News, Blogs, & Insights
As a research scholar, writer and consultant, Kit's an active contributor to dialogs on consumer trends, Generation Y, behavioral economics and the psychology of shopping. This page features a sample of her recent blogs, articles and media mentions.
Articles and Blogs
The Huffington Post
Peak Performance Holiday Shopping
How to conquer the psychological landmines of high pressure holiday shopping
If you've ever gone over budget, purchased a gift you later regretted or impulsively purchased a $25 Christmas tree ornament, you're not alone. Shopping under pressure is rife with physical and mental landmines. Follow these five tips for a performance edge in shopping.
The Wall Street Journal
Even Shopping Pros Make Mistakes
Even the experts get tripped up by shopping mishaps: overbuying, procrastination, impulsive purchasing and falling prey to promotions
Shopping is full of "coulda, shoulda, woulda." As in, "I could have gotten it for less if I'd waited," "I should have bought it last week, now it's sold out," or "I would have bought a gift card if I'd known it would cost this much to mail it." It seems like people have to be retail experts to get through the holiday shopping season without regrets.
Psychology Today
5 Mental Mistakes that Sabotage Spending Resolutions
Five commonly used spending control tactics that consistently backfire
When Bridget decided to get her shopping and spending under control she started with a tearful declaration to her boyfriend. "I told him that I was a problem spender and asked him to help me get it under control." Together they decided that she wouldn't buy anything at all except for groceries. Four weeks later she clicked on an email link for a three-hour blowout sale and impulsively purchased a pair of shoes. This started a spending binge that resulted in even greater debt than what she had when she started her campaign. Despite her best intentions, Bridget made several decisions that nearly guaranteed she'd stumble at some point.
SF Gate City Brights
Got Wedding (Gift) Jitters?
It's July, the month that recently edged out June as the most popular month of the year for weddings. Nearly a quarter of a million weddings will take place this month and the average couple will invite over 150 guests. That means lots of wedding gifts.
Read full post (Links to other SFGate posts)
Media Mentions
Below is a sample of recent newspaper and magazine articles featuring quotes from Kit and recent television and radio interviews with Kit.
Walmart holds "Idol"- Style Contest for Small Businesses
USA Today | 1/23/12
Kendall-Jackson President on "Undercover Boss"
San Francisco Chronicle | 1/21/12
KTVU 2 | 12/28/11
Consumer Confidence Index Surges in December
ABC 7 | 12/27/11
Mega Monday Adding Sizzle for Retailers
CBS, The Early Show | 12/26/11
Retailers Court Post-Christmas Shoppers with "Mega Monday" Deals
Fox News | 12/26/11
Gift Card Gimmicks
KCBS | 12/26/11
Holiday Sales and Shopping
CBS Evening News | 12/24/11
Holiday Shopping Tips
KCBS | 12/24/11
Last Minute Holiday Shoppers Stimulate Business
ABC 7 | 12/24/11
More People Using SmartPhones to Shop
ABC 7 | 12/24/11
Most Retailers Don't Plan Later Hours on Christmas Eve
Mercury News | 12/23/11
Classic Gifts Keep Their Place Among High Tech Gadgets
Houston Chronicle | 12/22/11
New York Times | 12/1/11
USA Today | 11/27/11
Bay Area Expert Expects Big Numbers for Cyber Monday
KCBS | 11/27/11
Los Angeles Daily News | 11/23/11
Mad Shopping: Consumer Psychologist Kit Yarrow Advises
Sacramento Bee | 11/21/11
KGO-TV | 11/21/11
Washington Post | 11/20/11
Black Friday Midnight Openings
San Jose Mercury News | 11/17/11
Angie's Lies and Yelp, IPO Conflict
WSJ SmartMoney | 11/17/11
BetaNews | 11/5/11
A Bleak Forecast for Black Friday
Wall St Journal | 11/02/11
Marketplace | 10/31/11
Yahoo Finance | 10/31/11
Sense Discounted: Grabbing a Deal
Chicago Tribune | 10/30/11
Halloween is a Real Treat for Retailers
Houston Chronicle | 10/27/11
AllBusiness | 10/26/11
Dismal Earnings Report from Netflix
KCBS | 10/22/11
Holiday Forecasters Have Their Work Cut Out For Them
Chicago Tribune | 10/4/11
Will Bank of America Customers Defect?
