Tag Archives: shopping

by | Wednesday, December 11, 2024 · 7:23 am

‘Tis the Season for Advent Calendars

I don’t know about you, but I have seen a LOT of Advent calendars this year. For years,  the only Advent calendars available were rather inexpensive and had a single piece of chocolate behind the door for each day of Advent. But now it seems as if every product category is offering some sort of Advent calendar.

You may now be asking “what is Advent?” Advent, from “adventus” in Latin, means “coming” and refers to the four weeks leading up to Christmas. It started as a religious period for both remembrance and anticipation. Now, as the times have changed, so too have Advent calendars changed.

While the calendars still mark the days of the season and countdown to Christmas, they have evolved from having a small piece of inexpensive candy each day to now having full-sized products and gifts.

Today, Advent calendars are sold with makeup, jewelry, toys, foods, spices, alcoholic drinks, and more, with prices ranging from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. [There are also more expensive and branded Advent calendars such as one from Swarovski with jewelry priced at $1,200 and Williams-Sonoma’s calendar of foods and goods is $300.]

One of the more popular calendars this year is from French jam company Bonne Maman with 25 days of differently flavored jams for $45. The calendar has become so popular that this year it opened for ordering in July (last year it opened in August). Since 2017, it has increased production of the calendar by 400%.

What Advent calendar would you like?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the use of Advent calendars in marketing a product or company.
  2. Poll students: What types of Advent calendars have they received or seen?
  3. Google Advent calendars and view an assortment of products.
  4. View Wirecutter’s list of Advent calendars: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/our-favorite-advent-calendars/
  5. Divide students into teams.
  6. Have each team select a product that they believe could be promoted using Advent calendars.
  7. Develop a marketing plan for the calendar. Make sure to start with target market and include product description, price, distribution, and promotion.
  8. Since this is a time-sensitive product, build the timeline for development and promotion, through delivery.
  9. Teams could also prepare a mock-up calendar with artwork and daily gifts.

Source: Hennessy, M. (29 November 2024). How the Bonne Maman Advent calendar became a hot commodity. New York Times; Wirecutter. (24 October 2024). Our 20 favorite Advent calendars of 2024. Wirecutter.

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by | Tuesday, October 29, 2024 · 7:32 am

The Mall Evolves – Again.

Have you been to the mall lately? What did you experience there? Was it crowded or empty, old or new, exciting or dull?

Well, that’s the mall of old. Today’s malls are investing and reinventing their shopping concepts for more consumer involvement. Malls are being upgraded and turned into lifestyle centers for entertainment and health, not just shopping. Some malls even have fitness clubs, apartments, and grocery shopping.

Yet, some malls still have a high vacancy rate and industry observers state that more than two million square feet of mall space has been demolished. But many more malls are refurbishing, not demolishing. Some malls are adding themed attractions such as Nerf gun courses, Formula 1-type racing tracks, and obstacle courses. (Call it “retailtainment.”) Think of it as experiential marketing and today’s mall looks totally different than the old versions where all consumers do is wander between stores.

Toy companies such as Nerf and Legos have built areas where people can play with the toys, then buy them in the adjacent retail store. Netflix is also involved; it has built immersive installations that mirror TV series such as “The Office,” “Squid Game, and “Friends.”

Malls are also building outdoor spaces to provide more options for relaxing and eating. Mall owners are spending big to lure shoppers into coming back, and stay longer. In 2024, more than nine million square feet has been planned for new purposes in malls.

While Covid cut down on shopping at malls, people are willing to come back, as long as the mall meets their current needs and stays interesting.

Let’s meet at the mall tomorrow!

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss how and where students shop. What are their experiences at the mall?  
  2. Show video about malls evolving: https://youtu.be/B1e2oBigF9U?si=DEm3flwoEXrQSYSl
  3. Divide students into teams. Have teams visit a local mall and observe what is happening around them.
  4. Students might also do primary research and survey fellow students about their desires for mall expansion.
  5. Next, have the teams develop new ideas for malls. They could also provide a floor print of how they see the mall stores and entertainment.
  6. Include stores, dining, entertainment, and more.

Source: Gose, J. (9 June 2024). What retail apocalypse? Shopping centers are making a comeback. New York Times; Margolies, J. (31 August 2024). Nerf blasters and Lego rockets: Another mall evolution. New York Times.

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by | Tuesday, October 22, 2024 · 7:05 am

Decorating Dorm Rooms Reaches New Heights

For many students, moving into their first dorm room can be a shock. In general, most dorm rooms are fairly spartan in both design and décor. There is a lot of beige and utilitarian furniture meant to withstand student lives.

And for new students used to having their families (mostly moms) decide on décor and furniture for the house and their rooms, the dorm rooms can seem, well, ugly. When confronted with small, beige, rooms that also contain a roommate, it can be a tad overwhelming.

Enter a new category of service: Dorm room interior designers. At many schools, particularly in the southern states, designers will makeover dorm rooms at costs reaching thousands of dollars. Depending on what is needed, and parents are willing to spend, makeovers can include custom fabrics and furniture, linens, light fixtures, and custom-made cabinets.

One service, Essentials by Eden, started in a dorm room and now with 25 seasonal employees, is priced at $5,000 per student for a full-service experience, including move-in day service. It had more than 200 clients this year at different design packages ranging from $549 to $1,849.

Have you chosen a color scheme for your room yet?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss dorm room décor.
  2. Poll students: What did they spend on decorating their dorm room? How did they decide what to do and what to buy?
  3. View website of a dorm design company, Essentials with Eden: https://essentialswitheden.com/
  4. Show a video of dorm room decorating: https://youtu.be/P9EERqeQhZM?si=nNKBxyaoW1XliAkc
  5. Divide students into teams. Each team will be a dorm room design company.
  6. Students can use their laptops to search for design ideas on sites such as Pinterest.
  7. Have each team develop a marketing plan for dorm room design.
  8. Discuss target market. Consider geography as well as income, type of school, etc.
  9. Pay attention to pricing of both services and furniture.
  10. How should services be priced?
  11. Next, have the teams each develop a promotional campaign.

Source: Braff, D. (30 August 2024). Tuition: $9,400. Dorm room interior designer: $10,000? New York Times; Lyttle, Z. (27 August 2024). Inside the world of parent-led dorm design, where college move-in day costs $5K and a year of planning. People Magazine; other sources.

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