50 Best Tips of 2017

Brick-and-Mortar

1. That’s what the secret, I believe, is for brick-and-mortar: They should own that community, they should know who the people are in the community, they should have CRM locked-and-loaded in the community to build a thorough and valued relationship. I think most brick retailers have given that up.
Peter Weedfald, Sharp Home Appliances, “Sharp’s Peter Weedfald on the Future of Brick-and-Mortar Retail,” Total Retail Talks, Episode 83

2. Reformat store layouts to improve the customer experience, driving additional foot traffic. This may include opening pop-up shops within the store through partnerships with trendy e-tailers; creating a more local vibe by testing and carrying local brands; and incorporating artificial and virtual reality capabilities. This would allow customers a unique touchpoint with their favorite brands, all while providing traditional retailers further insight into consumer needs.
Hamaad Chippa, Informatica, “Re-Purposing Retail Stores: The New Frontier of Shopping,” Total Retail Report, June 20

Catalog Marketing

3. One huge advantage of postcards is the flexibility in terms of quick production time. They allow catalog mailers to avoid the long lead times of catalogs. Postcards can also be produced for small quantities of just the very best buyers, allowing catalogers to tap their best customers in between regular catalog mailings.
Jim Coogan, Catalog Marketing Economics, “The Economics of Mailing a Catalog vs. a Postcard,” Total Retail Report, Feb. 22

4. Run a matchback requiring an address match rather than a name or household match. There are a lot of variations in names, but much less variations in addresses between a mail file and an order file.
Jim Coogan, Catalog Marketing Economics, “Solving the Attribution Puzzle,” Total Retail, Spring

Content Marketing

5. Regardless of your chosen content type, don’t forget that instant shoppability is non-negotiable. It doesn’t matter how engaging and inspirational your content is if there isn’t a quick and easy way for consumers to purchase. When consumers are brought away from a rich, creative experience to a static product page or grid, they’re more likely to abandon the purchase altogether.
Brian Rigney, Zmags, “How to Reach Your Content Campaign Goals, Part 2,” Total Retail Report, July 21

CRM

6. With a membership structure, a company already knows who its customers are, and knows what a specific customer is most likely to buy. That helps focus and improve the shopping experience in several important ways. It ensures the company offers products more likely to appeal to its customer base, and it can more reliably adjust key variables such as sizing and styles. That means less waste, reducing costs for production, shipping and inventory.
Shawn Gold, TechStyle Fashion Group, “Why So Many Stores Are Closing: The Changing Face of Loyalty,” Total Retail Report, Feb. 27

7. Align on a trusted measurement methodology for your CRM program; implement a cycle of continuous learning; employ a diverse set of offers and approaches; build and leverage a knowledge base; and staff consultative “account managers.”
Eric Messerschmidt, Ulta, “Ulta’s Strategy for Winning Customers’ Loyalty,” Total Retail Report, June 8

8. Capitalize on millennial loyalty by catering loyalty programs to this generation. This means offering access to exclusive experiences and perks through their preferred channels — email and mobile. Also, take a page from Amazon’s book and consider offering free shipping or other exclusive benefits to your most loyal customers.
Erin Gade, Yes Lifecycle Marketing, “What Marketers Can Learn From Millennial and Centennial Amazon Shopping Habits,” Total Retail Report, August 28

Customer Experience

9. Brands can benefit from the company’s [Amazon’s] reach in retail, while continuing to maintain their own identity. To do so, however, will require more than making and offering good products. Brands will also need to come up with a commerce idea that set themselves apart and delivers an experience that customers love.
Brandon Geary, POSSIBLE, “Going Rogue: Rethinking the Amazon Effect,” Total Retail Report, March 3

10. Having an always-on brand — i.e., one that’s able to convert sales at any time — places huge importance on one thing: availability. Retailers’ apps, websites, devices and any other digital touchpoints must work consistently and flawlessly. Consumers have lofty expectations when it comes to the digital experiences they choose to engage.
Peter Blair, Applause, “Why Online and In-Store Are Outdated Retail Terms,” Total Retail Report, May 10

You can see the full list of the 50 Best Tips of 2017 here.