As we  look forward to a new year, I thought it’d be intriguing to reflect back on the retail industry’s highs and lows from this past year. As consumers and businesses try to pull out of the recession, the holiday spending forecast was predicted to rise 3.8% to $469.1 billion this year. Consumers may be excited to spend again, which is great news for retailers, but there has been also some slip ups by retailers this year.

In an infographic by Retail Customer Experience titled, “Epic Retail Fails of 2011,” we can see what big retail names made big retail mistakes in 2011. Between an online shopping fiasco and a bookstore closing its doors, some businesses are looking forward to a new year more so than others.

Epic Retail Fails of 2011 [Infographic]
Compliments of RetailCustomerExperience.com

A new year will offer a fresh start for retail stores, but businesses can’t forget lessons learned from the past. While it’s never healthy to dwell on past mistakes or think, “what if”, using constructive criticism, admitting mistakes, and being proactive will help businesses bounce back next year. Retailers who didn’t experience an embarrassing blunder should also be aware of others’ mistakes and shortcomings. These serve as fantastic case studies to help keep businesses moving in a positive direction.

I always knew I was “dead on” by loving Halloween. Whether it’s spending three months planning the perfect costume, munching on candy corn for weeks building up to the event or watching the scary movies that run nonstop on practically every TV station, Halloween is one of the most festive holidays. You’re never too old, too cool or too busy to miss out. And this year, America is cranking it up a notch.

A survey by the National Retail Federation shows that more Americans will celebrate Halloween this year than any other in the past decade. Nice. 68.6% plan to celebrate Halloween, up from 63.8% last year. Spending on decorations, costumes and candy are also up from last year, increasing from $68.28 to $72.31. Total spending on Halloween in America this year is projected to reach $6.8 billion.

The traditional Halloween rituals are as popular as ever, too. 73.5% of Americans will hand out candy, which is a good thing because 84% of kids prefer candy and gum over baked goods and small toys. Almost half of Americans (47.8%) say they will carve a pumpkin, up from 46.3% in 2010.

This year, you can expect to not only see great costumes, but lots of them! 43.9% plan to dress up this year for the holiday. And it’s not just kids. Adults will actually spend more money on costumes this year than kids! $1 billion will be spent on kids’ costumes, up from $840 million last year, but adults will spend $1.21 billion, up from $990 million last year. And again, tradition is holding true with a projected $310 million to be spent on an animal, devil, witch and pumpkin costumes.

Retail stores should take advantage of all the elements that go into Halloween. Beyond costumes and candy, decorations play a big role in the holiday. 34.4% of Americans plan to throw or attend a Halloween party and 49.5% plan to decorate their home and yard. Having last minute sales and promotions can get customers who decide last minute they want to go a costume party or hand out candy. Last minute emergencies are bound to happen as well, whether it’s running out of candy or ripping a costume.

How do you plan on celebrating this year? Any tips to protect yourself, jack-o-lanterns and house from this year’s tricksters?

There’s something exhilarating and oddly fulfilling about participating in exclusive activity. As superficial as it sounds, I think it’s safe to say people enjoy not being clumped with the majority or being branded as “average”. I don’t care what the activity is, whether it’s being in the top percentage of basketball players, receiving an invite to an executive dinner or buying the latest black riding boots, people revel in activities that make them feel different, elite or special.

Let’s run with the new black riding boots example and apply this theory to retail. There are plenty of places women can find black riding boots, but we women know where to find the “good” ones. As the most brand-loyal generation, Generation Y also loves luxury brands, proving truth to the theory. The elitism that comes with owning something not everyone can buy or afford influences Millennials, as 65% of females and 61% of males consider themselves brand-conscious. They play “favorites” to brands (with women listing Chanel and men listing BMW as the most iconic “hot” brands) and are willing to use their extra income to show their love for luxury.

However, a high price tag doesn’t have to come with this desired exclusiveness. Generation Y may be willing to buy expensive, luxury brands, but not at full price. Over half of female shoppers purchase these products from discount-websites, and less than a third bought directly from the brand’s website. So if price doesn’t make an item elite, what does? My answer – the availability and exclusiveness of the item. Finding a discount website with the luxury designer items at a reasonable price is hard; not all customers want to share their secret door into the “exclusive club.”

