As our economy expands with e-commerce options, logistics emerges as a major differentiator among retailers that offer the same or similar products. The free two-day shipping model pioneered by Amazon.com has become a cultural expectation, and our collective appetite for fast and free delivery will only grow in the years ahead. For retailers with limited…
Georg Richter
The slow death of brick-and-mortar retailers has been well documented and unexaggerated. A record-setting 102 million square feet of store space was closed in 2017, according to CoStar Group. Retailers promptly obliterated that record in 2018 by closing another 155 million square feet. However, not all retailers are going gently into the night. As consumer preference…
The subscription commerce model is shaking up the retail industry by turning transactions into relationships. A customer clicking “buy” used to be the signal to close the curtain and roll the credits, which made it harder for sellers to re-engage them. Now, subscription purchases signal the beginning of an interaction in which the business must…
Subscription programs are hot right now, but they’re not just for startups. Last year, major omnichannel retailers including Under Armour, Ann Taylor, and Old Navy launched subscriptions for their customers as part of overall omnichannel strategies. Omnichannel retailers and other companies offer subscriptions for different reasons. For large manufacturers and consumer packaged goods companies, subscriptions…
More and more brick-and-mortar retailers are jumping onto the subscription bandwagon. Take Sephora, for example. When the makeup retailer launched its subscription box, PLAY! by Sephora, customers felt like they were pushing “play” on a customized mix from someone who knew all their favorite songs. Each box includes five deluxe cosmetic products, from old favorites to…
What are the key factors that contribute to a successful subscription service? A popular — and important — question. Of course, there are many elements involved in subscription services that contribute to success. Some of them, such as having a high-quality product and reasonable price point, are no-brainers. Others aren’t as obvious. Customization and personalization…
