Retail
Omnichannel strategy, e-commerce tech, and in-store innovation.
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Home Depot’s Emphasis On Data
Big Data is changing the face of the retail industry, and Home Depot is taking advantage. The home improvement supply retailer is using online marketing data to tailor their messaging from in the store, to their customers own homes. Kevin Hoffman Chief Marketing Officer for Home Depot said, “[Our] data allows us to know…
Listen: Ryan Moats on Changing the Customer Experience with Technology
On this edition of the podcast, I get to catch up with Ryan Moats, the Director of Marketing for Playtime. We discuss just how the relationship between retailers and customers has changed over the past 20 years, how technology can properly be applied to encourage social interaction instead of locking eyes on a small…
Customers have overrun Apple stores in search of a replacement battery
After Apple admitted to slowing iPhones with aging batteries, the electronics giant slashed the cost of fresh batteries to $29. Now Apple stores across the country are swamped with customers in need of a new battery. The process to replace the battery is lengthy, and wait-times at some stores are hours long. Most stores have…
The New Retail World In The Cracks Of E- Commerce
Shopify is an online platform, which is like the WordPress or Blogger of e-commerce, enabling completely turnkey online stores. Now, it has over 500,000 merchants, and has grown 74 percent per year over the last five years. Shopify serves as the base layer for an emerging ecosystem that solders digital advertising through Facebook onto the…
IoT in Retail Poised to Create New Efficiencies and Better Customer Service
The Internet of Things is changing our homes and our exercise routines—now it’s set to revolutionize retail, providing consumers with a fully-integrated omnichannel shopping experience and better service. The IoT is a network of connected physical objects embedded with sensors that can communicate, analyze and share data. The Zebra 2017 Retail Vision Study included interviews…
Target’s $7 Billion Re-Investment Boosts Sales Over The Holiday Season
Last February, Target investors were spooked by the chain’s $7 billion multi-year project, which included plans to remodel hundreds of stores and continue the roll-out of its successful small format urban stores, as well as to speed up fixes to its supply chain. After hiring 100,000 temp workers for the period and seasonal campaigns fighting…
Amazon Challenges Youtube
Amazon has been in a feud with Google after Youtube started to selectively block users that were on Amazon hardware. In response, Amazon has recently filed a patent for a website that would be nearly identical to Youtube called AmazonTube. It is unclear if this is a threat to speed up resolving this issue with…
Why Retailers are Turning to Apps to Reach Customers
They didn’t know it at the time, but when Apple ran their “There’s an App for that” campaign in 2009, they changed the face of retail forever. The paradigm shift from brick and mortar stores to digital retail has evolved rapidly, and more businesses than ever are switching to app retail. In 2016, mobile apps…
Claire’s announces lab results disprove asbestos claims
Following accusations of their products containing toxic amounts of asbestos, Claire’s says lab results rebut the claims. A December 2017 report cited a concerned mother who had her daughter’s makeup kit tested in a lab. The conductor of the tests that found the asbestos says he stands by the results, saying some company’s testing standards…
American malls are diversifying
Malls have been dying for the past two decades, and property owners are hard at work to innovate these American icons. In 2018, a visit may leave mall goers dumbfounded, as vacant spaces are converted to craft breweries, children’s theaters, and other surprising businesses. As mall management giants spend billions annually to renovate and update…
Retailers Should Take Note of Apple’s “Experience Economy”
Retail is changing. The way consumers shop for products is evolving, and big-name brands are struggling to figure out where they fit in this new era. Where many fail is this- they’re still trying to fit old practices into a new business model. The term “Experience Economy” is a relatively new concept, and Apple has…
WATCH: Bankrupt Toys R’ Us weighs shuttering more than 100 stores
After filing for bankruptcy in early September, former toy giant Toys R’ Us is reportedly considering closing at least 100 stores. Based out of Wayne, New Jersey, the company operates 879 stores nation wide as of January, 2017. Insider sources report that holiday sales have plummeted up to 15% from last year and Toys R’…
Why It’s Crucial to Get Table Payment Right
The story of Frankenstein has been told for generations, yet the lessons from this tale of mad experimentation gone horrifically wrong are still being learned today, sometimes in the unlikeliest of settings, such as full-service restaurants. No, this isn’t a general commentary on food or menu decisions, but rather the “monsters” that are being built…
IKEA’s Forward Thinking Strategies
Built on the concept that in return for low prices, people are willing to spend more time on assembly, and by placing great value on the “immersive experience”, IKEA has become the world's largest seller of furniture in the world. However, in order to meet the ever-evolving expectations of today’s consumer, IKEA has announced some…
Hoshizaki America, Inc.’s Glass Door Merchandiser
Offering a variety of sizes and features, the Glass Door Merchandiser line of products from Hoshizaki America will do more than just catch the customer’s eye. It will create an immersive shopping experience they can rely on.
Miss Black Friday? There Are Three More Deals Days to Watch Before Christmas
Though Americans spent a record $5b on Black Friday and another $6.59 on Cyber Monday, some missed out on the deals. Never fear, there are three days of deals left before Christmas to make up the difference. Already here, December 11 is “Green Monday,” when retailers grow anxious to empty shelves for holiday merchandise and…
Brick and Mortar Retailers Bounce Back
After many had written off the role of brick-and-mortar stores in retail, Costco, Ross, and Dollar Trees recently hit all-time highs. “There is life after Amazon. We’re just figuring that out. Black Friday and Cyber Monday were particularly strong for brick-and-mortar.” Investors and observers have attributed their low expectations for offline retailers to giants like…
The Next Big Thing in Online Shopping Is Coming from Amazon
User-generated reviews are crucial when it comes to consumers choosing the products to buy online. Perhaps no platform understands this better than Amazon—which is why they’re innovating in this important space. Business research firm L2 recently reported Amazon will soon offer reviewers the option of expressing themselves in video form. Right now, two million Amazon…
WATCH: Amazon Hits the Biggest Day of Shopping in Its History
Cyber Monday 2017 broke record sales for Amazon. App orders increased 50% worldwide. The Echo Dot was the best-selling item. Whole Foods Market also broke records with its low prices on turkeys. Ancestry DNA was also a hot seller with 700% more kits sold in just one day than the entire year.
WATCH: 2017 “Cyber Five” Weekend Discoveries
Cyber Monday took the lead in sales over the shopping weekend. Shoppers from Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Florida and New York made the most purchases 2 years in a row. iPhone users spent 71% more than Android users. E-commerce brands saw an average increase of 21% in sales.
WATCH: How to Haggle for the Best Prices
Talk to a manager or store owner about better deals they can offer. Have your phone ready to show competitor prices to get your price-match guarantee. When buying a car, do your research on incentives. Remember that dealers have a quota to meet.
Valet Brings Peace and Joy to Holiday Shopping
Amongst the to-do lists, travel prepping, and cooking for family, the holidays are a busy, bustling time of year. There are perfect gifts to be found, and the hunt is on to check off everything on their wish lists. This year, retail forecasts are predicting an estimated 4.5% in growth, and for consumers, leaving the…
Employment Rates Drop
The retail industry lost more than 18,000 jobs in October, in part due to the catastrophic hurricane season in many communities. The number excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants. Overall, the economy added 261,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Labor Department. NRF economists said the storm caused consumers to defer discretionary spending.
Amazon To Bring Pop-Up Shops To Whole Foods Stores For The Holidays
As Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods proceeds, the popular healthy grocery chain is about to experience an increase in comfortability. Amazon is about to launch a select few branded pop-up shops at several Whole Food locations for the holidays in states like Illinois, Michigan, Florida, Colorado, and California. These pop up shops will allow…
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