We all heard what happened when Target launched their partnership line with Missoni, a luxury clothing brand. Total chaos ensued, with stores selling out of the 400-piece line ranging from stationary to clothes in a matter of hours, and the Target website crashing as anxious customers stocked their online shopping bags. Prices on Missoni clothing can reach up to $1,500, so with the most expensive item being $599 patio furniture, I can understand the frenzy. The people with the discount Missoni items are now part of the few and envied by the majority because of lack of availability. Only Target has the partnership and sells the items. It’s exclusive.

Aside from designer brands, anything exclusive sells like hot cakes. I’ve witnessed this trend in my personal experience. Victoria Secret’s Collegiate Collection and Old Navy’s College branded shirts were nearly impossible to get your hands on in Lawrence, Kansas and even Kansas City. Women believed the only “cute” game day shirts were exclusively sold there, leaving owners permanent members of the “club.”

Any retail store can create this kind of craze among their customers. The trick is finding something very desirable and making it exclusive to only their store. Maybe it’s a partnership with another brand or perhaps something locally made, but if it’s exclusive and appealing, customers will be lined up at the doors when the shelves are restocked.

During a conversation with Road Warrior, one of Midcontinent’s 16 Beta Testers, he said something that was rather profound. He was talking about his MidcoNet Xstream Wideband home Internet service, and mentioned how it’s great and has tons of capacity. For example, he brought up the fact that he can have everyone in his home online at the same time – with “astonishingly” fast speeds (his words, not mine).

But what really stuck out to me in the conversation was how he mentioned the need for context when describing a service such as Internet, where many people consider it to be something like a utility. While he said that, yes, attributes, statistics, and facts about products are all great to hear about, but what he really wants to know is“what’s the benefit to me?”

The example he used was, when someone’s asks how your home water pressure is, you don’t respond with the PSI, you respond with what it can do – the benefits and abilities of your water pressure. For example, filling the bathtub or having good pressure for washing your hair.

One of the best, most viral examples of selling the product benefits versus the product attributes is the Shamwow. What is it? I don’t know because the time Vince spends on describing what it actually is, lasts maybe 5 seconds, the rest of the infomercial demonstrates what it can be used for and how great it works – the benefits to you as the consumer.

Watch the Shamwow commercial.

This may seem like an unrelated, off-the-wall example but it gets the point across. When you understand what the customer really wants to know about the product, specifically what it can do for them, the strongest sell points seem to come from the creativity behind positioning the product benefits, rather than the product itself.

Everyone knows the feeling of buying something for a great deal. Whether it’s groceries, shoes, computers, cell phones or a car, finding something you need or really, really want for an astonishing discount is exciting every single time. Even seeing a favorite toothpaste flavor on sale can brighten someone’s day.

And people like to tell anyone who’s willing to listen about their big steal. “You’ll never believe what I got this for,” or “Oh, this? I got it for next to nothing!” or my personal favorite, “Don’t tell me you paid full price for that. I saw it on sale at another store.” Thanks.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to celebrate a good find (usually by using it as an excuse to buy more), and there’s definitely a rush that shoots through me when the check-out person says my purchase total. However, there’s a popular practice out right now that takes sales, steals, deals and discounts to a whole new level – extreme couponing. Almost three-quarters of women and moms say the trend is on their radar.

The cable television channel TLC even has a reality show based on this massive savings phenomenon. Consumers carefully strategize a combination of retailer and manufacturer coupons, in-store promotions, rebates and any online deal they can find. The result: hundreds of dollars of groceries for $5 to $10 per trip. The savings add up to thousands of dollars each year. Sounds complicated, yet rewarding, right? Others must agree, because this trend is growing, and businesses are wary.

A report from Nielsen concluded that while coupon redemption is down from 4.4 billion in 2000 to 3.3 billion in 2010, the percentage of consumers who are heavy users (defined as those who bought at least 188 items in a year using coupons) is increasing. In 2010, 13% of consumers claimed to be heavy users (“enthusiasts”), up 2% from 2009. “Enthusiasts” redeemed 70% of coupons in 2010.

The amount of savings from this practice of couponing is at times unbelievable, and I can only imagine the rush these shoppers feel. However, some shoppers take extreme couponing too far and sometimes cheat the system. Retail chains are reviewing and changing their policies by adding more restrictions and rules to their coupons.

“One of the reasons why retailers have been posting their rules is because there has been fraud, there has been misuse of coupons [and] they want to control that,” said Todd Hale, senior VP-consumer and shopper insights at Nielsen.

