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 […]
It’s been a busy year in retail. Let’s see how these 2021 strategy trend predictions from December have come true so far. COLLABORATIONSadidas + PelotonFamily Dollar + InstacartGap + WalmartGoogle + ShopifyTarget + AppleWhole Foods + The Weather Channel EXPANSIONBanking services: Amazon, IKEA, WalmartDigital ads: Amazon, Facebook, Family Dollar, Google, Macy’s, WalmartDTC brands: Andie, Harry’s, […]
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 […]
Health drives global retail growth. The $1.5 trillion global wellness market boasts an annual growth rate of 5-10%. Consumers want to look and feel good. Most (79%) consumers believe wellness is important; 42% say it’s a top priority, according to McKinsey. See how consumers’ desire for immunity and/or glorious glutes has energized sales of: Equipment […]
This Mother’s Day, retail celebrates Mother Earth. 73% of global consumers say they would change their consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact, according to Nielsen. In response, more retailers and brands now protect the planet by adapting their: 🌎 Products🌎 Packaging🌎 Processes Overall themes include global industry collaboration, innovation and building trust with transparency […]
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 […]
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 […]
The pandemic has made private labels extra popular. In 2020, the CPG industry grew >10% and private labels accounted for 18% of that growth (IRI). Private brands represent $120 billion in U.S. grocery sales alone (Boston Consulting Group). Now more private brands are popping up across retail categories – especially segments with solid sales during the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Frugal is fashionable — and Walmart’s making moves to stay ahead. As value shopping and value-tier rivalry soar, this framework shows how Walmart stays resilient with: 🧩 Strategic partnerships to fill omnichannel gaps Digital investments to counter under-capacity stores Everyday low price leadership to save shoppers money Studying retail leaders gives us a glimpse of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]