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Linda Mihalick

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The Cost of Instant Gratification

Is anyone a fan of Gene Wilder’s “Willy Wonka & and the Chocolate Factory“? Who could forget golden ticket winner Veruca Salt’s screeching words, “I want it, and I want it NOW!” as she visibly demonstrates her need for instant gratification, without consideration of the impending result of her demands? We now live in a...

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The Changing Definition of Convenience

From Ray Kroc’s first McDonald’s in 1955 to Pop-Tarts to microwaves, consumers have long placed a high value on convenience. And why shouldn’t we? Time is the greatest equalizer, no matter your position in the work world or your wealth. It’s our most precious commodity. We all have the same amount of it, as well...

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Good News! There’s a Consumption Boom Coming!

The stars are quietly aligning for the next big consumer consumption boom thanks to the inevitable suburban migration of millennial moms and dads, who will be headed to the same pleasant neighborhoods their boomer parents sought as their families expanded. Boomers, generally now age 55-75, followed the paths of the generations before them, often embarking...

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Who’s in Charge of Your Company’s Online Reputation?

It’s 9 p.m. on Saturday evening and a disgruntled customer posts a scathing review on your company’s Facebook page about the service she received earlier that day in one of your stores. Other customers quickly begin to pile on to the comments, adding their own personal experiences at other stores, both good and bad. By...