Omnichannel

Last year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) found that during the winter season, consumers planned to spend a total of more than $1,000 on average for items like decorations, candy and gifts, and a nearly equal amount of respondents planned to make their purchases online (56 percent) as did at department stores (53 percent). Finding…

We live in a world where customer expectations are constantly changing. And for businesses, keeping up with customers can be a daunting task. “Connected Customer” is a relatively new term used to describe those customers that interact with brands through digital means such as websites, apps, voice assistants (e.g., Alexa), etc. An overwhelmingly large percentage…

Cash registers will be jingling this holiday season, as consumers indicate they plan to open their wallets and head to stores. With key economic fundamentals remaining strong, JLL predicts a 4.5 percent to 5.0 percent increase in retail holiday sales. Here are three major findings from JLL’s 2019 Holiday Shopping Survey. Stores Will Be a…

Retailers are bracing themselves for a 2019 holiday shopping season that’s six days shorter than last year’s. What will make shoppers choose one retailer over another? How can retailers grow sales in the condensed season? And what can stretch this short shopping period into something longer and more lucrative? The answer to each of these…

The holidays are just around the corner. Is your company ready? A recent Periscope By McKinsey study of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers examined shopping attitudes and behaviors for this coming holiday season. Findings not only revealed consumers’ plans, but also emerging trends with big implications for retailers. Consumers Are Seeking Inspiration With almost half…

In an interview at eTail East in Boston earlier this year, Behzad Soltani, chief digital officer at Movado Group, parent company of leading watch brands such as Movado, Concord, EBEL, Hugo Boss Watches, and more, detailed the company's commitment to being an omnichannel organization, from operations to marketing, among other functions. Soltani participated on a…

It seems the holidays come earlier every year — Lowe’s and Walmart have had their Christmas trees up since late September — but for many there's still time left to prepare for the onslaught of gift-givers. The time to do so is now. While this author has been predicting holiday trends for several years, this…

In 2018, specialty retail was under assault. This year, it’s taking up arms. Specialty retailers have improved fulfillment speed dramatically. Consider, a fifth of brands now offer free two-day shipping, and the number of brands offering next-day shipping has doubled. Recognizing that mobile accounts for 55 percent of online traffic, on average, in this sector,…

Retail is facing more stress and complexity than ever before. U.S. population growth is less than 1 percent annually, shopper journeys no longer follow predictable demographics, and customers are simultaneously demanding more human interaction and more self-service technology. Add to that the rising cost of shipping, the looming threat of tariffs, and the tight labor market. Retail…

Now more than ever, it’s important for retailers to deliver products to the hands of customers where and when they want them. Shoppers want choice and flexibility in how their orders are fulfilled, and they want to be able to complete their purchases or make returns quickly and efficiently. In an age when shoppers are…