For our friends and partners in the retail world, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become the fulcrum point of their entire sales calendar with the potential to move their P&L from pink to black in a single weekend. And the pressure is huge—if you know anyone who works in retail, you may have noticed dark circles under their eyes as they work in preparation for the Super Bowl of Sales. It’s a fascinating business phenomenon, to say the least.
Since many of our energy efficiency sales clients are retail businesses, let’s commemorate this week by taking note of a few news items worth keeping on your radar as you craft your sales approach for retailers.
- IKEA is the latest in a series of large retailers that are moving toward using solar energy. The list also includes WalMart, Target, Kohls, and many others. The message for your retail clients is clear: These big companies don’t make business decisions based on good vibes and a wish to save the Earth; they have analyzed the data, and they understand that the benefits of solar are real. For you to stay competitive, the time to get on board is now.
- VF Corp. has reduced its carbon footprint by 12% since 2012, breaking its own established goals for that period. In addition to being “good press,” this article highlights an important point to illustrate for your clients: VF was able to improve energy efficiency while increasing their operations by 40%. There is not an inverse relationship between doing business and saving energy—in fact, the opposite is often true if the management team is focused on the right things.
- In recent years, the small and medium buildings (SMB’s) that are common to retail outlets were unable to have the same data-driven energy solutions that were available to large commercial buildings. According to this Forbes article, that could be changing, thanks to a concept known as The Internet of Things (IoT). IoT uses the connectivity of devices and scalable technology to streamline data, which building owners can then use to make real-time operational changes that increase energy efficiency. Take a look at the article for more details on how newly accessible technologies may level the big data playing field for the little guys.
To wrap up, we’d like to make note of Selling Energy’s own Black Friday/Cyber Monday offer. The Selling Energy autographed hardback and audiobook gift set is now $9.99 (80% off) through end of November. This is a perfect holiday gift to energize your sales team… a gift that keeps on giving. Gift-wrapping is available!
Whether you’re out at the stores, shopping from home, or just spending time with family, we hope you enjoy the weekend. And if you or a loved one are a retail worker—hang in there!
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