Cross Channel White Papers

  1. The Virtual Marketplace Is Changing The Age-Old Rules Of Commerce 4/23/2018

    There is something almost quaint about the word “marketplace.” It conjures up images of people hawking spices and fruit from busy stalls as pedestrians stroll past in a leisurely manner. Those days are almost entirely gone. Today’s consumers typically aren’t at a bazaar. Nor are they headed to a row of small shops on Main Street or driving out to the large suburban mall to window shop. Instead, an ever-increasing amount of the time, they are online.

  2. Store Brands Need Standardized Product Identification To Compete Online 4/17/2018

    One of the many significant changes taking place in retail is store brand — or private label — product sales are showing impressive growth compared with traditional and national brands. Many retailers are not currently set up to optimize online sales of their store brands and are missing an opportunity to take advantage of the power of private label sales via digital channels. By implementing GS1 Standards and accurately assigning GS1 Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) — commonly known as U.P.C.s — to their store brand products, they can deliver a consistent, omni-channel shopping experience, grow their sales, and improve customer satisfaction.

  3. Don't Underestimate The Importance Of Monitoring Your Consumer's Experience 4/4/2018

    E-commerce companies need a multi-pronged approach to monitoring systems and maintaining visibility during a customer’s experience — all the way through to the checkout process. Successful companies know a positive, trouble-free customer experience and fast page load times lead to increased revenue.

  4. Why Agile Merchandising Is A Win-Win For Retailers 3/12/2018

    Partnering with brand reps to provide fun, profitable in-store promotions, displays, and buying experiences is one part art and one part science. But it always starts with a passion for meeting the needs of today’s wired-up and infinitely distracted consumer, especially as the retail sector continues to undergo massive transformation powered by changing consumer tastes, cost pressures, and the growth of online channels. Not to mention the resurgence of niche retailers and other direct channels that strive to offer greater convenience and unique value added services or packaging. Meanwhile, more funding continues to flow into upstart brands and new retail concepts driven by Amazon and other innovators, creating both a lot of noise and opportunity. To stand-out and succeed, retail merchandisers need to move fast, use their data, and think like a disruptor.

  5. Making The Most Of Data Migration 3/9/2018

    When organizations embark on major data migration projects, many assume their vendor will do much of the upfront planning, data clean-up, and extracts. After all, that's the way it used to be. But things have changed. Vendors have shifted much of the data migration burden to their customers. Now, to reduce their quotes and shift risks, more software implementers are making data migration their customers' responsibility.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.”

  10. 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.