Robert Passikoff

Robert Passikoff
For Retail Brands, Loyalty is Stronger Than the Pandemic

A lot has changed since the marketplace was visited by the coronavirus. Businesses closed down. Schools closed down. Restaurants closed down. Retailers were forced to close down, too. At last count, since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, 22 retailers have filed for Chapter 11. That makes a total of 42 retailers this year, and…

Over-Emailing a Retail Brand to Death

In 2018, it's estimated that 273.8 billion emails are sent out a day. At work you’re likely to receive an average of 168 emails a day. Consumer accounts receive about two-thirds that number, or 110 emails every day. Everybody complains about the number of emails they get, but nobody does anything about it. Or do…

How Politics and Hashtags Changed the Face of Retail

Political polarization, voter tribalism, and more recent and fervent social movements like #grabyourwallet, #MeToo and #TimesUp have changed the face of brand engagement and consumer loyalty in the retail category, according to new consumer values and insights identified in the Brand Keys 23rd Customer Loyalty Engagement Index® (CLEI). The annual survey conducted by the New…

What Do Consumers Expect From Retail?

It’s been hard times recently for retailers, for example, R.H. Macy & Co. Founded by Rowland Hussey Macy in 1858 in New York City, on opening day the company had sales of $11.08. That would be $328.10 today based on inflation. Macy's moved to Herald Square in 1902 and through expansion eventually became the “largest…

Target’s ‘Chic’ Beats ‘Cheap’

I like to remind folks that consumers are actually people who happen to shop once and a while and look for something beyond “stuff.” This past May, I talked about one retailer’s return to past glories, and what I saw for its brick-and mortar future. Here's why chic beats cheap every time. Cheap Chic Recaptivates…

An Interview With Macy's CMO Martine Reardon

The interview below is an excerpt from Robert Passikoff's upcoming book, "At the Speed of the Consumer: Branding in the Digital Age." Robert Passikoff: Brands often get left behind in digital. They’re often an afterthought. You’ve done it really well. What’s your philosophy about brands and digital space? Martine Reardon: I’d say that the philosophy…