What kind of misuse? A woman in South Carolina extreme coupon-ed so many boxes of rice that she would clear the shelves, leaving no rice for anyone else. The store believed she was turning around and selling the rice at a flea market for a profit, so they intervened and asked her to stop. Some shoppers buy obscene amounts of groceries and products for practically free just because they can, only bringing it home to more mass quantities of the same products hoarded away. Maybe their rush is more of a high – and addicting.

Retailers have to be careful, because this small percentage of coupon-abusers can’t ruin all of the fun for others. With more than two-thirds of shoppers claiming coupons influence their decisions to buy grocery items and people of all income levels using coupons, retailers’ restrictions must be fair and aim only at keeping out the abusers. Coupons and promotions are vital during a recession and will increase customer loyalty. Retailers must keep giving their customers the little joys of saving.

What do you think? Is extreme couponing hurtful to a retailer’s bottom line or a great way to encourage customers to shop in their store?

Walking through retail stores these days is really taking an emotional toll on me. I can’t help but notice the gigantic no. 2 pencils and delicious looking apples hanging from the ceilings. Over-sized, chalkboard signs with doodles and arrows pointing, “This Way” hang strategically, leading me to aisles of supplies for none other than my third favorite time of year (behind Christmas and my birthday), “Back-2-School”.

This year is very bitter sweet for me, because for the first time in 19 years, I’m not going back to school. I have been tempted to take the obnoxious, yellow pencils and knock displays over in a fit of jealousy, but then I remember all of the lucky kids who still need their Lisa Frank folders, gel pens and colorful notebooks. While I was the strange child who had her school supplies in July (and Halloween costume shortly thereafter), a recent report by the National Retail Federation found that more parents will be shopping later this year for their kids’ school supplies.

Almost one-third of families will start back-to-school shopping just one or two weeks before school starts, compared to less than 25 percent who shopped at that time last year. More than 40 percent of families will begin shopping three weeks to one month before school starts, which is up from the 33 percent who shopped at that time last year. So for students who don’t start school until September, school supplies shopping won’t start until the beginning of August or later.

Yet it seems like stores begin their back-to-school season earlier and earlier each year. Some retail stores begin promoting school supplies as early as mid-June, but most begin rolling out campaigns in the beginning of July. However, with back-to-school shopping as the second biggest sales period behind the holidays, it’s easy to understand why retailers are anxious to kick the season off.

The study also shows that back-to-school and back-to-college spending is expected to top $68.8 billion this year, but spending is down from last. Families with children grades K-12 with spend an average of $603.63 (per family), slightly down from last year’s $606.40. Back-to-college spending will average $808.71, which is down from last year’s $835.73.

Retailers should start treating back to school shopping like holiday shopping. Last minute sales and promotions will go over well with this year’s late shoppers. Consumers are waiting, searching and shopping around for the best deals and sales, much like holiday shoppers. Retail stores could also see a benefit by having blowout school supplies sales and deals in mid-September, comparable to day-after-Christmas sales.

If the day after the Fourth of July becomes the Black Friday of back-to-school shopping, then those who are like me and have an urge to lay out all of their school supplies and ache to write with their new pens on fresh loose leaf paper will be pleased as punch. Enjoy it while it lasts, kiddos.

Start counting down the days, dads.  This year, Father’s Day is going to seem a bit more like Christmas.  According to a report by the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend an estimated $11 billion on dads to make up for previous Father’s Days impacted by the recession. Americans will spend $106.49 on the average dad, up from $94.32 last year. Still not quite up to par with Mother’s Day (average of $140.73), dads will notice a little extra attention than what they’ve been used to in the past.

While dads may actually be the ones upset about this unnecessary spending, they should be proud to know their countless lectures on spending and personal finances may have paid off. Personal, yet practical gifts are on top of buyer’s minds, and almost a third of spenders will buy the gift from a discount store. Suck ups.

With summer finally in swing, Father’s Day presents another great opportunity for retailers to showcase outdoor games and activities, such as grilling, lawn and deck accessories and sporting goods. Consumers will spend $653 million on sporting goods and $1.4 billion on home improvement/gardening tools and appliances for dad this year. These gifts promote fresh air, activity, and of course, bonding time. Dad loves a good grill-out or game of catch, so adding a personal touch to these items will really hit the nail on the head.

Retail stores can also take this as an opportunity to make both dads and spenders pleased with their purchase. Sales, promotions and advertising can lead buyers in the right direction to the perfect gift because let’s face it, what dad considers ‘practical’ can definitely generate eye rolls and leave us dumbfounded. But this is the year of the dad, and it sounds as if we owe him.

