Dr. Stephen Needel
Managing Partner, Advanced SimulationsDr. Stephen Needel is Managing Partner of Advanced Simulations, based in Woodstock, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. He formed and now manages an international company responsible for bringing virtual reality simulations to bear on retailing, marketing, and consumption issues from a research perspective.
Prior to starting ASL, Dr. Needel was President of Simulation Research, where he brought the concept of using virtual reality technology to the everyday marketing research world. Dr. Needel held the position of Vice President for Product Development at A.C. Nielsen, where he developed new techniques for integrating and analyzing retail scanner data and household purchasing data. He has also been a Vice President of Analytical Services at Nielsen after coming from their competitor, Information Resources, where he led a team doing advanced analytical research from IRI’s BehaviorScan market testing system. Earlier jobs included analytical roles at Burke Marketing Research and Quaker Oats.
Originally a native of the Boston, Dr. Needel came to the business community with a B. A. in Psychology from The American University and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Connecticut. He is a member of the American Marketing Association.
His international experience dovetails nicely with his appreciation of English beers, South American beef, Australian football, and Mexican chiles. He hopes to pass on these fondnesses to his two sons.
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- Posted on: 01/21/2021
Albertsons’ pilot is latest part of the plan to supercharge omnichannel ops
Sorry - I'm underwhelmed by this unless it is way less expensive than someone bringing the order out to your car. Frictionless does not mean accurate or complete and I've argued before that in the absence of friction, the retailer gives up the opportunity to make a good impression and/or an additional sale. - Posted on: 01/20/2021
Is My Pillow being ‘cancelled’ or is its CEO trashing the business all on his own?
Maybe the line of the month, David :) - Posted on: 01/20/2021
Is My Pillow being ‘cancelled’ or is its CEO trashing the business all on his own?
The good news is that in a week, no one will even remember this. Three possibilities here - nobody wants to be associated with his ideas, his products aren't selling that well in stores, and/or he's made it toxic for a store to carry his products even if they are selling well. - Posted on: 01/18/2021
Does a Staples/Office Depot merger now make more sense?
My only question is, what does Staples get for $2 billion if it's giving up the commercial business? That said, let them merge. - Posted on: 01/15/2021
Will paying associates to get COVID-19 vaccines work for Dollar General and Trader Joe’s?
I'm not sure it will raise compliance, but it's both a nice corporate thing to do and certainly removes one objection (I can't afford the time off). At some point, retailers need to tell employees that without vaccination, their jobs are at risk. We insist on vaccinations to attend school, we should do the same for employment in a public-facing job. - Posted on: 01/14/2021
Is Amazon on its way to becoming America’s favorite grocer?
Meaningless measure. They had toilet paper early on when everyone else was out. - Posted on: 01/12/2021
Do sampled freebies drive loyalty?
Sampling is great for generating trial with products that are unfamiliar to people or have a particular attribute. I remember chicken-apple sausage being sampled because who would try them otherwise. It's a trial-generating device, not for driving incremental purchase. It's not meant to drive loyalty - that's asking the wrong question. - Posted on: 01/04/2021
Will Giant Food’s shelf labels with diversity call-outs drive sales?
I'm sad that this needs to even be considered "a thing." We should buy products because the product is good or the price is good, not because it's made by a minority-owned business (which does not mean it was made by minorities, just that the owners identify that way). If the manufacturer thinks ownership is a purchase driver, let the owner emphasize that on the package. Not the store. - Posted on: 12/29/2020
Are retailers set up to scale the value of AI investments?
They are probably aware and probably unsure as to how it is best used. They need to differentiate it from automation, which is where productivity gains might be found. Hard to believe there's trillions in value being left on the table - sales are a relatively zero-sum game so if somebody is picking up value with AI, somebody is losing. And that is the biggest obstacle - unrealistic expectations about what AI can do for you short term and long term. - Posted on: 12/23/2020
And the winner of the 2020 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge is …
Smiths City for me, although DocMorris was very close. Smiths told a great story with humor and emotion while still pitching their store. DocMorris was a great story, and wellness certainly ties in with their store, but I don't think they drove the selling point home. - Posted on: 12/21/2020
Christmas ads show gift-giving in completely different lives
Smiths City hands down. Amazon is a nice story but self-serving. Smiths made me laugh and was touching at the same time. - Posted on: 12/17/2020
Commercials show the magic behind good deeds and Christmas surprises
Great ads - if they don't resonate with you you're dead. :) The Dutch ad brings a little more of "this is what Christmas is about," but I don't want to sell the two brothers short either. - Posted on: 12/16/2020
Should c-stores go healthy for the sake of kids?
You balance the implications by carrying both healthy and regular snacks. It's not the retailer's job to change the community,, but it can only help their business if both types of snacks are available. Don't want your kids eating junk? Teach them to make healthier choices when they go to the store. - Posted on: 12/16/2020
Are retailers facing a no-win decision in mandating vaccines for workers?
When the vaccine is available to its employees, require it. It's a pandemic. But make sure it's available to all before requiring. - Posted on: 12/15/2020
Lidl and Tesco keep their Christmas spots ‘merry and bright’ for 2020
Lidl is good, but Tesco captures the desperation of the times perfectly and tells you it's okay - and isn't that one of the big messages we need to hear this holiday season?