As summer winds to a close, retail stores across the nation are dusting off their back-to-school signs and loading shelves full of fresh loose leaf paper, pencils, pens, and everything else students need to hit the books and hallways once again. According to the National Retail Federation, the back-to-school rush…
Those of you who’ve been following our recent posts know that we occasionally catalog inventions that were predicted to be part of our daily lives (by pundits of several generations ago) but are still not making a presence. Due either to technological impossibility or simply the absurdity of the ideas…
A few weeks ago, we showed you some products and inventions that our ambitious (yet often mislead) forefathers believed would soon be part of our everyday lives. The world of yesterday is full of so many botched predictions and forgotten innovations that we couldn’t help but share eight more favorites…
We’ve heard it said that technology moves, and improves, at a blistering pace. We, of course, agree with this statement, being in the fast-paced technology world ourselves. But for many, it can be hard to gain a sense of how far we’ve come in such a short period of time….
The world of tomorrow has always tempted the imaginations of today. From personal jet-packs to flying cars, new technology and home appliances have long been promised and predicted by speculators, scientists and others at the bleeding edge of innovation. All too often, however, our hopes and dreams for these products…
Consumer behavior can be swayed by a variety of factors, not the least of which is the weather. It may not seem as crucial as your next big marketing idea, but it is still pretty important to understand the various ways that patterns and changes in the forecast can affect…
It’s no secret that recessions spell disaster for the retail industry as a whole. When layoffs make the rounds and 401(k)s take a beating, one of the first things consumers do is tighten their wallets. Suddenly, retailers selling items previously perceived to be “necessary luxuries” find themselves scrambling for enough sales…
In the early days of Friendster and MySpace, social media was commonly seen as just a way to connect with friends and family, post pictures, and gab with online acquaintances. Over the last several years however, social media has grown to encompass online and mobile commerce opportunities that are changing…
Fans of late night television are used to seeing infomercials for weird gadgets and completely unnecessary items. Many of these products fall flat, but others have the power to create a cultural craze, motivating millions of TV viewers to call the toll-free number and place an order. What separates the…
Often called “The Land Of Opportunity,” the United States of America is typically referred to as a country that encourages innovation and enterprise. While this is still largely the case, there is much variation in attitude when it comes to entrepreneurship in America’s fifty states. Differences in taxes, policy and…