CRM

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed two severe stress tests on retailers, according to Brand Keys 25th annual 2021 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index®, a national survey of 75,000-plus consumers conducted by the New York-based brand engagement and customer loyalty research consultancy. The survey found rigors created by the 2020 marketplace produced two loyalty challenges for retailers: to…

As early as April 2020, Forrester had predicted global retail sales to record a $2.1 trillion loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We've seen the retail industry go through a fundamental shift, with an average decline of 9.6 percent globally in 2020. With supply chains throttled and consumers asked to stay indoors, the world witnessed a sharp…

Eighty years after the classic movie "Casablanca" made its debut, lyrics from the film’s signature song still ring true today — “the fundamental things in life apply, as time goes by.” I think of this every time there’s another story about the ways that retail shopping habits have been impacted by digital technologies and, over…

Companies that closed or filed for bankruptcy in recent months couldn’t have predicted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for many retailers that were already struggling to engage customers, the crisis was simply the final straw. Iconic retailers such as Lord & Taylor and Pier 1 Imports shuttered, while those that pivoted toward an…

In episode 287 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Phil Ryan, CEO of City Chic Collective, a women's plus-size apparel retailer. Listen in as Ryan discusses City Chic Collective's brand portfolio and history, his personal background in retail, and the company's recent acquisition of U.K. plus-size fashion brand Evans. He shares why Evans is a seamless…

Building and maintaining trust with consumers has always been an important engagement strategy for brands. However, given the significant challenges of the past year, establishing trust has been elevated from just an important engagement strategy to a critical commercial imperative. Gartner defines brand trust as “a consumer’s trust and belief that a company will consistently…

Back in the "B.C. era" — you know, "Before COVID-19" — no one expected cleaning and safety protocols would have a featured role in 2020 marketing messaging for so many industries unrelated to cleaning products. But that’s what circumstances demanded, so companies recalibrated their approach with little notice. Now it’s time to strategize and plan…

2020 was no doubt one of the most challenging for retail. But 2021 should begin a path to recovery with improvements in health and in the economy. The retail industry has the opportunity to continue to innovate products and consumer experiences, expand business, and reconnect with consumers in new and different ways.

No industry sector has experienced a year quite like 2020. For retailers, the pandemic caused massive upheaval to in-store shopping, supply chains, marketing budgets, and more. Retailers that relied heavily on brick-and-mortar sales were forced into e-commerce seemingly overnight. But the truth is the pandemic arrived at a time when retailers were already grappling with…

Luxury brands have long been known for their ability to control how their products are presented and sold. However, the pandemic has placed the industry at a crossroads. In order to keep pace with changing customer expectations on ways to engage with brands, the luxury sector is embracing new models which are more conscious, collaborative…