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Back-To-School Shoppers May Be Ahead Of Schedule

NRF finds families have completed more shopping this year than last

At the University of Kentucky, today is move-in day for students who will live on campus this semester, and it’s a good bet that every business within five blocks is packed with kids and parents.  But for better or for worse, a study’s indicated that most people have completed a little more of their shopping this year compared to last.

Last year, the National Retail Federation found that the average family had completed 41.6 percent of its back-to-school shopping by now.  This year, the number’s 43.1 percent, instead.

The pessimistic way to interpret those figures is that not as much money will be spent on supplies from this moment forward.  And that’s perhaps true enough.

The good news, though, is that retailers have apparently been successful at luring shoppers into their businesses, and since we’re getting to the point that consumers might expect to find things on clearance, it’s possible retailers have been able to sell things at higher prices this way.

For his part, NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement, “It’s good to see consumers responding to back-to-school sales and promotions.”

Anyway, good luck to everyone who’s getting overrun by stressed freshmen and anxious pairs of parents.

Small Businesses Rely On Free Shipping For Online Purchases

Online shopping saves businesses time

Saving time and money is important to small businesses that order their supplies online, and almost all (99%) say free shipping is a key factor when selecting a retailer, according to a new survey commissioned by Staples.

Small businesses that order online say it saves them time and money, and nearly half (46 percent) feel that their small business could not operate without this cost-saving benefit.

In terms of the greatest advantage for online ordering, 86 percent of respondents said it saves them time. Among those who do not shop online, fifty percent said it’s due to shipping costs and 51 percent said it’s more convenient to pick up an item in-store.

Small businesses that shop online frequently (three or more times per month) are more than twice as likely to say that mobile capabilities are important than those that place one to two orders online per month. Additionally, more than a quarter of small businesses (27 percent) say they already have a device capable of making these purchases.

“At Staples, we make it priority one to understand how small businesses’ needs are evolving. We’re committed to making it easy for customers whether they want to shop online, on a mobile device, by phone or in-store,” said Anabela Perozek, vice president of marketing, Staples Business Delivery.

“We also realize that the bottom line for many businesses is saving time and money. That’s why we offer our Fast and Free Delivery service for all orders over $50 to anyone who shops Staples.com or by phone.”

Consumer Spending Down On Housing Market

Uneven economic growth slows spending

The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index had it s its third straight month of decline in July, due in large part to weakness in the housing market.

“Real home prices had briefly picked up due to demand fueled by tax credits for home buyers, but prices have resumed their downward trend following the expiration of those credits and the housing market is now the biggest drag on the Index,” said Carl Steidtmann, chief economist with Deloitte Research, a part of Deloitte Services LP, and author of the monthly Index.

“Looking at other components of the Index in July, we see that tax rates, which had declined sharply during the recession, have basically held steady since the start of this year.  Real earnings ticked up slightly, following five consecutive declines,” said Steidtmann.

The index, made up of four components, tax burden, initial unemployment claims, real wages and real home prices, feel to 4.45 percent, from an upwardly revised gain of 4.63 percent a month ago.

“American households continue to be cautious about spending while economic growth continues to be uneven,” said Alison Paul, vice chairman and Deloitte’s retail leader in the United States.

“At the same time, consumers economized over the past two years and likely have pent up demand for goods they have foregone.  Retailers should consider strategies to stay nimble amid shifts in consumer behavior in the months ahead.  Customer data and business analytics may be particularly valuable for retailers to hone pricing, merchandise and promotions that attract their target consumers.”

Highlights of the index include:

*Initial unemployment claims fell for the seventh consecutive month, but the year-over-year declines are lessening. Unemployment claims peaked in the spring of 2009. While claims are still high, they are down nearly a third from their peak.

*Real home prices have fallen for two consecutive months.  Home buying activity has declined in recent months due to the ending of the tax credit.  Prices are likely to remain depressed for a while longer until demand strengthens again.

*The consumer’s tax burden declined sharply through most of the recession.  In 2010, however, the rate has held steady, although it continues to be down from year-ago levels.

Small Businesses Request Help Going Green

Government incentives sought in the UK

There are now more ways than ever for small businesses to save energy and go green.  Unfortunately, many of them are rather expensive.  As a result, the Federation of Small Businesses is asking the UK’s government to provide incentives and make loans more accessible.

Consider that smart energy monitors are available, but they cost upwards of around 100.  Or that LED light bulbs can be bought, but each one costs as much as a decent table lamp.  And let’s not even get started on the subject of something more aggressive like solar panels.

So the FSB gave Mike Childs, Head of Climate at Friends of the Earth, a sort of platform to speak in a press release, and he stated, “Increasing zero-interest loans and more ambitious incentives for green energy for businesses would make going green more financially rewarding, but businesses also need certainty about what will be expected of them in the years ahead – which means getting regulations and taxation right.”

Childs then suggested, “The Government’s immediate priority should be to set all areas Local Carbon Budgets, encouraging councils and businesses to work together to cut emissions, save energy and transform the places in which we live and work.”

In the meantime, small business owners who haven’t given much thought to efficiency should be able to save some money just by caulking doors and windows, adjusting the thermostat as they arrive and leave, and perhaps buying some CFL light bulbs.

Hacking into walls to add insulation and other projects of that nature can perhaps wait until there are additional incentives.

Things You Can Tweet About

Wonder what the big deal is with Twitter? Not sure how you would use it to marketing your business? Really not sure what you would even tweet about?

Below are 12 simple ideas of things you can tweet about at any time.

1. Your free report or white paper with a link
2. Articles you’ve posted online or on your blog
3. Events you’re hosting, speaking at, or going to
4. Newsworthy items
5. Inspiring or humorous quotes ( you can even quote yourself)
6. Thoughts on the latest ad, marketing, product or business you’ve seen
7. The latest good book you’ve read or movie you’ve seen
8. Links to other people’s articles, audios or videos that you enjoyed or found helpful
9. Your own questions, whether business-related or general interest
10. Quick and helpful tips
11. Whatever you’re thinking at the moment (it’s better to tweet about what you’re thinking than what you’re doing—though that’s okay too)
12. Retweet other people’s useful, interesting or humorous tweets