Window of Opportunity

Thanks to business students at Indiana University, Eddie Bauer has found a new marketing tool in time for the holidays. In an effort to attract more customers, the retailer took advantage of the students'idea for a new window dressing that would add an electronic edge to in-store advertising.

In September, Eddie Bauer tested digital posters, which feature quickly changeable images, in the Bloomington, Ind., store (where IU is located). After nine weeks, sales rose 56 percent. The store's success influenced the company to launch the window displays in 10 locations on the day after Thanksgiving, including stores on Chicago's Michigan Avenue and Broadway in Manhattan.

While Eddie Bauer says it is still too early to determine if the digital posters improved sales in the 10 stores over the weekend, the retailer is hopeful. Same-store sales have been down approximately 8 percent since the beginning of its fiscal year.