As consumers we have so many options to choose from when shopping.  How does a person decide where to buy milk or purchase toothpaste? For the majority of consumers, the number one factor is price.

It isn’t always convenient to find the cheapest prices. A shopper has to learn from experience where to find good deals. Bargain hunters must be patient to find the best deals, but once lower prices are found, shoppers never go back to paying the higher amounts again.

This overly monotonous, inefficient way of shopping is coming to an end. There is a wide array of shopping apps available for download on various smartphones. Bar code scanning apps, such as ShopSavvy, allow you to find better deals right from your phone. By simply taking a picture of a product’s bar code, the app gives customers the current price of that item at other local merchants and online stores.

An article written by Kevin Woodward, senior editor of Internet Retailer, discloses that in a survey of all respondents that have a shopping app downloaded on their smartphone, 34% use them to compare prices and 33% use them to find nearby products to purchase.

What does this trend mean for advertisers? In today’s transparent world, retailers have to make sure they offer the best price at the most convenient location.

To ensure their store is on the radar of bargain hunters, advertisers can pay to have their location listed on apps like ShopSavvy. A retailer must list all the products or services they want to include. When the advertiser is included on the list of retailers for an item, the account is charged $.50.  If the business does not appear, it does not get charged.

Shopping apps allow retailers to have their prices displayed next to their competitors, attracting new, bargain-seeking customers to their store. But there is a catch. If the advertiser doesn’t have the best price, they’ll be listed below other merchants in the area offering a better deal, feeding more sales to competitors. The way around this risk is to only list the items that are competitively priced with others in the area.

From a strategy standpoint, I would recommend advertising on shopping applications. At only fifty cents per listing, apps are a very affordable way to advertise. You’re guaranteed to spend money reaching consumers interested in the products you have to offer. Other mediums that offer this same opportunity are few and far between.

However, there are two questions I would take into consideration before recommending shopping app advertising to a client.

• First, are there competing businesses in the area? If there aren’t any other businesses in the area, there is no competitive reason to include your business as you would be the only retailer on the list and there isn’t anyone to compare to.

• Second, is the advertiser fairly priced on their products or services in the market? If your prices in general tend to run high, you’ll need to be extremely careful with listing prices that are more expensive than competitors.

With that said, if there are several competitors in your area included on an app, you’re doing just as much harm not listing your business. To get consumers in the store, your prices need to be aggressive with competitors which may affect your bottom line. To offset the lower costs, up sell to a more expensive, like product or offer flattering deals on other items getting consumers to spend more while in your store.

Shopping apps offer a low cost per impression, but like any advertising medium the opportunities and risks must be evaluated for each individual business.

Today’s iPod is tomorrow’s Walkman. Technology is constantly changing, consumers are struggling to keep up and the big tech companies are laughing all the way to the bank. What’s a mildly, tech savvy girl to do?

After reading the GadgetBox blog on msnbc.com, I realized many of my favorite devices will soon be obsolete – not just because the article says so, but because rapid technological advancement is a reality. For example, my Garmin GPS and my Barnes & Noble E-reader are both projected to be gone within the next five years. With the ability of smartphones to accomplish a variety of tasks, people are asking themselves, “why carry three devices when you can carry one?” Thus discarding the seemingly inferior product in favor of the newest and shiniest one. This infographic illustrates how quickly obsolete electronics pile up as consumers continue to update their electronic inventory.

The changing technological landscape not only impacts trendy electronic devices, but also household technology, such as cable and Internet. VCRs are a thing of the past and even now, we see consumers moving towards downloading movies rather than watching them on their DVD or BlueRay player. Although some consumers still have dial-up Internet, many now rely on cable and broadband Internet to enjoy faster speeds and more bandwidth.

How do we, as consumers embrace this ever-changing world? This is a question I find myself asking, after buying the HTC Thunderbolt and already being upstaged by the Droid Charge! Steve Jobs said this in response to the launch of the first iPhone, “This is life in the technology lane. If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you’ll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon…”

Although Jobs is right, those aren’t words of comfort to my pocketbook – so how does a company put a positive spin on their rapidly changing products? I think the answer lies in how well they promote new technology by relating it to my needs. Many times, I see advertising displaying new products or services as “bright and shiny” rather than a tool to improve my life. Yes, LTE Charge, you are faster than my current phone, but why should I pay more to upgrade? I don’t want to hear about enhancements on features but rather the benefits to me. As a marketer, I need to remember that at the end of the day it’s about communicating the benefits to the consumer rather than the product itself to prompt action.

