During the Great Recession, if shoppers didn’t go to dollar stores—or retailers weren’t going to offer less expensive products—they were on the hunt for deals.

Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy ahead of the 2008 holiday shopping season signaled that consumers needed to ease up their spending, which led retailers to slash prices by as much as 80%.

Coupon and cash-back services also grew in popularity around this time. The current economic conditions suggest that this is an environment where those same companies would thrive, but a new retail landscape alongside evolving consumer habits and expectations has created new obstacles.

Cash grab: Rakuten Rewards, for example, saw growth as a result of the 2008 recession, which has continued as e-commerce has grown, its president, Kristen Gall, told Retail Brew. The company’s revenue comes from affiliate network links on its site where members click through the links before shopping at a retailer’s site.

• Retailers then split a 50% commission to Rakuten on any purchases made.

“With all of these things that have been happening in the economy, you worry that people are going to stop shopping. And that’s not been the case on our platform,” she said. “We do have shoppers right now that are weathering all of this inflationary pressure. They’re weathering all of the weird things happening in the economy, and they are shopping.”

Oh yeah, remember that? Despite consumers on the hunt for bargains, Groupon has struggled this year. For Q3, the company reported $144.39 million in revenue, compared to $214.17 million a year earlier.

To weather the storm, the company is looking at new marketing channels like Snapchat, TikTok, and Pinterest to grow its customer base, Melanie Hellenga, VP of global brand and performance marketing at Groupon, told Retail Brew.

Keep reading here.—KM

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Cynthia Matrullo might just have one of the best job titles we’ve featured thus far. She’s co-CEO and co-chief flower officer at Diane James Home, which sells its luxury faux floral arrangements in retailers like Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, as well as direct-to-consumer.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I motivate my team to produce the best faux floral arrangements in the marketplace. I make sure we have the product on hand to fulfill orders. I problem solve when issues arise with supply-chain disruptions, delays in production, and customer complaints. I’m basically a one-armed paperhanger!

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? I keep the wheels on the bus going round and round.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? A collaboration with [Estée Lauder-owned lifestyle brand] AERIN during the lockdown.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about this year, and why? People shopping in smaller, local retailers instead of department stores.

What’s your go-to coffee order? Trader Joe’s instant cold brew with Califia Farms almond milk, made at the office.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? “That’s not possible,” when it is absolutely possible if you believe in yourself.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? Jordache jeans and Jo Malone Basil and Neroli perfume.

“What pairs nicely with a glass of wine? A podcast, if you ask Wine Access, a DTC wine retailer that recently kicked off the second season of its branded podcast Wine Access Unfiltered,” writes Marketing Brew’s Alyssa Meyers.

Why would an online wine company create a podcast, you might ask. Besides the fact that seemingly every brand is doing it, it’s also a brand-awareness play.

Once Wine Access Unfiltered debuted, [CEO Joe] Fisch said that listeners started submitting feedback saying they wanted to drink the wines the hosts were discussing along with them. As a result, Wine Access started a new wine club tied to the podcast in September, adding to an offering that already included a separate club.

Read the whole story here on Marketing Brew.

Today’s top retail reads.

Twilight Sears: One Black Friday shopper was greeted by empty shelves and little selection at her local New Jersey Sears. With just 15 full-line retail locations remaining, this could be the retailer’s final holiday season. (CNN)

Bracket busters: Consumers are increasingly “bracketing”—ordering the same item online in multiple sizes and colors and returning those they don’t like—boosting the number of returns retailers face. (Business Insider)

Shoe-in: How Vans is working to attract consumers outside of Gen Z and Millennials. (Adweek)

Learn: Did somebody say free? Join us tonight for a conversation with David Epstein—he’ll be sharing everything he knows about innovating your career with the generalist approach. Click here to get all the details.

Reminder: We’re ringing in the holiday season with a special giveaway! The clock is ticking, so don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy your favorite seasonal coffee drinks on us.

To celebrate the 25th year of Starbucks’ holiday cups, we’re giving away $50 Starbucks gift cards to five lucky Retail Brew subscribers.

To put yourself in the running, just click below!

Enter caffeination station ️

Catch up on the Retail Brew stories you may have missed.

• The wine industry is obsessed with NFTs
• Black Friday sales were up on the back of e-commerce spending
• Behind the curtain of department stores’ holiday-window displays