Tag: retail tech
Porter’s 5 Forces: Retail 2021
March 28, 2021
A strategy classic. 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 partnerships […]
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 […]
Walmart 2021 Strategy Diamond
January 24, 2021
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. UPDATED Jan. 2021: 2021 Retail PEST Analysis Overarching themes […]
How COVID-19 Changed the Face of Global Retail
May 31, 2020
COVID-19 has changed the face of retail. This year’s pandemic has affected retail companies across channels and around the world. This infographic shows how global retailers – including Amazon, Sephora, Lululemon, Tesco, and Alibaba – are adapting to consumer needs and coronavirus complexities. Overall themes include: 1. PROTECTION: Keeping consumers and workers safe remains paramount. […]
2020 Retail Rumble
May 26, 2020
Forget crowdless UFC matches – 2020’s biggest rumble is taking place between retail giants Amazon and Walmart. Their arena is today’s unrelenting market complexity, including economic and technological upheaval amid the coronavirus crisis. In this third and final piece in a series, we compare Walmart and Amazon’s enduring and pandemic-specific strategies to spot market opportunities […]
Is Walmart winning?
May 19, 2020
2020 SWOT analysis: Is Walmart winning? The world’s biggest retailer has shown surprising agility to serve consumers during the coronavirus crisis. The retailer boasts thousands of stores, robust e-grocery and enticing everyday low prices. Also, it’s not humanly possible to leave a Walmart store without spending at least $100. Is that enough to win in […]
Is Amazon Pandemic-Proof?
May 10, 2020
Most retail companies are burning their 2020 business strategies. The coronavirus crisis has: – Left many independent retailers and brands insolvent– Prompted department store Neiman Marcus to file for bankruptcy last week – Shuttered storefronts and, earlier this year, Walgreens, Forever 21 and Sears had already closed several stores By contrast, Amazon is booming. Jeff […]
Pandemic Power Play
May 4, 2020
By investing $4 billion of operating profit into its COVID-19 plan, Amazon is setting itself up for spectacular success that will last far beyond the current coronavirus crisis. The funds will simultaneously improve internal weaknesses and counter external threats to address issues with consumers, critics and competitors. What do you think of Amazon’s approach? Related […]