Cross-Channel Executive Commentary
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Is Retail Out Of The Woods?
3/8/2018
In 2017, the U.S. retail industry experienced unprecedented turbulence and many in the industry see more challenges to come in 2018. The impact of Amazon and other online retailers has disrupted how retailers do business and reach consumers. Store closings have reached record levels. Numerous large, well-known retail companies have filed for bankruptcy, restructured, and in many cases closed down their businesses. The continuing evolution of shoppers creates new demands on retailers that impact all aspects of the business, from stores to backstage operations to information technology and supply chain capabilities — including home delivery. The disruption continues to drive concern with investors, creditors, industry analysts, and — most of all — companies themselves.
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The Perfect Storm Of Data Exploitation
1/26/2018
It is practically indisputable that we are in the midst of a perfect storm for customer data to be stolen, sold, and exploited as evidenced by the outrageous number of breaches, a low amount of concern about data security among millennials, and widespread security blunders in many companies. In the short run, there does not seem to be any improvement on the horizon. I remain, however, optimistic, fueled by some patches of blue sky trying to show through, promising a brighter future. You can call me a dreamer, but I am optimistic breaches will slow significantly in the future. However, there is some bad news: Breaches will continue to increase for the next few years until three improvement areas are addressed.
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How Retailers Used Messaging To Gain An Advantage During The Holiday Shopping Season
1/12/2018
Retailers used messaging to effectively reach and re-engage their audience during the holiday season, but this is by no means a seasonal-only play. With people spending exponentially more time on mobile than at the mall, retailers hoping to get ahead in 2018 must consider messaging as an integral part of their mobile marketing strategy.
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How To Make Gift Cards Keep On Giving
12/12/2017
Gift cards are easy to sell and people want them. But how do retailers make the most of this platform as an entry point for new customers? How do you make sure the recipients of your company’s gift card do not become part of the 6 to 10 percent of gift card recipients who never redeem their card? When these customers do come in, how can you ensure they are not “one-and-done?”
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Next-Gen Security Is Crucial To The Digital Transformation Of Omni-Channel Retail
12/6/2017
Because data fuels digital transformation, retailers are prime targets for cybercriminals to launch advanced attacks. If digital initiatives are not strategically developed and deployed with security serving as a foundation to the entire process, it can become a vicious — as opposed to virtuous — cycle.
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How To Use The Holiday Shopping Season To Bond With Your Customers
11/21/2017
Unlike websites, stores can inspire their customers into loyalty with a single shopping experience. Great store brands capitalize on the holiday shopping season to build brand bonds with the power to extend well beyond January. Retail brands that will win this holiday season — and the rest of the year — employ many of the following strategies. By Deb Gabor, founder, Sol Marketing
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Why Isn’t Retail High-Tech?
11/17/2017
Ask most retail store employees today what’s the most high-tech equipment they use in their jobs on a regular basis and they’ll probably tell you it’s their handheld barcode scanner; technology widely adopted and reliably deployed since 1982 — the same year the Commodore 64 was released. This is not an industry that quickly embraces new gadgets. By Justin Patton, Director of the Auburn University RFID Lab
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Is E-Commerce Really All That Different From Brick-And-Mortar?
11/2/2017
Believe it or not, e-commerce isn’t that much different than brick-and-mortar retail. While e-commerce is a completely different medium and shopping experience physically, it shares the same principles that make a retail store successful. Crazy? Maybe. But, while most retailers believe they are a completely different experience, the factors that drive why customers decide to purchase are the same. What really makes a consumer shop online at a particular website versus another are the same reasons they would shop at a particular retail store over another: customer experience. By Ryan Alovis, LensDirect
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Winning In An Omni-Channel Retail World
10/24/2017
The concept of omni-channel retail has evolved rapidly over the last few years. Once considered an over-hyped trend, it’s become the new retail paradigm, driven by customer shopping habits that increasingly engage across multiple devices and shopping venues. It’s no longer an option to deliver a consistent and ubiquitous shopping experience across channels; it’s a matter of survival.
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Engaging Associates & Improving Profits Through Asset Protection Mobile Orientation
1/11/2017
While evaluating company culture, I realized that to significantly impact loss and improve profits, we needed to do a better job of engaging associates from day one. After all, it’s not Human Resources’ job to convey the mission of Asset Protection to the entire organization. I also realized that I needed to move our focus from reacting to scenarios that caused loss to preventing them altogether.