The Street | 10/4/11
Fears of a Double Dip Recession
KTUV - Fox 2 | 10/3/11
IPhone 5 Release: Why Do People Care So Much?
International Business Times | 9/29/11
U.S. Retailers Face Generational Shift
Women's Wear Daily | 9/21/11
Netflix Prices Up, Stocks Down
KTVU | 9/16/11
Back to School a Test for Teen Retailers
CBS News | 9/7/11
Economic Uncertainty Feels Like The New Normal
MSNBC.com | 8/9/11
J.C. Penny's Girls' Clothing Still Offends
SmartMoney | 9/7/11
Minyanville | 8/4/11
Retail Theft
KCBS Radio | 8/4/11
Stock Market Volitility and Consumer Confidence
KTVU 2 | 8/3/11
Marketplace, NPR | 7/21/11
Houston Chronicle | 7/15/11
Daily Deal Dangers
CBS 5 | 7/14/11
Daily Deal Shopping
KCBS Radio | 7/14/11
ABC 7 | 7/7/11
KTVU - Fox 2 | 6/29/11
Paying Airlines for Doing it Yourself
Los Angeles Times | 6/26/11
Buying Habits and the Recession
InfoTrack via Talk Zone Radio | 6/9/11
CBS News | 5/23/11
Gas Price Ire
Chicago Tribune | 5/4/11
Ways Your Money Habits Make You Sick
CBS News | 4/1/11
Atlanta Journal/Constitution | 2/18/11
Could You Survive Without a Credit Card?
John Tesh Radio | 2/16/11
KCBS | 2/14/11
Ronn Owens | 2/10/11
Wall Street Journal SmartMoney | 1/29/11
How Your Last Name Affects Shopping
MSN Today Show | 1/26/11
Tiffany Blue, The Color of Money
The Street | 1/19/11
Q&A With Kit Yarrow Consumer Psychologist
JWT Intelligence | 1/5/11
Boston Globe | 1/1/11
Associated Press | 12/10/10
Time | 12/1/10
Businessweek | 11/24/10
Sales Pitches You Can’t Resist
Wall Street Journal | 11/14/10
Marketplace on NPR | 11/4/10
Want to Eat Better? Rearrange Your Fridge
TODAYshow.com | 10/28/10
5-Step Program for Shopaholics
Fox Business | 10/1/10
Kit Yarrow Connect with Generation Y
Marketing Sherpa | 9/16/10
Kit Yarrow Gen Y Traits Come Honestly
MarketPost | 8/6/10
Good Morning America | 7/14/10
Real Estate Indecision is on the Rise
New York Times | 6/9/10
New York Times | 1/31/10
Personal Branding Interview with Kit Yarrow
Personal Branding | 9/7/09
Five Tips to Recession Proof Your Relationship
Good Morning America | 2/15/09
Infrastructure in Jeopardy with Fewer Miles Driven
ABC World News | 7/28/08
How Important is a Company's Image to Customers?
The Street | 2/14/12
WWD | 2/13/12
ABC News | 2/10/12
Valentines's Shoppers Spending More This Year
USA Today | 2/10/12
Enough With the Hearts and Flowers Already
Boston Globe | 2/10/12
Valentine's Day: The Other Mother's Day
WSJ SmartMoney | 2/10/12
Gen Y: The Next Generation of Spenders
CRM Magazine | 2/2012
Want Good Customer Service? Put Down the Phone.
Associated Press | 1/11/12
Taste in Spirits Helps Sell Clothing
Houston Chronicle | 1/9/12
Holiday Hangover Means Slow 2012 Start for Stores
Reuters | 1/9/12
Is a Super Bowl Ad Worth $3.5 Million?
KCBS | 1/5/12
Can Companies Still Get Away With New Fees?
The Street | 1/3/12
Consumer Psychology: What Makes for a Good Gift?
