and refine their communication skills.

✨ SKINNY Just landed at Marks and Spencer! ✨ Exciting news! SKINNY, our ground-breaking tonic water, has officially hit the shelves in over 400 Marks and Spencer stores nationwide! 🎉✨ ‘Dare to be different' is more than our motto—it's the heartbeat of our innovation and SKINNY brings this to life perfectly. It’s all about the realness - real ingredients, real flavour, and real fun. Zero sugar, zero calories, and zero room for anything artificial. Choosing SKINNY isn't just about picking a mixer; it's about joining a lifestyle that's as fun as it is mindful. It's for the go-getters, the trendsetters, and those who believe every sip should come with a wink. SKINNY is there for your epic nights out, your chill Netflix binges, and all those 'just because' moments – making each one a guilt-free, flavour-packed slightly sassy affair. Thank you to everyone who's been on this journey with us. Your enthusiasm and support fuel our innovation every step of the way. Here's to making healthier choices easier and more enjoyable for everyone. 🌱💧 Dive into the SKINNY experience at Marks and Spencer. Cheers to a future where every sip is guilt-free and full of flavour! 🥂 #CheersToChange #innovation #healthieryou #sustainablechoices #wellness #tonic #natural