Category: Retail
Amazon 2021 Strategy Diamond
January 17, 2021
How Amazon keeps winning … As this framework (Hambrick & Frederickson’s Strategy Diamond) reveals, the e-commerce giant sets industry standards, dazzles consumers and spooks rivals. For instance: CONSUMERS save time & money from unmatched tech efficiencies SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS gain resources that fuel growth & agility🥊 RIVALS had to react to an October Prime Day, […]
2021 Retail PEST Analysis
January 11, 2021
What keeps CEOs up at night … Retail companies’ C-suite teams juggle staggering complexity and ambiguity as they navigate market factors like: – Pandemic risks– Tech upheaval– Mass protests As this 2021 PEST analysis shows, macro themes include: 1. CONSTANT CHANGEDiverse market factors are all moving at once. 2. ACCELERATIONMany of these trends have emerged […]
Why Tech is Winning
January 10, 2021
Revenge of the nerds? The 43% surge in the tech-heavy NASDAQ index in 2020 proves it pays to be digitally-savvy. That’s because, more than ever, we rely on technology to meet our universal needs. For instance: Zoom connects us with loved onesDoorDash delivers dinner to our doorstepsDuolingo languages prepare us for future exotic escapes In […]
2021 Retail Tech Trends
January 3, 2021
In 2021, e-commerce will catapult forward. The pandemic sparked a mass migration to digital to satisfy our basic needs, from food to social connection. This year, we can expect the entire e-commerce infrastructure to mature with tech innovations like: Livestreaming E-grocery evolution Autonomous vehicles What other retail tech trends will influence the supply chain in […]
2020 Bestsellers
December 27, 2020
Which products sold well in 2020? Pants? No way. High heels? So silly. Baby Yoda tree toppers? Now you’re talkin’! According to 2020’s in-demand products, the pandemic transformed us into a mash-up of Molly Maid, Martha Stewart and RuPaul. That’s because top categories included: – Cleaning products – Baking – Domestic comfort – Beauty – Personal care Electronics […]
2021 Retail Strategy Trends
December 13, 2020
What does 2021 have in store? Reinvigorating retail and getting closer to consumers are macro strategic trends we’ll see in the new year, as retailers and brands: – Fuel sales and consumer excitement– Cut inefficiencies– Gain lucrative new strengths See related infographics on:– 2020 Retail Partnerships– 2020 Retail PEST Analysis– Social Commerce is the Future […]
2020 Retail Partnerships
November 15, 2020
Look who’s hooking up … These 2020 retail partnerships reveal where retail is heading, retailers’ strategic priorities and which core competencies matter to delight consumers. Overarching themes: 1. Speedy delivery 2. Tech innovation 3. Omnichannel options Most importantly, these partnerships prove collaboration is essential, as a company can’t manage this year’s retail upheaval all on […]
Social Commerce is the Future of Retail
November 1, 2020
Last week’s announcement of the new partnership between TikTok and Shopify dazzled global retail markets. This partnership unites social media, video and e-commerce to make shopping more exciting and interactive. Already pervasive and popular in China, social commerce is taking off in North America by bringing the mall to popular social platforms during the pandemic. […]
Walmart SWOT Analysis (Q4)
October 21, 2020
Walmart wants to win. This high-level SWOT analysis shows how Walmart has faced certain weaknesses to strengthen its competitive position during this year’s pandemic. Additional recent moves to adapt to the times include: Diversity: A commitment to ensure its workforce and suppliers reflect the people in the communities Walmart serves Domestic partners: Walmart has launched […]
Amazon SWOT Analysis (Q4)
October 19, 2020
Profitable pivots: 2020’s COVID-19 curveball rattled even the biggest retail leaders. In this SWOT analysis check-in, we see how Amazon has responded to market pressures, including changes that directly address specific weaknesses and threats. Additional overarching patterns I see are: Building brand trust (beyond anti-counterfeit measures), ranging from humanizing the brand for a softer corporate […]
Why Small is BIG in 2020
October 16, 2020
Big retailers think small. As the 2020 holiday sales season kicks off, leading retailers seek nimble small businesses to give consumers what they want. Their relationships are mutually-beneficial … To stay competitive and solvent in a pandemic, small suppliers need an online presence, which they can achieve through retailers’ robust e-commerce and logistics infrastructure. As […]
Global E-Commerce Boom
September 7, 2020
The future of retail is online. This year’s global pandemic has made e-commerce a retail necessity to connect companies and consumers. More consumers now rely on online shopping for convenience, safety and time savings. Retailers and CPG brands invest in e-commerce (as well as tech and logistics partnerships) to overcome store closures and consumer reticence […]
Why Private Label’s Hot
August 17, 2020
Private label is on fire. McKinsey found 34% of consumers spent more on private label products during the pandemic, with 44% citing affordability and better value. CONSUMER BENEFITS:Product innovation, quality and affordability make store brands more enticing to consumers this year. RETAILER BENEFITS:Retailers gain greater control over supply chain processes and margins, and drive loyalty […]
Amazon Gets Intimate
August 9, 2020
Oh baby: Amazon is getting intimate with us. It could be the lockdown loneliness kicking in but I’m convinced that Amazon is the best date ever. Think about it, people: they’re seductive ninjas, subtly applying the 5 Love Languages (Gifts! Movies! Dinner!) to make us swoon. (Personally, I can’t wait until I can say, “Alexa, […]
2020 Retail Trends
July 27, 2020
According to Stats Canada, Canadians caused a 99% surge in online purchases between February and May, As e-commerce booms, here are some ways traditional sales seasons and retail strategies could change this year. Key success factors include: PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS:Prompt, reliable delivery and in-stock merchandise could make consumers more forgiving and loyal. (Advantage: Amazon) PHYSICAL STORES:BOPIS […]
Amazon’s Path to Post-Pandemic Prosperity
June 28, 2020
This infographic’s alternative title could easily be Why Jeff Bezos Will be a Trillionaire Soon. Last week, Amazon went on a shopping spree to secure its retail tech supremacy and customer-centric continuous improvement to position the company to thrive now and after COVID-19. These investments show Amazon’s priorities range from delivering short-term consumer benefits to […]
Pandemic Bestsellers
June 21, 2020
Shopping habits shift: As we all know, panic in March led to out-of-stocks for items like flour, yeast and toilet paper as frenzied consumers prepared for the pandemic. Fortunately, consumers buying habits have since evolved, and diversified beyond grocery and pharmacy staples. This infographic shares some notable findings from recent consumption reports. A few trends […]
E-Commerce Gets Spicy!
June 15, 2020
Today’s announcement of Walmart’s strategic partnership with e-commerce superstar Shopify is shaking up online shopping. Yet Shopify also recently made headlines for its collaboration with the launch of Facebook Shops, a social commerce platform that merges social media and shopping. WHY NOW? Now is the *perfect* time for these alliances because: Many consumers remain homebound […]
E-Grocery Success Factors
June 14, 2020
Consumers crave convenience: 2020 is boom time for grocery retailers with robust e-commerce infrastructures. That’s because COVID-19 has shaped how we shop: 3 billion global consumers were homebound, and many restaurants closed, sparking a surge in home cooking (World Economic Forum) $2.5 trillion, representing 35% of global food expenditures, is now up for grabs as […]
2020 Retail PEST Analysis
June 7, 2020
What keeps CEOs up at night: Coronavirus impact, global recession, and mass protests and movements for starters. As this PEST analysis shows, retail executives and their teams need to juggle a variety of complex market factors as they revise their 2020 strategies to navigate new risks. Overarching themes include: 1. UPHEAVALSo much change in so […]