Econsultancy | 12/14/11
How to Master Your Holiday Shopping List
US News & World Report | 12/14/11
Shopping Goes Retro in Holiday Season
San Francisco Chronicle | 12/7/11
Gift Giving and Generation Y
Martha Stewart, Morning Living | 12/7/11
How to Avoid 9 Holiday Pitfalls
Boston Globe | 12/7/11
What to Expect From Retailers this Holiday Season
US News & World Report | 12/7/11
Retailers Roll out New Dressing Room Features
CBS 5 | 12/4/11
USA Today | 11/30/11
The Rising Cost of Free Shipping
MSN Money | 11/28/11
ABC - 7 | 11/26/11
Hottest Gifts for the Holidays
Houston Chronicle | 11/24/11
5 Reasons to Skip Black Friday Sales
US News & World Report | 11/22/11
Black Friday Backlash: Early Openings a Blessing and a Curse
CNN Money | 11/15/11
Retailers Face Backlash Over Early Holiday Shopping Season
CBS 5 | 11/15/11
Women's Wear Daily | 11/14/11
Garden Center Magazine | 11/14/11
Chicago Tribune | 11/13/11
Consumer Watch: Retailers Kick Off Holiday Deals on Thanksgiving
CBS 5 | 11/11/11
Breaking Up With Service Providers is Hard to Do
USA Today | 10/13/11
A Quizical Response to New Bar Codes
Boston Globe | 10/8/11
Thought Leadership: Same Old Story
CMI | 10/8/11
Despite Economy Consumers Have the Urge to Splurge
CBS News, The Early Show | 9/29/11
North Carolina College Foundation | 9/6/11
Holiday Selling Themes Fall Short
RetailWire | 8/29/11
5 People Who Should Avoid the Stock Market
SmartMoney | 8/11/11
Deal Burnout: Too Many Discounts?
The Street | 8/8/11
Consumer Perception of Debt Rating
KGO TV | 8/6/11
Banned for Buying Too Much at Abercrombie
7 on Your Side ABC7 | 8/5/11
Austerity Now a Tall Order - At Starbucks
Chicogo Tribune | 7/31/11
Google+ Celebrity Hunt
KCBS Radio | 7/20/11
San Francisco Chronicle | 7/17/11
Retailers May Push Parent's Limits This Back-to-School Season
Wall Street Journal | 7/14/11
Christian Science Monitor | 7/11/11
CreditCards.Com | 6/29/11
10 Ways Cutting-Edge Marketing Can Lead to Better Service
BNET, CBS | 6/1/11
The Monthly | May 2011
Kit Yarrow on Marketing to Gen Y
DishyMix Radio | May 2011
When the Deal of the Day is no Deal at All
AOL Daily Finance | 4/26/11
To DIY or Not to DIY Your Taxes
Marketplace | 4/8/11
Ad Age | 2/13/11
Forbes 1/27/11
JWT Intelligence | 1/21/11
How the Internet Affects the Oscars
Variety | 1/14/11
Why People Don’t Return Things
Time | 1/3/11
Holiday Shopping Tips from an Expert
US News & World Report | 12/3/10
How to Spot Fake Online Reviews
Real Simple Magazine | 12/2010
ABC-7 | 11/24/10
Associated Press | 11/19/10
Digging Out From Debt Exacts a Toll on the Economy
Minneapolis Star Tribune | 11/8/10
Tap Into the Lucrative Tween Market
MSN Business | 11/3/10
Marketplace on NPR | 10/19/10
Department Stores and Generation Y
Los Angeles Times | 9/17/10
AARP Bulletin | 9/1/10
The Post-Crisis Gen Y Consumer
RetailWire BrainTrust Query | 8/2/10
Good Housekeeping | 7/20/10
New York Times | 4/14/10
Q & A with Kit Yarrow on Gen Y
US News & World Report | 9/21/09
Luster Fading from Last Gilded Age
ABC World News | 3/8/09
Why ‘Sorry’ Isn’t in Many CEOs’ Vocabularies
USA Today | 10/20/08
A Marketing Battle of Needs vs Wants
Marketplace on NPR | 11/12/07
