Douglas P. Clement
Douglas P. Clement is principal of Boardwalk Media + Communications, a Connecticut-based provider of digital content, branding, social media management, strategic communications and more. Previously Senior Editor and Digital Editor of Connecticut Magazine, and Executive Editor of The Litchfield County Times publishing group, he was named national Editor of the Year by a leading journalism industry group in 2005, won the nation’s top award for lifestyle journalism from the University of Missouri Schools of Journalism seven times, and has covered arts, culture, design and theater regionally for The New York Times.
The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), owner of the New York Stock Exchange, announced plans to acquire eBay’s marketplace business in a deal estimated at $30 billion. Two days later, the potential deal was off. The reason for the reversal? Investors pushed back hard, apparently. Here’s how the back-and-forth broke down.
The Federal Trade Commission is suing to block the $1.37B acquisition of affordable razor brand Harry’s Inc. by Schick owner Edgewell Personal Care. The FTC complaint alleges the acquisition would eliminate one of the most important competitive forces in the shaving industry. Edgewell and Harry’s say consumers would not be harmed.
Macy’s Inc. announced plans to close 125 stores within three years in an effort to find profitability amid an ongoing shopper flight from malls and department stores, while consolidating its headquarters in New York and cutting 2,000 corporate jobs. This will leave 400 Macy’s stores in place; about 30 will close in 2020.
Forever 21 has struck an $81 million deal to sell its assets to a group of mall owners and management operations, including Simon Property Group, Brookfield Properties and brand development/marketing venture Authentic Brands Group. It includes all of Forever 21’s assets and must be approved by a bankruptcy court judge.
Visa plans significant changes to rates merchants pay each time a consumer makes a purchase with its cards, Bloomberg reported, both online and in store, citing a document Visa sent to banks. According to Bloomberg, brands can expect to pay more for ecommerce transactions, while fees in grocery stores will decline.
The value of global retail industry mergers and acquisitions (M&A) soared in Q4 2019 to a total of $25.66 billion, according to UK-based data and analytics company GlobalData. That total value represents a 38.4% increase over Q3 and was up 160.7% compared with the average of $9.93 billion over the last four quarters.
CPAP equipment sanitizing device maker SoClean, which took its brand profile to warp speed in 2019 with a testimonial style TV ad featuring William Shatner, has seen benefits from partnering with Extend to offer extended warranty programs, including improved CSAT and conversion rates.
Wellness beverage maker Dirty Lemon, beauty brand Glossier and Taco Bell top the Zyper Community Index 2020, which ranks the most culturally relevant consumer brands as measured by how effectively they build online customer engagement and communities. See what tactics and tools landed them in the top spots in the index.
The U.S. government is cracking down on the sale of counterfeit ecommerce items and pirated goods, warning of stricter rules and penalties for participants in a rogue economy that was valued at $509 billion in 2016. A DHS report announcing the crackdown came in response to an April 2019 memorandum from President Trump.
Amazon’s latest expansion into the consumer biosphere will enable brick-and-mortar shoppers to pay for purchases with a mere wave – or scan – of their hand. The Wall Street Journal said Amazon is creating a system of hand-scanning terminals for retailers, with a focus on venues like coffee shops with lots of return customers.