User Experience

Why Consumers Abandon Shopping Carts During the Holidays
November 16, 2016 at 8:00 am

There's been an influx of reports predicting that this year’s holiday sales will continue on an upward trajectory. PwC forecasts that 2016 holiday spending will reach its highest peak since the Great Recession, at about a 10 percent increase from 2015 holiday sales. The National Retail Federation (NRF) projects that holiday sales will see a 3.6 percent…

Saving a Soccer Dad: How to Deliver a Superior Customer Experience
November 10, 2016 at 8:00 am

In a recent attempt to get his daughter the correct gear before her soccer practices started, a friend of mine drove to the local sporting goods chain to pick up a pair of cleats and shin guards. The minute he stepped through the automatic doors, he regretted not thinking ahead to purchase these items online. Shoes…

Go Beyond Price: Be a Shopper’s Digital BFF 
November 8, 2016 at 8:00 am

Fifty-five percent of consumers start product searches by price checking on Amazon.com, according to a recent BloomReach survey. Fifty-five percent. This means the majority of shoppers are using price as the initial barometer for potential purchases, rather than a final deciding factor. As e-commerce has developed, it’s brought the convenience of online, on-demand comparison shopping. Large companies…

Why So Many Retail Apps Fail 
November 8, 2016 at 8:00 am

Technology has impacted nearly every aspect of a shopper’s daily life, and retail is no exception. Smartphones have changed the way people shop, empowering consumers to research products, look for discounts and interact with retailers at their convenience without ever setting foot in a store. Some shoppers even brazenly use competitor apps while in-store. As mobile…

Anchors Up: Why the Exit of Legacy Retail Tenants is Actually Good for Malls
November 7, 2016 at 11:45 am

Every month another major retailer closes stores in the shopping malls we grew up going to. The ease of digital search paired with the advantages of e-commerce (lower overhead, decreased inventory commitments) is giving retailers pause. The development of a truly omnichannel shopping experience, where the path to purchase is more fluid than linear, hammers…

Don’t Make These Mistakes With Your Loyalty Program During the Holidays
November 7, 2016 at 8:00 am

As the holiday season heats up competition among retailers, it’s tempting to entice shoppers with discounts and deals. However, with so many companies seeking the same ends, marketers must work to drive customer loyalty through engagement and experience. Smart marketers use loyalty programs not just as discount hubs, but as long-term opportunities to communicate with shoppers and…

Redefining Customer Service Through Trust and Rapport
October 26, 2016 at 9:21 am

For better or worse, e-commerce has truly transformed the traditional shopping experience at brick-and-mortar retail locations. Customers visiting a physical store have greater expectations for a product to be in stock and priced competitively with similar retailers or online shopping outlets such as Amazon.com. They expect stellar customer service, because it would be even easier, if not more convenient,…

Personalization Key to BuySeasons’ Halloween Success
October 18, 2016 at 12:55 pm

The busy holiday season is almost over for BuySeasons, Inc., the parent company to two costume brands, BuyCostumes.com and CostumeExpress.com. That's because its holiday season is the months of September and October, when the online retailer with a product catalog of more than 1 million customizable costume and accessory combinations does 75 percent of its…