Carol Spieckerman's Brain On ... Apple's Alliance with Target

In Carol Spieckerman's latest contribution as a Retail Wire Brain Trust panelist, she comments on Apple's latest ancillary retail alliance, this time with Target.

Read the full discussion

Here's what she had to say ... It's a good scale-building move for Apple and a much-needed CE boost for Target that is very in-brand for them. I do take issue with calling Apple's ancillary retail plays shop-in-shops or stores-within-stores; they would be more accurately described as departments. I think Apple would be better represented by going into full-on shop-in-shops, complete with dividing walls and outside signage (ala Sephora at Penney's). In not-so-well-maintained Best Buys, for example, the Apple departments pick up some of the taint as aisle-clogging pallets block traffic and clutter gets strewn about. Visual brand blurs, combined with ubiquity, can add up to not-so-special.

Heading to CES? Carol will be participating in the conference panel, Electronic Retailing in the 21st Century on January 11th at 1:30 (North Hall, room N260) and conducting private corporate presentations throughout the week.

To schedule a meeting with Carol at CES to discuss your 2012 retail and brand strategy or your 2012 sales and marketing event planning, contact her directly at carol@newmarketbuilders.com