50 Best Tips of 2016

Inventory Management
21. With a defined process in place and set of analytical reports, retailers and suppliers are well-equipped to deal with out-of-stock problems. A shared view of the exact same data means that both organizations act as the stewards of on-shelf availability and, with notifications in place, out-of-stock diagnostics are easier to identify and validate.
Ted Moyer, Market6, “5 Steps to Solving Out-of-Stock Problems,” April 19, Total Retail Report

Leadership
22. It’s critical we do four things to the best of our ability: have fun, think positive, lead with confidence and, most of all, inspire those around us to continue delivering the best possible versions of themselves to the brand.
Adrienne Lofton, Under Armour, “Top Women in Retail 2016,” Winter, Total Retail

23. In leadership, I’ve learned that it’s vital to understand your own strengths and areas of opportunity, and then build a team to round out the skill set that a company needs.
Shelley Broader, Chico’s FAS, “Top Women in Retail 2016,” Winter, Total Retail

24. Don’t allow yourself to be consumed by always driving for perfection. At times perfection may be required, but sometimes “good enough” works and leaves you with time to focus on the bigger picture.
Mary Dillon, Ulta Beauty, “Top Women in Retail 2016,” Winter, Total Retail

25. A brand and its executives need to thrive as both knowledge centers and innovators. Your positioning as an industry expert will help drive visibility for your brand. It will also keep you and your enterprise top-of-mind for partnerships, sales channels, vendors and other opportunities.
Pam Abrahamsson, PRA Public Relations, “Thought Leadership: The Retail Executive’s Road Map,” August 5, Total Retail Report

Loyalty Marketing
26. A retail marketer’s job isn’t complete just because a customer made a purchase. Nor does that single purchase — or however many come after it — guarantee continued loyalty. Marketers should be reaching out to existing customers on a consistent basis, offering incentives, thanks and new products based on that customer’s past interest.
Jonathan Baron, IgnitionOne, “The New Tools of the Customer Loyalty Trade,” August 17, Total Retail Report

Merchandising
27. When merchandising your catalog pages, keep a close eye on your sales and conversion rates for each item, then organize them accordingly. Your best-sellers obviously don’t need as much help as those items that tend to sit around longer than others, so use these analytics to your advantage to get more exposure for some of your low and medium performers.
Teresa Zobrist, Smart Merchandiser, “The Basics of Visual Merchandising,” March 18, Total Retail Report

28. Emphasize selectability and comparison. Clarity is paramount when it comes to e-commerce, so don’t overcrowd your pages with multiple product descriptions. Instead, encourage selection by making the visitor click on a product to learn more about it. Then, take them to a new page with more information and pictures. To encourage this behavior, use micro interactions to show that product images are clickable in the first place. Don’t forget to include elements of comparison as well — e.g., user ratings and reviews to show customers what other people think of a particular product. If your e-commerce site offers similar items for sale, allow users to compare the two products in a different window to facilitate a purchasing decision.
Ellie Martin, “7 UX Tips to Improve Your E-Commerce Site,” June 17, Total Retail Report

Mobile
29. Instead of a generic shopping app, consider a VIP program for your best customers delivered through an app. This will drive more revenue from these customers and make their experience better.
Ajay Kapur, Moovweb, “The Great Debate,” Spring, Total Retail

30. The basic ability to connect with others is a driver as to why businesses of every size should look to leverage text messaging to communicate with their customers. SMS marketing is a universal way of communicating with customers and has proven to be a highly reliable and personalized medium. What’s more, SMS is ubiquitous across all platforms and mobile devices, allowing businesses to reach their customers regardless if they’ve purchased the latest device or if they’re using a basic prepaid handset.
Brian Heikes, 3Cinteractive, “Why Text Messaging is Relevant for Retailers,” April 4, Total Retail Report