MERCHANDISING AND STRATEGY CHANGES
A glance at retailers that are restrategizing
Posted October 2005
High-speed wireless Web blankets Seattle
High-speed wireless Internet is ubiquitous throughout the Seattle area with Cingular, Sprint and Verizon Wireless all choosing to put the market high on their lists for enhanced network services. The third generation of cellular phone technology, known as 3G, brings broadband speeds to laptops and advanced data devices for access in the office or on the go.
Despite wireless broadband availability, Sprint is rolling out its own breed of high-speed Internet service. The timetable calls first for access for those visiting the renovated Sea-Tac International Airport and sections of downtown Seattle. Sprint will extend the service area to suburban areas by the end of 2005.
The announcement is a crystal clear reminder that Seattle is home to some of the most tech-hungry consumers in the country.
Cingular was the first of the present-day cellular phone providers to offer up the lightning-fast Internet connections it inherited from AT&T Wireless. The nation's largest cellular phone carrier, Verizon Wireless, launched its 3G service in June. The service from Verizon, known as EV-DO, is now available in more than 50 regions.
Selling the ability to surf the Web and check e-mail on the go is a crucial growth area for cellular companies.
Kohl's road to expansion runs through Northwest
Kohl's, a Wisconsin-based retailer that sells moderately priced apparel and goods for the home, is finally expanding to the Pacific Northwest. Years of advertisements foretold the chain's arrival in the Seattle market. Next year, consumers should see stores open around Portland, Ore., while Washington gets two stores to start. Kohl's will anchor malls in Marysville, 15 minutes north of Everett, and Covington, just southwest of Issaquah.
The chain announced the strategy to nearly double its store count from 670 to more than 1,232 by 2010. By that time, forecasts call for the chain store to reach annual profits of $1.9 billion on sales of $24 billion.
To get there, Kohl's plans on building or renting stores ranging from 68,000 to 133,000 square feet. These stores, much smaller than the typical Macy's or Sears, are designed for efficient traffic flows that allow people to easily browse the entire range of merchandise. To better accommodate the suburban families the retailer covets, shopping carts that double as strollers are provided. Glass fronts allow the curious to see what the stores have to offer.
Shoppers can expect Champion, Dockers, Gloria Vanderbilt, Jockey and Pfaltzgraff brands on racks next to private labels like Nine & Co., Sonoma life+style, and Croft & Barrow.