As digital media and highly defined metrics become a larger part of delivering marketing messages, advertisers are looking for ways to relate the metrics of digital media to traditional media.

There are digital ways to track traditional media, but the over-arching metric among all media is still  impressions. This leads to the question, if digital metrics are more detailed, is digital better than the traditional? Not at all! They are meant to work together to target consumers throughout the purchase cycle. This makes knowing when and how to reach your audience essential.

Tara Payne Mueller, digital & media strategist, and Laura Mitchell, digital strategist, discussed how goals and messaging are important in evaluating your campaign metrics in May’s L&S Boot Camp Webinar – Message Delivery: Metrics Across Digital and Traditional Media.

The Internet and social media have fundamentally changed the pace of business, compressing time and rewarding speed. News breaks over minutes, not days. Companies can develop or refine products and services instantly based on customer feedback or events in the marketplace.

As a result, public relations has changed forever. Traditional media outlets are no longer the inpenetrable gatekeepers. Citizen journalists (whether they think of themselves that way or not) are reporting more updates from more locations than professional journalists could ever hope to cover. And businesses have an unprecented freedom to share their stories directly with key audiences – customers and potential clients.

This shifting landscape provides business with an opportunity never before seen. It’s called Real-Time PR… the mindset of finding and engaging with emerging story lines before they become old news.

Real-time PR was the topic of April’s L&S Boot Camp Webinar. Lawrence & Schiller’s Dave Haan, Director of Public Relations, and Lindsey Philips, PR Coordinator, presented the three “D”s at the foundation of real-time PR:

• Detect conversations about your brand
• Deliver the right messages to the right audiences
• Decrease your response time

In between a couple of meetings on a rainy morning last Friday, Jamie Bulian and I joined our clients from Lewis Drug Stores on a visit to the place where all their flowers are raised before showing up in stores. Just northwest of Sioux Falls, Hiebert’s Greenhouse ended up being a much more gigantic and serious operation than I ever envisioned. There were literally miles of fresh flowers, potted plants and native grasses, all ready to be shipped out into stores and eventually homes, where they’ll brighten lives all summer long.

It took us about an hour to tour the facility via golf cart, and we had fun seeing all the people and systems at work. The visit will absolutely add great depth to our ability to tell Lewis’ unique brand story. And the sweet, fresh air in that place made us both grateful for this job that takes us to many interesting places beyond the traditional office.

When I lived in Nashville friends back in South Dakota always ask me, “I bet there are a lot of good singers there, huh?” The answer to that question is overrated. The problem with Nashville isn’t the lack of talent. Carrie Underwood look-a-likes and Keith Urban sound-a-likes are a dime-a-dozen. The problem is finding something unique and authentic; something valuable and relatable.

Whether you are trying to break into the country music world or working with a nationally-recognized retail company, the concept of branding is important. But, what is branding? My brother Taylor said it best on his marketing site, Strategic Blend:

Cutting through all the hype and BS, the word “brand,” really boils down to one thing: the expectation your fans/friends/consumers have about you. It’s that simple!  You don’t need to be a marketing professional to understand it.

He truly nailed it on the nose. It is important to keep your client true to who they are. They don’t have to be everything to everyone. But they need to stay relevant to the target audience. Those fans/friends/consumers want a brand to be authentic and relatable.

Why the bold and italics on the word authentic? Because in a society that is completely saturated with strategically produced marketing messages, consumers truly lust for something that is genuine. Dan Weiden, co-founder of Weiden + Kennedy, said it best in Fast Company that authenticity has “relatively little to do with technique, and everything to do with honesty.” Weiden goes on to say:

Authenticity comes from having a real passion for the thing. When we first started working with Nike, we didn’t bother with focus groups and planning. We were just a group of people who were absolutely turned on by sports and athletes, and what Phil Knight was creating, and we just wanted to turn other people on. We weren’t trying to manipulate anyone. We were trying to share something that we loved. It was that simple.

Can such authenticity live in the marketing world? Can we change strategic plans into real life passions? Can we show a client for what they really are? All signs point to substance over artificiality in the consumers’ eyes. Even Nashville understands that these days it takes more than a pretty face and a guitar to “show them the money.”

