Cross Channel White Papers
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Retail’s Reckoning: The Great Fragmentation
3/8/2018
Americans are now living in the fragmented states of America, and the implications for retailers and brands are life altering. Retailers will need to do even more to make themselves compelling and convenient to an increasingly diverse set of niches.
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GDPR And Retail: How To Secure And Manage Data, Implement Infrastructure, And More
2/23/2018
The number of cyber-security breaches in the past few years has made much of the global population far more aware of the problems of data protection security and often the lack of its complete effectiveness. TAs a result, the European Commission announced an agreement to finalize General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which will take affect this May. The primary objective of the GDPR is to give citizens back control of their personal data. Once GDPR takes effect it will harmonize previous and other data protection regulations throughout the EU. The Retail Solutions network spoke with Dr. Alfred Rolington, GDPR Advisory Board senior cyber security academic and Piers Clayden, legal expert on the GDPR Advisory Board and founder of Clayden Law, about this regulation and what impact it will have on retail.
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Bridging The Gap Between Data And The UI
2/21/2018
Online consumerism has dramatically increased over the last few years. As major brick-and-mortar stores close due to online retail growth, the need to provide more personalized online experiences is even more imperative. Shoppers have become increasingly tech savvy and reliant upon their digital devices, and they seek efficiency, independence and personalization when determining from which site they make their final purchases. While users are not interested in dealing with in-store sales associates, a good portion of “shoppers like a personal touch that reflects their history with a brand … and want product recommendations based on past purchases.”
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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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Overstock.com’s Analytics Journey To A More Personalized Shopping Experience
1/25/2018
Craig Kelly, group product manager for Overstock.com, explains how the internet retailer was able to deliver data science at scale and improve data science velocity by over 500 percent resulting in an improved customer experience. Overstock.com also decreased the cost of moving models to production by nearly 50 percent and data scientists can stand up new models five times faster than previously required.
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Over- And Under-Supplying Hurts Profits: A New Methodology To Help Retailers Improve Inventory Decisions
1/18/2018
With the madness of Black Friday and holiday shopping behind us, retailers are taking stock of inventory. Matching expensive supply to uncertain demand each holiday season — and beyond — remains a central problem they and their suppliers face.
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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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4 Retail Logistics Trends That Will Impact You In 2018
1/8/2018
According to MasterCard SpendingPulse, U.S. retail spending — excluding automotive — was up 4.9 percent in 2017 compared to the same period last year. Some of the largest jumps were seen in electronics and appliances (up 7.5 percent), jewelry (up 5.9 percent), and home furnishings and home improvement (up 5.1 percent). A more optimistic consumer willing to spend led the charge for both online and in-store shopping. For retailers, lessons learned from previous holiday seasons were also applied. Assuming this momentum continues, following are four logistics trends you can expect to affect retail in the coming year.
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The Future Of Digital Transformation In Retail
1/4/2018
New, emerging models indicate that, overall, retail is growing at a decent rate of 3 percent while online shopping is growing by 20 percent. Interestingly enough, online growth isn’t only being attributed to online players, but also to brick and mortar (B&M) retailers which are increasing their online offerings. Ravi Kanniganti, Director Vertical Marketing Strategy, Retail and Hospitality for Zebra Technologies recently took time to talk about how technology is aiding the comeback of B&M stores. Read on to find out what Kanniganti thinks about the present and future status of retail’s digital transformation.
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Using Tech The Right Way: 3 Retail Success Stories
12/22/2017
It’s not easy being retail these days. Store rents are high, good staff is expensive, inventory management is trying, and online offers are tantalizing. But brick-and-mortar retailers are rallying and committing themselves to become destinations worth visiting. Here’s how three different stores are picking up the gauntlet.