Cross-Channel Executive Commentary
-
Delivering A Lasting Impression: How The Delivery Experience Influences Consumer’s Brand Perspective
7/28/2016
Current industry conversations emphasize on retailers’ search for the next competitive edge. Buzzwords ranging from omnichannel to unified commerce to an enhanced in-store experience are presently sending retailers scrambling in all directions to find the perfect solution for consumers’ needs. It’s no secret retailers are in search of the “secret sauce” that will differentiate them among their competitors and leave a positive sentiment in their minds – all while maintaining their bottom line.
-
A Tale Of Two Strategies To Boost Online Order Value And Volume
7/21/2016
Have you heard the true story about today’s online shopper? It’s a tale about a retail milestone with a crazy plot twist that has recently earned countless headlines: online shoppers make more than half of all their retail purchases on the web. But, as the plot thickens, the story continues on to tell us that eCommerce revenues still trail the number of orders by a significant margin.
-
Maybe It’s Not Amazon You Need to Be Worrying About
7/19/2016
Wave after disruptive wave of change is washing over the Retail industry. Though E-Commerce is having a large impact on traditional brick and mortar Retail, workforce changes and cost models are about to land the largest change in decades on the Retail world. Rapid, targeted changes in your onboarding and training strategies will substantially reduce the pain.
-
Is A Picture Really Worth A Thousand Words?
7/19/2016
Judging by the current explosive growth of images on the Internet, a picture may be worth much more than a thousand words. Consider Facebook, the social media giant, which stores more than 250 billion user-generated photos; and the fact that an average web page now contains 60 images. One of the reasons for the growth in images on the web is that users love images; for example, look at the growth of Instagram, it has over 40 billion images shared.
-
A Fine Line: Technology And Retail Associates
7/14/2016
As my colleague pointed out in a recent piece with IRT, technology plays a significant role in the life of a retail associate – beginning at the onboarding phase and extending into the various activities of an everyday shift. And, as a result of changing consumer expectations, the use cases for multiple associate-used technologies are only increasing. For example, mobile POS options and tablets allow associates to better meet shopper needs (e.g., check out rapidly, determine inventory availability) and increase conversion rates. The ability to optimize the queue and sell items not in the physical store is now a necessity to succeed in brick-and-mortar retail.
-
Technology And The Store Of The Future
7/14/2016
The rapid advancement of technology, with its inherent connectivity, has dramatically affected individual behavior. One of the instances in which this shift is most evident is in retail. Today, a shopper interacts with a brand in the store and at home, via social media, on his or her mobile phone, and through a store associate. There is no longer an online or an offline experience: engagement is singular. Consequently, retailers are struggling to piece together the omnichannel path to purchase.
-
The Experience Chain: Building Your Brand Beyond The Buy
6/30/2016
From the moment a shopper clicks “buy,” the anticipation builds. She tracks her package from order confirmation to shipping notifications to the moment it arrives on her doorstep. She may even share a picture of the package with her friends, comment on the retailer’s forum or watch unboxing videos online.
-
The Next Big Email Frontier: Encouraging Browsers To Buy
6/23/2016
Cart abandonment emails were a revelation to many online retailers – opening up the possibility of recovering revenue with a series of automated messages. The concept has worked brilliantly. Our customers see as much as a 53x the investment in the technology needed to trigger the messages.
-
Training, Associate Effectiveness, And The Role Of Technology
6/23/2016
Well-trained associates are a vital piece to achieving success in retail, and yet associate training and retention pose significant challenges. Why? Because retailers are under intense pressure to keep costs low and sales high. And, unfortunately, staffing is still viewed as an expense that needs to be controlled and even cut in order to generate bottom line results.
-
Successful Mobile Engagement: Strategy Matters
6/2/2016
With surveys quantifying the game-changing benefits of unifying in-store and online experiences, it’s no wonder retailers are embracing mobile engagement innovations to increase conversions, boost cross-sales and enhance loyalty.