With the Super Bowl in hindsight, the number one thing on many consumers’ minds is the ads.  But, their recall only lasts for so long.  How can brands continue to spread their message in the world of sports that will impact recall longer?  One word – sponsorships.

Sponsorships bring the brand and the consumer face-to-face and create relationships. General Motors Co’s director of global social media, Christopher Barger, referenced to the impact sponsorships have on consumers:

“You start with ‘them’ rather than ‘us.’ The value you provide to them will determine the message they receive. If I lead with a commercial, people may remember that Chevy was there, but they will dismiss it. But if I enter into a relationship knowing what they want to do, people will remember that Chevy was there.”

In the last two years, the world of sponsorships has taken a bit of a dive.  According to IEG, “less money was spent on corporate partnerships in 2009 than in the previous year, a never-before-seen circumstance.”   In 2010, there was a 3.9% increase in total North American sponsorship spending.  And for 2011, IEG suspects significant increases at 5.9%.  Growth in sponsorships compared to advertising and sales promotion will be ahead of the traditional mediums.

Where do all these sponsorship dollars go to?  IEG reports that 68% of sponsorship dollars go to sports.  The hot trends of who are buying sponsorships include Fast Food Restaurants, Telecommunications, Health Care, and Consumer Electronics – just to name a few.

In the world of Fast Food, McDonalds has just renewed its partnership with the NHL and YUM! Brands extended its contract with the Kentucky Derby for an additional five years as a presenting sponsor. And I can’t forget to mention Papa John’s three-year agreement with the NFL.

Sponsorships allow Fast Food Restaurants to step up business ideas, add credibility, and stand out through the clutter of competitors. It isn’t just about brand awareness but simply having a memorable conversation with the consumer.

True Grit, Country Strong, and Cowboys & Aliens are just three movies in 2011 that have taken Hollywood back to its western roots. Line dancing and Alan Jackson’s 2008 hit song, “Good Time” are being used in a new GE TV commercial. Even Wyoming Tourism is embracing its cowboy heritage by sponsoring a professional rodeo team. Is it just me or is country cool again?

These 2011 cowboy trends have people buzzing in all areas. Marian Salzman, a self-titled “trend-spotter” for CNN Opinion, thinks the “cowboy up” trend will be where employees and students are taught to be more “emotionally resilient”. The Geeky Hostess predicts that consumers will love the “chance to leave their tech toys behind and dream of simpler, dirtier days.” M.M. Cloutier predicts that restaurant culinary trends for 2011 will include simplicity/back to basics ideals.

Perhaps the reason for the trend is that Americans need that strong, resilient hero to ride in on his horse and bring back the heart and soul of the true American spirit. Bill O’Reilly said it best in his Jan. 4 column, “America could use another John Wayne today”.

In 1969, when the original version of “True Grit” was playing in the movie theaters, Americans were looking for heroes such as Wayne to show them nobility. Today there are far fewer heroes, and we don’t expect much nobility, even in the movies.

I liked both versions of “True Grit.” But for me, it was Wayne who still deserves most of the cheers. The man was larger than life, a symbol of the insurmountable American spirit.

Boy, do we need that today.

Catering to the cowboy lifestyle and western culture enthusiasts will garner success for retailers who take on this solid trend in 2011. It doesn’t have to be a huge sale on ten-gallon hats and gun holsters. But, going a step further and embracing the cowboy mentality. It is a prime market to get back the roots of true American values and culture. After all, there is a little cowboy in us all.

Happy trails!

Didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas?  Not wanting to go through all the hassle of taking it back to the store?  I have the perfect solution – regifting.  According to a survey by Regiftable.com, nearly seven out of ten women (68%) regift or are thinking about it (compared to only 47% of men).

Why regift?  Many say it is to save money.  Regiftable.com said that most regifters do have good intentions.  62% regift because they think it is something the recipient would really like.  It is becoming more widely accepted with 60% of respondents agreeing that regifting is acceptable in today’s society.  Less than 10% of respondents claimed they would be unhappy to receive a regift.  18% even claimed they would be happy or amused to be on the receiving end of a regift.

