Retailers overhaul business as consumers pull back

Change Has Come to America are the words scrolling on the much enhanced Whitehouse.gov website launched as President Barack Obama took his oath. As stated on a blog entry by Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media, for our new administration: "One of the first changes is the White House's new website, which will serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world."

Good or bad, change is constant. Change would have come yesterday no matter who was sworn into office. The important word in this statement is actually "Connect." People won't embrace change if they cannot CONNECT with the reason for it or CONNECT with the people driving it.

Like our new administration, every industry sector in our country is challenged to not only drive change that makes a difference, but to connect with their customers in a way that gets them on board with it. And retail is no different.

This article is interesting because it talks about how retailers are changing, but neglects to tell us what that means to the consumers. How does this change connect with us?