THE BOTTOM LINE BLOG

As another Super Bowl fast approaches, the media pundits and others are once again somewhat incredulously pointing out how expensive it is to run an ad on the Super Bowl. BTW, it is a record $5M for a 30-second spot for Super Bowl 50! And the familiar follow-up...

It’s that time of year again…when most Americans make their New Year’s Resolution. In fact, over 75% of us will make some form of resolution ranging from the very specific and measurable (e.g. lose 30 lbs or save 5% of my income, etc.) to the more general and vague...

It’s been a long time coming – the redefinition of Black Friday. Since retailers started opening on Thanksgiving, the air has gone out of Black Friday. Last year, the Black Friday weekend was a bust with flat sales and fewer consumers out shopping on Friday. Why?...

A few years ago, U.S. retailers opened Pandora’s box and opened on Thanksgiving Day. They expected to expand the “official” kick-off of the holiday shopping season. Many chose not to open on Thanksgiving and those that did opened in the evening (8 pm the first...

Spending on Halloween has more than doubled in the last ten years to nearly $7.0 billion. For decades, Halloween was geared towards kids and most spending was on candy, cheap costumes and some decorations. However, Halloween is now the 6th most important retail...

On a recent visit to Glacier National Park, my son and I hiked over 30 miles, saw two bears, three mountain goats and dozens of mostly small critters (chipmunks, squirrels, etc.). We were able to traverse the entire length of “Going To The Sun” Road, the path that...