But, keep in mind that there are rules with this concept.  MSN Money states that “carried out carelessly, regifting is a recipe for public humiliation and long-held grudges. Done with finesse and tact, regifting can be a happy holiday experience for all.”  Here are a few of their simple rules to follow:

1.       Don’t mention it.

2.       Do update the wrapping.

3.       Don’t give hand-me-downs as regifts.

4.       Do keep track of who gave it to you first.

Regifting can also be fun.  My extended family has an on-going regift “joke” dealing with a Fabio workout video (need I say more?).  I must admit that in the 15 years that it has been around, not one person has opened the clear packaging around the video in order to keep it “in-tact”.  Many find it hilarious and exciting to see who gets the video for the year.

Regifting is an art form.  You have to know who your target audience is, how to present it, and the rules behind it.  It is not for the faint of heart – regifting takes talent, skill, and maybe some humor.  Just because you didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas, doesn’t mean someone else can’t.  And if all else fails, there is Ebay.

Not a single day goes by without Facebook. Whether it’s checking notifications, referencing something seen on Facebook in conversation or uploading a photo, the platform plays a huge part in our day-to-day lives. Now, the places users frequent are being incorporated.

Facebook Places, a somewhat new component to the social medium is starting to make waves. Through Places, Facebook mobile users are able to ‘Check in’ to different venues and locations, similar to Foursquare. Friends may also be tagged as part of the check in.

According to Facebook Statistics, more than 200 million of the 500 million active Facebook users are utilizing the sites mobile application, equaling over 40 percent of users. Such a sizable portion of people using the mobile platform shows the importance of mobile development, like the addition of location-based social networking.

Furthermore, tying into the likes of Groupon and other online coupons and deals, many locations on Facebook Places are offering rewards and special deals for those who check in. While shopping or dining out, pay attention to the deal logo when checking in to take advantage of the special promotions and offerings.

To access Facebook Places, go to your Android, BlackBerry or iPhone Facebook application or to touch.facebook.com and look for the ‘Check in’ symbol.

The growth, evolution and power that Facebook continues to show is remarkable. And it is only fitting that just today, the founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was named Time Magazine’s 2010 Person of the Year. Facebook has truly been a revolutionary addition to our social lives, and for that, Zuckerberg’s contributions are not going unnoticed.

Last Christmas my dad gave each of us kids a gift card to one of the local stores in our small hometown of Wall, SD. When questioned about why he doesn’t go to Rapid City (the nearest “large” city) to purchase gift cards from chain stores, he simply replied: “I like to keep my money local.”

In the midst of the crazy Black Friday coverage and Cyber Monday links, I came across the concept of Small Business Saturday. According to USA Today, America Express started the initiative to help small, local retailers bring in big holiday sales. The article highlights for every $100 spent in a local store, $68 stays in the community compared to the $43 from a chain store.

I enjoy when someone asks me “Where did you get that? I can’t find anything like that around where I live.” The secret is yes you can. It’s all in those small local stores. For example, in Spearfish, South Dakota, my favorite specialty shops line the downtown area packed full of gifts you won’t find in any mall across the region. From an antique furniture store to a world market, you can buy for anyone on your gift list. And might I recommend for that special lady in your life Kathleen’s Unique Boutique and Pink 629.

Shopping at small businesses is something I take pride in all year round. Those stores are the first to help sponsor local events and take pride in establishing a relationship with their customers. So if you are tired of standing in line to return undesired presents or regifting to another poor soul, shopping local offers you that originality and individuality your recipients yearn for.

With Black Friday coming this weekend and Christmas right around the corner, many have their gift lists all ready to go. But according to Forbes online, not budgeting for the little items can really make Christmas financially stressful. Americans will spend $170 this year on those little things like decorations, greeting cards, candy and flowers.

Many banks and credit unions are offering special programs to help their customers spend wisely this season as they buy gifts and decorate their homes. Great Western Bank is helping customers get cash back on holiday purchases with their Great Cash Rewards program. By using their debit cards, customers can automatically earn cash back for shopping at participating retailers, all year long. The rewards are deposited directly into a customer’s checking or savings account. No gift cards or vouchers – just extra cash customers can spend or save.

Great Western Bank is also making the holidays brighter this week with a special Great Cash Rewards promotion: the Great Holiday Shopping Weekend. From Black Friday to Cyber Monday (Nov. 26-29) customers can earn extra cash back and a chance to win a computer by registering their debit cards and shopping online through www.GreatCashRewards.com.

Deal hunting, coupon clipping, and avoiding shopping at the last minute are other tips that will help you keep your holiday season financially in check. Just remember to enjoy the real purpose of the holiday season and that it is always better to give than receive. Although a little cash back never hurts!