October 28, 2009

Patti Reising with KCBS 740AM in San Francisco, California interviews Thomas Harpointner, AIS Media, Inc. CEO, on the topic of online retail trends for the 2009 holiday season. Harpointner discusses strategies retailers must implement in order to re-gain the confidence of recession minded consumers. Harpointner's comments included:

"Retailers should be nervous this upcoming holiday season -- this attrition is not over yet. Although we are beginning to see signs of recovery, retailers need to be able to adapt to consumers who are educated in the products and services they want. Traditional advertising is changing and as retail stores continue to close, ecommerce will have a shift in momentum. Retailers need to embrace that concept and be mindful of the various types of Internet savvy consumers."

Key points Thomas Harpointner covered during the interview:

• About 143,000 stores closed in 2008-- the highest number since 2001. It's already predicted that 140,000 more stores will close in 2009 and 135,000 will close in 2010.
• Retailers like Macy's and The Gap --despite losses in brick and mortar sales -- have both reported increases in online sales resulting from discounts, online experience improvements, and influx of consumers researching products and incentives online.
• In the last two years, free shipping has been the most sought after promotions more than any other type of incentive.
• Since consumers are spending more time online, retailers are shifting budgets away from traditional media towards Interactive media such as web sites, search engine marketing, email marketing and social networking.

AIS Media has been helping businesses cut costs and increase productivity since 1997. With consultants worldwide, AIS Media assists performance-driven companies implement and manage Interactive strategies. To contact an AIS Media consultant in your area click here.

Click here to subscribe to RSS feed and receive the latest in AIS Media appearances in the global news media.

About AIS Media:
AIS Media, Inc., an Interactive marketing and web solutions company, is a leading provider of Internet strategy, award-winning web site development, email and search engine marketing, lead generation, and interactive public relations services. The company has developed a suite of Web-based applications under the proprietary “Excerpo” brand, which focuses on email marketing and e-commerce. AIS Media’s solutions are available directly and through its global network of certified partners. For more information, or to locate a local consultant, visit: www.aismedia.com.

© 2009 AIS Media, Inc.