News, trends and insights for the industry
Reports of the retail industry’s imminent demise are widespread, not to mention incorrect. There’s no question the retail industry is transforming: New technology, evolving consumer behavior and disruptive new innovators are redefining the retail experience in new and exciting ways. But statistics gathered by the National Retail Federation show that retail isn’t on the decline. […]
We just returned from the Leading Edge Forum (LEF) Spring Study Tour in Seattle and San Francisco, where we met with leading companies who are rapidly evolving their businesses to meet the latest customer demands. Directed by a clear purpose, these organisations are seemingly able to evolve their business models, change their operating models, and […]
Presque tous les produits ou services sont désormais accessibles depuis son téléphone mobile. Certains produits nécessitent moins de quatre clics sur une application avant qu’ils soient déposés dans les mains du client. Avec une telle rapidité de service, comment les enseignes traditionnelles peuvent-elles rester compétitives ? Dans le passé, de nombreux experts ont déclarés la […]
Consumers have been conditioned by Amazon to expect high service levels, easy-to-use interfaces and customized buying experiences. Much has been written about retailers striving to provide an omni-channel experience across multiple platforms and recent IDC data backs up the need. Some 71 percent of consumers prefer omni-channel retailers and those retailers now account for 35 […]
Casi cualquier producto o servicio está ahora a sólo una búsqueda de un teléfono móvil. Algunos productos y servicios se pueden adquirir siguiendo apenas cuatro pasos en una aplicación y recibirlos en tu misma puerta. ¿Cómo puede el comercio tradicional resistir esta presión y seguir siendo relevantes? Afortunadamente, si bien muchos expertos han decretado la […]
Take a look at the LinkedIn profiles of the top executives in the major real estate chains. You won’t be surprised that they didn’t grow up wearing a gold Century 21 blazer. Not unlike what Uber did to transportation and Amazon did to retail, the real estate industry is now leveraging a digital backbone to […]
Nearly any product or service is now a mere mobile phone search away. Some products and services require less than four micro swipes on an app before the goods arrive at the customer’s door. What hope do traditional retailers have of remaining relevant? Fortunately, while many pundits have declared the death of retailing, these predictions […]
As consumers, we’ve all experienced the opposite of a frictionless shopping experience: Long lines at checkout. Customer service representatives who are nowhere to be found. Frustration at not finding what we’re looking for. But what is a frictionless experience, and how can retailers provide it? The definitions and possibilities are many, but essentially, frictionless shopping […]
As the fawning owner of a 5-year-old Australian Labradoodle I’ve become interested in what kind of technology is available to the canine (or feline) demographic — and I’ve tried to view this as the pet being the consumer of the technology. So, have we reached a point where Bowser can have his own Alexa skills […]
Consumer shopping habits have changed rapidly and dramatically, and it’s easy to understand why. A universe of stores rests in the palm of our hands with seemingly infinite choices, available around the clock — literally at our fingertips. Product information, reviews and opinions provide answers to just about any question we could have. Smart algorithms […]