Monthly Archives: February 2013

Viking Ranges Purchased by Middleby

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Art Johnson

What is Viking's Future? The purchase of the Viking Range Corp. by the Middleby Corporation was announced on 12/31/2012. While there were clearly some tax reasons for this New Years Eve deal, the much bigger question for the industry is … Continue reading →

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New JCP Ads During the Oscars

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Art Johnson

JCPenney's risky new ads at The Oscars Continuing to bleed cash quarter after quarter, JCPenney (JCP) embarked on a risky new advertising campaign at the 2013 Oscar Show. They had 6 new ads, including the premier 90 second Dear Dreamer … Continue reading →

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Delivering the Customer Experience

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Art Johnson

Win the Online Shopping Battle 4 Ways to Compete against Internet Appliance Sellers (and others) A 1999 book The Experience Economy by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore has become a handbook for winning customers for life by marketing experiences. Their … Continue reading →

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Dale Dauten Quote

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Art Johnson

Looking for Inspiration I've written blogs based on ideas or quotes from Peter Drucker, Zig Ziglar, Steve Jobs, and Seth Godin. But in reviewing my past blogs, one of my favorites was a very short blog based on the wisdom … Continue reading →

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Airline Merger – A Bad Deal

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Art Johnson

Higher Prices and More Bad Service Make no mistake about it. This may be a good deal for US Airways, but it's a bad deal all around for the flying public. I've been reading what the “experts” have to say, … Continue reading →

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What’s New at IBS 2013

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Art Johnson

Guest Blog at Designers Circle HQ Major announcement from IBS (International Builder Show) and KBIS (Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) New colors and finishes Product introductions and innovations Comments on attendance, atmosphere, and overall show experience Read my guest blog … Continue reading →

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The Beginning of the End for Barnes and Noble?

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Art Johnson

Maybe it's not what it seems. Maybe it's worse. When Borders was shuttered in 2011 most analysts felt that competitor Barnes and Noble would benefit. Yet, 2012 was not a good year for the last remaining brick-and-mortar mega bookseller. Store … Continue reading →

Posted in Bookstores, Business | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Why training doesn’t work

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Art Johnson

Teaching Geese to Golf Learning to become a trainer A flock of Canadian geese has made their home this winter at the Phoenix area golf course down the street from me. As I was passing the first tee, I noticed … Continue reading →

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7 Ways to Fight Online Retailers

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Art Johnson

Competing with Amazon.com   Best Buy is planning on shrinking the size of their stores while Barnes and Noble has announced the shuttering of as many as 1/3 of their locations. Clearly, big online sellers such as Amazon.com are eating … Continue reading →

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