Retail Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: Don’t Get Left Behind
Tracy Tuten, Ph.D., author of Advertising 2.0: Social Media Marketing , told a seminar with more than 100 retailers and students from across Alabama that social media is not trendy – it is a fact. It is not free – the cost to do it right, and the price you pay for doing it wrong, is substantial. And it is not only Facebook – especially when you realize Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Britney Spears’ Twitter followers outnumber the entire population of Australia! Tuten predicts in five years all marketing plans will include social media practices and training. Her message – don’t get left behind.
Richard Pizitz Sr. was the keynote speaker at the event co-hosted by the Alabama Retail Association. Pizitz is the patriarch of the Pizitz family that has been doing retail in Birmingham since 1899. He started with the family business in 1953. His message then and today also focused on trends verses facts.
Pizitz, the past president of Pizitz Management Group, said the failure of department stores across the country was due in part to the fact that people and businesses leaving downtown areas was not a trend. He said the same can be said today for shopping malls. Pizitz said only one shopping mall has been built in the last three years across the country. Shopping malls are dying because of walking malls like The Summit – again, not a trend, a fact. His message – don’t get left behind.
The Retail Day event held at The Club also named the Alabama Retailers of the Year. To see a list of those not being left behind click here.
Find event photos here.
Kevin Storr
UAB Media Specialist
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