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John Lewis tests digital shelf tags
John Lewis, a progressive UK-based retailer, is testing
several hundred of ZBD’s e-paper shelf tags. We think this is a big idea for
retailers everywhere for two reasons. more"Design thinking" for retail
Can retailers use design thinking to improve the
shopping experience? Andrew Stein says yes: Instead of depending on getting the vision
right from the beginning, it follows an iterative “test and learn” approach that has
a much better chance of getting to the right answers. moreMeijer's mPerks hits big milestones
Meijer's
mPerk digitial coupon program seems to have found a way to help with shopper
overload: Keep it simple. more
Millennial shoppers share what's important to them
When was
the last time you hung out with some Millennials and talked about shopping?
Accenture recently posted 3 interesting videos themed “Busting Myths about
Millennials.” more
Is Walgreen’s Balance Rewards program out of balance?
Given the amount of
shopper overload out there, we think Brian Woolf is right to focus on how
complicated shoppers are finding Walgreens new Balance Rewards program. moreShopperception: Pondering the value of tech observation
The precision with which Shopperception can measure shopper interplay with products is amazing, but we've watched many organizations struggle to make practical use of the kind of information it generates, so we've got some questions. moreMobile technology, social media, and seismic change in retail
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz credits mobile technology and social media with bringing about a “seismic change in consumer behavior," and he warns that this change "demands that we be as relevant outside the four walls of our store as inside." moreShopper overload solution? Selfridges turns down the noise.
Can a retailer create a competitive advantage by turning
down the noise? UK-based
department store Selfridges is creating “quiet” environments to give shoppers
a break from life's hustle and bustle. moreOnline shopping: 4 key findings for 2013
Online shopping is evolving according to a recent survey from the Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research, and retailers should pay attention to four trends in particular. more
Walmart's small store format is worth watching
The new Walmart Neighborhood
Market in Chicago uses hyper-local design and strong customer service to make
some significant departures from what the average Walmart delivers to its
shoppers. more
Social Media and Retail: How to define your social role
Need help with social media? Parts 6 and 7 of CCRRC's Untangling the Social Web brings order to a complex
and fast-moving topic and gives step-by-step guidance on how to integrate social media into the overall retail business. more
Virtual stores: The Next Generation
Chinese
ecommerce retailer Yihaodian has created a mobile app that makes shopping its
site more like an in-store experience. Watch for more blending of technologies and blurring of boundaries between the in-store and
online experience. moreWhat Google's shopping ads mean for retailers
Google’s
surprisingly positive Q4 revenue from its “Shop with Google” paid listings is probably
an alert for all retailers as they sort out their relationship with the search giant. more
Cisco study: High expectations for in-store digital connections
Shoppers
are bringing much higher expectations for digital access and services into the
store with them according to research Cisco released for NRF, and retailers
will need to figure out how to meet these new expectations. more
Improving shopper engagement: Meijer streamlines its mobile apps
Meijer is rolling its six mobile apps into one to streamline the experience for shoppers - and they're not alone. As retailers gain experience, their apps are getting more comprehensive. moreWhat REALLY drives showrooming?
Poor customer service drives shoppers to showrooming - not just price - according to a new Kellogg School survey. Watch out for those retailing basics, they're critically important and easy to overlook. moreYoung shoppers see smartphones as "mini-me"
People are identifying personally with their smartphones, especially young people.
In a recent JWT Intelligence survey, 54% of teens and 49% of millenials said,
“I feel like it’s a mini-me.” This has important implications for retailers. more
Target & Best Buy: Does price-matching work?
Target and Best Buy have heavily promoted price-matching promotions, but I’d argue these programs have significant pitfalls – especially
when it comes to allowing the shopper to capture real value. moreeBay mixes online & offline to find new products and customers
Watch
for more online retailers to use offline promotions to drive sales in the
coming year. EBay is a recent example. more
ALULA: Turning gift cards into cash
The new ALULA kiosks being tested at Giant Eagle in Central Ohio give shoppers
cash for the cards almost immediately – and they let shoppers make the exchange
at their local grocery store. more
Best retail brands at digital engagement
Aquity Group’s ranking of the top 50
retail brands relative to their digital engagement is a really good reference
list of experiences that shoppers are having in the marketplace. Here are the
top 10. more
Learning from a social media retail rant
Having a social media crisis is probably more a matter of “when” than “if” these days. So retailers might
want to use the rant against Men's Warehouse posted by Megadeath's lead singer on Facebook as a learning opportunity. moreShopping in a smartphone world
Smartphone owners are ready to do a lot more with their devices when they’re shopping according to Moosylvania’s in-house study. moreHSN reinvents its retail strategy
CEO Mindy
Grossman says the best way to understand the Home Shopping Network today is as a multichannel
retailer operating on TV, Web, catalog, mobile and social platforms. "We
don't even refer to ourselves as a TV shopping network anymore." more
Pushing shoppers' tolerance for pricing
Thanks to the web, zone pricing practices now include past purchase history, browsing
history, estimated geolocation, and cost of doing business. Are we approaching the limit of acceptability for shoppers? more
