David Anzia
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc.

Once again this holiday season has only 26 days between Black Friday and Christmas, last year had 25 days. Shoppers and retailers are preparing for the biggest shopping season of the year. This less than 4 week window has retailers scrambling to grab and retain the consumer’s attention (and pocketbook). They are doing this in a variety of ways.

Macy’s was the first retailer to announce that they would again be open on Thanksgiving Day. The doors at Macy’s will open at 6 PM on Thanksgiving Day, two hours earlier than last year’s opening time. The department store chain stated this move was “in response to the significant, sustained customer interest in last year’s opening day on Thanksgiving, both at Macy’s and other retailers.” The Walnut Room, the famous restaurant on the 7th floor of Macy’s State Street store in Chicago, will be open for the first time serving Thanksgiving dinner, also at 6 PM. Maybe this is a start of a new tradition, Thanksgiving dinner followed by shopping? Target, Kohl’s, Sears, and J.C. Penney, along with other retailers have since posted they will also be open on Thanksgiving.

Some consumers state that greed has taken over this holiday; however, others have pointed out that the crowds these stores are receiving justify them being open. Jerry O'Brien, director of the Kohl's Department Stores Center for Retailing Excellence, stated that for some people shopping on Thanksgiving Day is no different than others playing football or going to a movie. Conversely, some retailers have opted to remain closed and allow their employees to celebrate the holiday with their families. Costco, Barnes and Noble, and Nordstrom’s are among those retailers remaining closed on the holiday.

Despite the gain in popularity of shopping on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday still remains the king. According to the National Retail Federation, 2013 store traffic on Black Friday was 92 million people compared to 45 million shoppers on Thanksgiving Day. The high presence of loyalty programs, and the data collected when enrolled in these programs, allow for retailers to pinpoint certain Black Friday offers to a shopper. With offers made via direct mail, social media and email marketing, these campaigns allow the consumer to be well prepared when they arrive at the store.

Toy retailer Toys ‘R Us recently announced a revamped loyalty program for the 2014 holiday season. They have good reason to focus on their 18 million loyalty cardholders, they account for 70% of their US sales. Recently announced, in-store and online layaway programs are now available. As an added incentive to shop even earlier, Toys ‘R Us has offered cardholders 10% off their entire purchase every Saturday during the month of November. This is in addition to loyalty members earning $5 in “R” Us Rewards for every $125 spent. When the “R” Us credit card is used for these purchases, the earnings double to $10. For holiday shoppers with children on their lists these rewards will add up quickly.

Macy’s and Toys ‘R Us have also upgraded their omni-channel features prior to the upcoming holidays. Both retailers now offer Apple Pay. In select markets, Macy’s has implemented Smart Fitting Rooms, fitting rooms with wall-mounted tablets which allow associates and customers to scan merchandise items and see other sizes or colors available. Also, in select markets, Macy’s is offering same day delivery. Consumers can purchase merchandise on the company’s website to be delivered to the store the same day. Toys ‘R Us is offering a similar service. Toys and games ordered online can be picked up in store in less than an hour.open sign

Whether you are working off your second piece of pumpkin pie by racing to the stores Thanksgiving evening, or waking up at the crack of dawn the following morning, rest assured that the stores are ready for you and a few thousand of your friends.

The DSA Crown Awards, in its fourth year, recognizes excellent digital out-of-home content through the use of digital signage, interactive, kiosks and mobile.

The Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA) has announced the winners for the fourth annual DSA Crown Awards, which recognizes excellence in digital out-of-home content.

The DSA Crown Awards ceremony was held in New York City at the Paramount Theater at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square on November 5, following the first day of Customer Engagement World. The DSA Party at the Hard Rock was hosted by Artisan Mobile and presented by Scanalytics and Synnex.

The categories for the content awards were Point of Sale, (content on screens in store catering to the shopper); Point of Transit, (reaching people are on the go, such as at airports and with digital billboards); and Point of Wait, (places where people have dwell time such as banks, elevators and doctor’s offices).

The awards ceremony was co-hosted by Keith Kelsen, CVO of 5th Screen Digital, and author of Unleashing the Power of Digital Signage, and Bob Moul from Artisan Mobile, the host of the party and awards ceremony.

The winners are:
Category – Point of Sale (content budget of $10,000 or more)

Gold: Bank of Ireland, submitted by RMG Networks
Silver: Titanfall Video Wall Experience at the Microsoft Stores, submitted by Synect Media
Bronze: AT&T Flagship Store, Beats Music Promotion, submitted by MaxMedia

Category – Point of Sale (content budget less than $10,000)

Gold: LG UHD Wall, submitted by Two West
Silver: Digitizing Argos, submitted by Scala
Bronze: WAND, submitted by WAND Corporation

Category – Point of Wait ($10,000 or more)

Gold: Aria Resort & Casino, submitted by Verifone
Silver: Sprint Live Pro, submitted by Two West
Bronze: Sprint WeGo - Product Video, submitted by Two West

Category – Point of Wait (less than $10,000)

Gold: Sprint Store Virtual Queue, submitted by Two West
Silver: Quaker Steak and Lube, submitted by Insteo

Category – Point of Transit ($10,000 or more)

Gold: San Francisco International Airport, submitted by Omnivex
Silver: SIEMENS SU2C The Baton Pass in Times Square, submitted by ABC Creative Services

Judges for the DSA Crown Awards included Michael Chase of St. Joseph Content, Anne White of hybris, Manolo Almagro of TPN Retail, Noah Sarff of The Basement, and Keith Kelsen of 5th Screen.

Each of the entries were scored independently by the judges, who took the following into consideration:

•     Did the content meet the objectives?
•     Was the content engaging?
•     Did the content fit the environment?
•     Did the content fit the audience?

The scores were ranked in each category to reveal the winners.

“The content continues to improve at both budget levels, and we are seeing outstanding content on so many cross platform channels,” said Keith Kelsen, judge and co-host. “It’s clear that content continues to truly be the most important part of execution. The high standards of quality of the content speaks volumes about the care producers put into these deployments and the care they take in making the brands look great.”

“The content is amazing and the engagement proves it,” said Paul Flanigan, Executive Director of the DSA. “We’re thrilled to be able to recognize outstanding content. The quality can make or break an experience and we’re seeing some outstanding companies embrace and present the wow factor.”

About the Digital Screenmedia Association

The DSA is an independent, non-profit association, whose mission is to advance the growth and excellence of the global digital signage, interactive kiosk and mobile community through advocacy, education and networking. Members include users of digital screenmedia in all vertical markets including retail, hospitality, food service and healthcare, as well as manufacturers, resellers and distributors of hardware and software, network operators, integrators, advertising agencies, consultants, analysts, publishers, trade show organizers and service companies. http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org