For the week beginning May 24, 2004

"Retail Data Gathering Unnerving." Retailers are reluctant to forego the market research tactic of asking for telephone numbers or ZIP codes from consumers at checkout counters, even though most shoppers are uncomfortable giving this information. FORTWAYNE.COM, May 24, 2004, pp. 1-2. http://www.fortwayne.com

"Still Shopping, Not Dropping." This article discusses the impact that the rise in cost for gas and food, and the future hike in interest rates combined with the rebounding job market are having on the Consumer Confidence Index. BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE, May 20, 2004, pp. 1-2. http://businessweekonline.com

"Contradictions In Consumer Trends." This article discusses targeted marketing and the limitations of consumer trend analyses. DIRECTMAG.COM, May 15, 2004, pp. 1-3. http://directmag.com

"Adieu To The Voracious Consumer." "Economists argue that while job creation, of course, is key to economic recovery and retail spending, the rising cost of money and reverberations in home financing, credit-card purchases and the banking system will take a toll on consumer spending." CBSMARKETWATCH.COM, May 7, 2004, pp. 1-3. http://www.cbsmarketwatch.com

"How A Technology To Stop Spam Could Add Costs To Retailers' E-Mail Marketing Campaigns." This article discusses the "Penny Black Solution" or "puzzle solution", which adds an indirect cost to sending e-mail, hopefully to end spamming, and its impact on customer interaction. INTERNET RETAILER, May 2004, pp. 50-52.

For the week beginning May 17, 2004

"Reaching Them Where They Live." This article discusses ways to reach the teen market. WWD: WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY, April 8, 2004, p. 11.

"Brand Managers Offer Advice On 'Connecting With Your Tribe.'" This article offers advice on how to market your brand to teens. WWD: WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY, April 8, 2004, p. 11.

"What The Teens Want And Like." This article focuses on a consumer study done on teens. WWD: WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY, April 8, 2004, p. 11.

"Testimonials: Let Customers Write Your Next Ad." Customers trust human testimonials more than company-made claims. RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS: BUSINESS BRIEFING, April 19, 2004, p. B2.

"Ad Blitz Riles Consumers, But They Still Respond." "The growing intrusiveness of marketing and advertising has saturated the airwaves, print and life in general, pushing consumer resistance to an all-time high and causing marketing productivity to plummet." RESEARCH ALERT, May 7, 2004, pp. 1-2.

For the week beginning May 10, 2004

"Pop Culture Gets Religion." Secular fashion with a Christian message is becoming mainstream in the retail world. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, May 5, 2004, pp. B1-B2.

"Hispanics' Top Store Characteristics -- The 10 Most Important Retail Attributes As Rated By Hispanic Customers." Here's what Hispanics consider important in a retail store. WWD: WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY, April 22, 2004, p. 15.

"Fed Reports 'Noticeable' Rise In Sales." "The economy picked up steam in recent months, with most areas of the U.S. posting 'noticeable' increases in retail sales." WWD: WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY, April 22, 2004, p. 16.

"Multicultural And Multichannel -- Research Offers Insights Into African American, Hispanic DM Attitudes." Within both groups, more direct marketing shoppers than non-respondents reported brand loyalty as influencing their purchase decisions. DIRECT, May 1, 2004, p. 16.

"Marketing Surprise: Older Consumers Buy Stuff, Too." After decades of obsessing over people in their 20s, companies are now realizing the importance of targeting the over-45 population. TWINCITIES.COM, May 4, 2004, pp. 1-2. http://www.twincities.com

"Women: They Are Our Mothers, Wives, Sisters, And Friends, And Perhaps Marketers' Most Important Target." This article offers statistics and strategies on targeting this market. MEDIA, March 2004, pp. 39-40.

"Retailers Urged To Educate Consumers About RFID: To Gain RFID's Competitive Advantage, Merchants Must Gain Consumers' Trust Before Tagged Products Land In Shopping Carts." A consumer study reports that before retailers initiate the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), they must first make consumers aware of its benefits to them. STORES, March 2004, pp. 30, 32, 34.

For the week beginning May 3, 2004

"Shopping Shifts To 'Off-Mall' Stores: Department Stores Pursue Consumers." "Department store operators are starting to shift their mall bases to more freestanding stores, a strategy that offers more flexibility in opening stores and tries to capitalize on consumer shopping preferences." USA TODAY, April 26, 2004, p. 4B.

"Customer Satisfaction Up Online." A new survey reveals improved e-commerce scores among consumers. AMERICAN DEMOGRAPHICS, April 2004, p. 16.

"Apparel." Retail sales are up. And retailers are starting to spend on advertising. ADWEEK, April 26, 2004, p. SR12, which follows page 22.

"Coming Of Age In Consumerdom." This article explains the spending power of tweens and what they spend their money on. AMERICAN DEMOGRAPHICS, April 2004, p. 14.

"Retailer Prospers With Sexy Clothes For The Plus-Sized." Torrid, a national chain with 52 stores, is at the leading edge of offering clothes for the growing ranks of overweight young American women. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, April 27, 2004, pp. A1, A8.

"Web Plays Vital Role In Marketing Push -- Online Component Extends Reach." "For businesses of all sizes, from a new product launch to a brand revival, the Web is the key pivot point in marketing initiatives." MARKETING NEWS, April 15, 2004, pp. 15-16.

For the week beginning April 26, 2004

"Content As Salesperson: Why It Doesn't Sell More." This article discusses the reason that compared to the number of potential customers visiting retail sites, the number of shoppers who actually purchase online is relatively low. INTERNET RETAILER, April 2004, p. 8.

"Grabbing Hold Of The Teen Dollar." "Teens are on the hunt for value-priced items, especially when shopping for clothes." This article also includes charts highlighting where teens shop and a profile of a teen shopper. WWD: WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY, April 1, 2004, p. 10.

"Dollar Stores Grow In Popularity Among A Range Of Consumers." More and more consumers are shopping at dollar stores. RESEARCH ALERT, April 16, 2004, p. 9.

"A Retailer's Online Persona Must Speak The Internet Language." This article focuses on the fact that online retailers' Web sites must relate to the consumer's, not the retailer's, needs. INTERNET RETAILER, April 2004, pp. 48-51.

"Study: Big Jump For Online Catalogs." A study shows that the number of print catalogs replicated online rose more than 60% from 2002 to 2003. DM NEWS, April 12, 2004, p. 4.

"Branding From The Inside Out." While companies spend millions on consumer ad campaigns, they often overlook the most important audience -- their employees. Building a stronger brand internally starts with explaining the basics of what the company does. INCENTIVE, April 2004, pp. 28-31.