SBC's Pete Fantine Talks Retail Trend

Ohio's first Cabela’s is coming to town! The new Polaris location opens next week and is drawing attention as being one of the retail giant’s “next generation” of stores. Our very own Pete Fantine is in the Columbus Dispatch today discussing the growing trend of big box retailers downsizing new locations. Read the article here.

Super Bowl XLVII Pregame Ad Review

Super Bowl XLVII is finally upon us, and with this year’s game comes a new line-up of the year’s most anticipated commercials.  At SBC, successfully connecting brands with consumers is what we do, so we take very special interest as advertisers put their best foot forward to engage the viewers on one of the biggest stages of the year.

To prepare for the big game, we asked some our ad experts at SBC to provide insight on which commercials they’re most looking forward to, as well as the industry trends that shape the way we engage with brands today.

Be sure to check back for more pregame and postgame insights.  Don’t forget to post comments and follow the Super Bowl conversation on our Facebook and on Twitter with the hashtag #SBCsbads.

Set Your Alarm: Black Friday 2012

Ever wonder when the best days to go holiday shopping are? What about which retail categories are going to do well this year? All this and more in our conversations with SBC’s retail experts. Check back often for more.

Matt Wilson, General Manager and Partner

Do you think consumers will shop differently this year compared to last?
Consumers are smarter this year. News coverage of the real math behind deals during the stretch from Black Friday to December 24th have demonstrated that earlier shopping in the year will net better values. And retailers should not fear “showrooming” as much as they have in the past. A new Deloitte survey found that smartphone use in a store actually increases the likelihood of customers purchasing items at that store. In fact, roughly half of consumers surveyed said that the use of their smartphone for comparison influenced their decision FOR the store, not against. However, a third of consumers are using a third-party app to do the comparison shopping and general product searches…which has created an arms race for retailers to develop their own “price matching” apps. Good luck!

Seek the Sales: Black Friday 2012

Ever wonder when the best days to go holiday shopping are? What about which retail categories are going to do well this year? All this and more in our conversations with SBC's retail experts. Check back often for more.

Matt Wilson, General Manager and Partner

How do you think the longer gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas will affect holiday shopping?
December will deliver one of the big pushes for major brick and mortar sales, as two December shopping weekends will be fed by pay periods (the 1st and 15th are Saturdays and consumers will be paid on the Friday prior), one additional weekend and a Monday prior to Christmas day (Tuesday, 12/25). We will also see an increase in in-store fundraising for the Red Cross and a push from the Salvation Army to support recovery and response efforts in the Northeast.

Black Friday By The Numbers

Black Friday, retail’s biggest shopping day, is fast approaching. You’ve heard predictions, favorite ads, and what has been successful from our retail experts. Now, you can check out the latest from SBC Advertising in visual form. Looking for opening hours for major retailers on the big day, how technology will be used and the impact of online shopping? It’s all there.