Marketing

From Motorola Solutions. Lord & Taylor's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York needed to keep their display shelves fully stocked. But display sample inventory was such a labor-intensive, time-consuming process, they could only do it once a week. With Motorola Solutions' handheld RFID readers, they saved 75% of the labor and can run display sample inventory daily. Read the case study to see how floor sample displays are now at least 95% complete, and how sales went up 2%.

From Platt Retail Institute. There is great interest among North American companies with a solid base of success in their domestic market to export that success overseas. They are targeting the established, large consumer economies in Europe and the Pacific, as well as Brazil and other Latin American nations, which are finally viable economically. On top of this are the growing interests in the potential of exporting to the huge, middle class consumer markets emerging in India and China. Conversely, businesses in Europe, Asia/Pacific and Latin America have long looked to the U.S. market with visions of unlimited opportunity. It’s a nation with a big, affluent, consumption-intensive population, and America is one of the least restrictive markets to enter. America remains among the most desirable export markets in the world. Success in one place does not predict success in another place. But international expansion presents the classic dichotomy of opportunities offset by challenges. If you are new to global expansion and are planning your strategies, this can be a good time to consider the risks that can trip up even well funded overseas ambitions. In addition to whatever other resources you are consulting, this article from PRI's Journal of Retail Analytics addresses six issues you need to consider.

From Platt Retail Institute. This article is the transcript of an interview conducted by Tom Murphy, Editor-in-Chief, DigitalCanvasRetail.com, DigitalDraw.com, and Business Agility Radio, with Steven Keith Platt, Director and Research Fellow, Platt Retail Institute. The subject of the interview is how mobile technology is being incorporated into the retail customer experience. Mobile is the focus of three-quarters of all of the developers currently working in corporate IT in America today, according to a recent IBM survey. It is twice as popular for those developers as any other area, and for good reason. This interview focuses on the retail sector, which is leading the way in mobile applications and usage.

From Motorola Solutions. Over the last decade, brick-and-mortar retailers have been forced to deal with the Internet revolution in all its glory. There’s no doubt that the invasion of retail stores by these mobile enablers of virtual shopping has been costly. Not just in sales, but in customer loyalty, too. Discover how retail stores are fighting back with their own aggressive omni-channel strategies based on information provided by their wireless networks.

Platt Retail Institute’s Research Article “The Media-Saturn In-Store Digital Experience” provides an in-depth look at the broad range of customer-facing technologies employed by Europe’s largest electronics retailer, Media-Saturn-Holding. In a conversation with Ingolf von Wittken, head of Digital POS Concepts at Media-Saturn, PRI explores how the German-based retailer is using digital technologies to enhance its customers’ in-store shopping experience.

From Motorola Solutions. This paper outlines the key trends shaping the unique needs and demands of the wireless environment in retail today. It also highlights six key strategies for establishing a successful wireless network. A thorough understanding of both is critical for driving compelling experiences for the connected shopper.

From Platt Retail Institute. The success of a retailer hinges on many factors. Marketing, online, and mobile strategy; store location; merchandise assortment; supply chain management; and marketing activities, among many other things, come to mind. Ultimately, sales at a brick-and-mortar retailer depend upon the number of customers that walk in the door. Once inside the store, the focus of all retail activities is on the most important element of all – converting shoppers into buyers. And perhaps the most impactful way to convert shoppers into buyers is offering quality service.

From Motorola Solutions. This white paper examines the future of retail, including changing shopper mindsets and behaviors, and the new expectations shoppers have for their in-store experience.

From Platt Retail Institute. The digital signage industry is poised for sustained growth (the economy notwithstanding), in verticals such as education, place-based advertising, and hospitality. Retail adoption, on the other hand, is slower than many had anticipated for a variety of reasons. We address some of those reasons here, as well as discuss how integrating digital signage into other emerging technologies will be critical to the industry’s future, from Platt Retail Institute.

From Platt Retail Institute. Many marketers view in-store advertising as a promising means to influence consumers‘ brand decisions. The increase in in-store advertising expenditures by brands is evidence of the emerging emphasis of this medium. Retailers and marketers understand that advertising in-store, at the time many purchase decisions are made, serves as an impactful method of reaching shoppers. While there is no definite consensus among researchers regarding the percentage of purchase decisions that are made in-store, PRI has asserted that based on available research, 50-60 percent of in-store purchases are spontaneous. Even if the industry can’t agree on a percentage, there is consensus that in-store media advertising helps to trigger memory recall, effectively introduces new products, promotes sale items and educates consumers.

From J.D. Associates. A successful customer loyalty program should be integrated in a retail POS system. A long-term customer loyalty strategy must be implemented and regularly monitored for effectiveness. When developing a customer loyalty strategy certain considerations deserve attention.

From Third Eyesight. In India there is a segment for every product, an opportunity for every service, be it ever so small. But when bubbles are bursting all over, as the Noughties Decade comes to a close, these opportunities need to be reviewed. Some businesses will work better than others in the current market environment, and strategies will need to be adapted. Here's one view of what we might expect in 2010.

From Two West, Inc. The tradition of Halloween has become one of the highest revenue producing events in the United States, representing $21 billion dollars each year, with a median of $40 spent per family. However, it is easy for retailers to forget that Halloween is a largely American phenomenon and can be off-putting for someone with no cultural context for the holiday. This article outlines how retailers can capture an untapped multicultural market, expand market share and increase revenue, by making Halloween accessible and appealing for all cultures.

What does it mean to be a customer-centric retailer? Watch, listen, and read along with this online session to learn the answer to this question. Research by IDC Global Retail Insights describes the state of customer-centricity in the industry. DemandTec and Precima highlight best practices for merchandising and marketing. Leading retailers Best Buy and PharmaPlus present practical case studies of their own customer-centric initiatives.

Simon Graj explains his approach to building successful, healthy brands in Look Before You Leap: The Wisdom of Making Things Physical Before Spending Millions. Investing time and energy into fleshing out an initial idea, or concept, on which your business is built, insures greater results and makes development easier. His approach entails four main ideas: the importance of research, the importance of a clear vision, the power of making things physical, and the power of a process that addresses simultaneous development of many areas of a brand at once - all grounded by a common vision and platform.