Category: Tech
Jeff Bezos’ Retail Legacy
July 4, 2021
Jeff Bezos changed retail forever. By catering to us like royalty with tech-driven convenience and efficiency, Amazon’s founder: ⭐️ Raised industry standards⭐️ Elevated consumer expectations⭐️ Influenced global retail’s digital backbone (Plus, Amazon helped me snag a John McEnroe t-shirt & matching infant onesie as gifts; I won Christmas 2010!) Even as Bezos exits the CEO […]
Revisiting 2021 Retail Tech Trends
June 14, 2021
It’s retail tech’s time. A 39% YoY rise in U.S. e-commerce sales in Q1 ($196 billion vs. $141 billion) shows how much online shopping has matured during the pandemic [Digital Commerce 360]. Now retail tech companies are transforming the global e-commerce infrastructure to connect companies and consumers, as they grow in digital sophistication. Recent developments: […]
Revisiting Retail’s Revolution
June 7, 2021
What keeps retail CEOs up at night … Let’s revisit this 2021 Retail PEST Analysis from January 2021 to capture today’s market conditions. Additional factors: POLITICAL– International travel restrictions shift– U.S. infrastructure bill could help companies & consumers– CDC relaxes mask guidelines for fully vaccinated Americans ECONOMIC– Prices rise for products & raw materials– Retail […]
1 Year Later – How Covid-19 Changed Global Retail
May 31, 2021
Retail looks different. Today marks one year since this piece initially went live, so let’s see which changes have stuck. LASTING CHANGES: E-commerce & e-grocery explosionHome delivery boom timeBOPIS & curbside pickupCashless is king MORE CHANGES: Dark storesOff-mall expansionDigital magnetism like AR & livestreaming OVERARCHING THEME:Most of these changes support online shopping and stores’ emerging […]
E-Commerce as Entertainment
May 26, 2021
E-commerce and entertainment keep converging. Today Amazon announced it’s buying MGM Studios, as the line between merchandise and media consumption continues to blur. Media assets can help retailers: 🔹 Extend their marketing reach🔹 Embed their offerings into our everyday habits🔹 Personalize marketing to fuel e-commerce sales🔹 Reduce acquisition costs🔹 Maximize lifetime value per customer & loyalty […]
Livestreaming Enlivens Retail
May 24, 2021
Retail goes live to air. Livestreaming helps retailers and brands: – Interact with consumers in real time– Target relevant audiences– Fuel e-commerce sales Notice how tech giants and department stores are adding livestreaming to their marketing strategies. Have you ever watched a retail livestream? Related: 2021 Retail Tech Trends2021 Retail Strategy Trends SOURCES: Droesch, Blake. […]
E-Commerce Fuels Stores’ Evolution
May 2, 2021
What’s in store? E-commerce’s influence. Online shopping growth has forced retailers to transform their brick-and-mortar stores into omnichannel assets. As e-commerce catapults forward, global retailers are collaborating with tech and logistics partners to deliver omnichannel: – Speed;– Agility; and– Convenience (Notice how many grocery and big box retailers are showing omnichannel resilience.) How else have […]
Virtual Try-Ons: Try Before You Buy
April 25, 2021
Seeing is believing – and buying. To earn consumer trust and e-commerce sales, Retailers; Brands; and Tech companies … are investing in virtual try-ons that superimpose products on our bodies. Virtual try-ons modernize marketing across retail categories, as consumers now expect: Digital convenience; Personalized experiences; and Tantalizing, highly-visual marketing From blonde highlights to bling, here’s […]
Ravenous for E-Grocery
April 11, 2021
We crave convenience. Consumers’ migration to e-commerce has made grocery the most exciting (& strategically significant) retail category, as: – Consumers desire time savings– Brands adapt to changing consumer tastes– Retailers seek omnichannel loyalty for a competitive edge Also, physical grocery stores have evolved to support omnichannel success with buy online pick up in store […]
Porter’s 5 Forces: Retail 2021
March 28, 2021
Who has retail power? Porter’s 5 Forces model helps to explain market influences as retail undergoes tremendous upheaval. To manage fierce competition, companies can boost their bargaining power if they: Differentiate their offerings Reflect in-demand consumer trends Invest in e-commerce for omnichannel agility Also, as tech-driven supply chains grow in power, companies are establishing strategic […]
COVID-19’s Retail Legacy
March 14, 2021
What. A. Year. Let’s look at COVID-19’s profound influence on global reatil over the past 12 months, including 5 mega-trends. OVERALL THEMES: 1. WOW!So much has changed in so little time. 2. STORES ARE RESILIENTBrick-and-mortar stores faced capacity constraints yet their appeal is inextinguishable. 3. TECH IS UNSTOPPABLEAutomating traditional retail processes has made the industry […]
2021 Retail Acquisitions
February 28, 2021
Retail companies go shopping … It’s barely March yet we’ve already seen intriguing retail acquisitions this year, as: – Amazon knows what Selz– Walmart’s Thunderstruck– ASOS wants its diverse assortment to be a HIIT. (I’ll show myself out.) TRENDS: – Health & wellness– Value & luxury tiers boom– Big retailers connect with small brands BIG […]
China’s Retail Innovation
February 15, 2021
For a glimpse of retail’s future, let’s look at China. Since Friday kicked off the Lunar New Year, it’s the perfect time to examine China’s growing influence on global e-commerce. Many retail tech investments we’ve seen in North America and Europe over the past year have been common for years in China. These innovations are […]
How Retail Giants Compete
January 31, 2021
Rivals reveal where retail is heading. This final post in a series highlights how Amazon and Walmart lead with their strengths to earn lucrative consumer loyalty. For instance: – Amazon’s tech mastery delights consumers– Walmart’s low-cost leadership saves shoppers money– Both want to wow young, urban adults with e-commerce In addition: Walmart’s supplier diversity efforts […]
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, […]
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 […]
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. […]