Omnichannel

As part of the recently released report, 2022 Merchant Gift Card Omnicommerce Evaluation, US Edition, the authors, NAPCO Research and Blackhawk Network, provided tips for improving the performance of gift card programs across three primary channels: e-commerce/digital; in-store; mobile. Retailers and brands should consider implementing these tips into their own organizations to capture market share…

The pandemic pulled forward a decade’s worth of digital innovation into a single year. As a result, retailers and brands scrambled to shift their customer experiences online and set up new capabilities to reflect a multichannel approach to sales that seeks to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience — online from a desktop or…

As consumers return to in-person shopping, businesses everywhere are moving quickly to include the best parts of physical retail in the online customer journey. But retailers looking to take features from brick-and-mortar shopping and port them over to the online experience are thinking about it in the wrong way. Success in this new age of…

NAPCO Research, in conjunction with Blackhawk Network, recently executed a comprehensive review of the state of U.S.-based merchants’ gift card offerings. The 2022 report included an assessment of retailers’ e-commerce/digital, mobile, and in-store gift card offerings, providing an omnicommerce view into the consumer gift card purchase and recipient experience. The subsequent report, the fifth annual version, features data…

In 2022, the blueprint to retail success is evolving before our eyes. The ripple effects of a two-year global pandemic coupled with rapid accelerations in digital transformation have shifted the paradigm for consumer expectations. Now more than ever, customers desire seamless and personalized experiences at every touchpoint of their buyer’s journey. Whether it’s in-store, on…

A comprehensive review of the state of US merchants' gift card offerings

Like many sectors, luxury retail has weathered more than a few challenges, crises and storms over the last few years — illustrated by the 23 percent drop in sales (or around $228 billion) in 2020 worldwide. These challenges have put considerable pressure on brands to keep pace with changing market trends and customer behaviors. For decades,…

For the past several years, the phrase, “print is dead!” has been ringing in every marketer’s ear and often echoes in the background of post-pandemic marketing articles. The apocalyptic, knee-jerk reaction to the explosive growth of digital channels is understandable, with staggering statistics such as continued projected double-digit growth through 2023 for the e-commerce retail…

Glossier, the eight-year-old direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) beauty unicorn, is entering its first-ever retailer partnership with LVMH-owned beauty giant Sephora in a high-profile shift in distribution. Starting in early 2023, Glossier products will be available in Sephora’s stores across the US and Canada, as well as via its e-commerce site and app, according to the brand. The…

Parents and students recently celebrated the end of another school year, and marketers are already thinking ahead about the next one. Back-to-school budgets are starting to be planned, and new data from Rakuten Advertising shows that shopping habits will look a bit different from what we quickly dubbed “the new normal.” According to the survey, most…