Customer Acquisition

As e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers adapt to a new world characterized by remote work and social distancing, they must cater to virtual audiences while preparing for the return of in-person customers. Fortunately, the techniques used by many leading brands can serve as a blueprint for effectively engaging people — no matter where they are. Before…

As COVID-19 disrupted world economies, consumer buying behavior began to change. The pandemic has led to an increased shift in buying everyday items online, with some experts stating this crisis pushed e-commerce ahead by nearly four years. Already the fastest-growing channel in digital marketing, commerce advertising hasn’t slowed during the global crisis. Even as many…

Paleontologists and evolutionary biologists often speak of “punctuated equilibrium” — a time of rapid evolutionary change following a long span of stasis. Such periods occur following a cataclysmic episode — e.g., the massive asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs. COVID-19 is a punctuated equilibrium event for retail. It changed everything, and many of these…

Seasons greetings! Yes, technically it’s still autumn, but retailers are already getting into the mode of preparing for the holiday shopping season. And amid a year unlike any other, the holiday should feel particularly unique — perhaps, even daunting — as consumers continue to adapt to a largely digital-first world and brands gear up to…

Walmart is testing electronic tech services through a partnership with True Network Solutions. The retailer is testing the service in four stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as well as one near its headquarters in Arkansas. The tech services desk looks similar to a Geek Squad counter at competitor Best Buy. Walmart hasn't made an announcement…

Several major retailers have signaled that they're using Amazon Prime Day 2020, which runs today and tomorrow, as the starting point to begin their holiday sales — even though they're not mentioning Amazon.com directly. On Monday, for example, J.C. Penney launched an event that runs through Wednesday that allows "shoppers to get a jump start on…

In the early moments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of brands elevated nearly immediately. Some retail stores were deemed essential, and their employees became frontline workers seemingly overnight. Trusted brands also quickly moved to the forefront of the COVID-19 conversation. People, businesses and brands were given the opportunity to improve the greater good, or…

Everyone is feeling the impact of COVID-19 on brick-and-mortar retail — from small businesses to goliaths like Neiman Marcus and J.C. Penney. Although storefronts are closing, this traditional channel is pivoting as brands look to do more with less by enhancing the retail experience across fewer, more targeted locations. Despite the news, consumers value brick-and-mortar…

Walmart today announced the launch of Free Assembly, a private label men’s and women’s clothing brand. The brand will debut this week online and in 250 stores, hoping to appeal to shoppers who want style and value. Free Assembly was built with an in-house fashion design team, "with decades of experience designing for modern American brands…

We’ll address how, through proper communication and training, Sephora was able to set its employees up for success while reopening.