In-Store Technology
August 26, 2015 at 11:30 am
We’ve been hearing about the "Store of the Future" for some time now. Retail executives have spent the past 18 months experimenting with digital store technologies such as contextual digital displays, in-store sensors, beacons and analytics. These early pilot projects have yielded some successes, increasing customer convenience and unlocking new value as shoppers opt to…
August 19, 2015 at 2:38 pm
As online giant Amazon.com charges into the $300 billion U.S. apparel market, Macy’s is running for the dressing room. Even Macy’s acknowledges there’s little it can do to keep customers from shopping online for basic clothing — T-shirts, men’s jeans and tighty whities. Yet the department store chain is clinging to the idea that many…
July 31, 2015 at 3:39 pm
Checkout is the last opportunity a retailer has to make a positive impression on a shopper. Yet new research confirms the majority of checkout experiences today end in frustration. By addressing acute front-of-store pain points, retailers will be able to boost customer satisfaction ratings while encouraging longer, more frequent visits. A study conducted online by…
July 10, 2015 at 1:43 pm
Target has opened a new retail space at the base of its Metreon City Target near San Francisco’s Moscone Center, and if you’re a fan of the smart home, clear acrylic furniture or grand retail experiments, then this is the place to be. The Minneapolis retailer is calling this Target’s Open House, and it's the…
July 9, 2015 at 2:30 pm
This June, the headlines exploded with story after story about Facebook offering free beacons to retailers. Finally, the potential to bring e-commerce-level shopper engagement to brick-and-mortar stores through beacons became more plausible. Since Facebook has a massive, always-on user base, this opens doors for widespread beacon use, overcoming the major hurdle of beacons relying on…
June 30, 2015 at 2:43 pm
As you probably know all too well, data is the backbone of the retail industry. On top of that, retail is also one of the most competitive industries, so chances are good that your competitors collect the same data as you. The only way to remain relevant in this cutthroat environment is to leverage the…
June 15, 2015 at 3:04 pm
It seems that we’re capable of buying a subscription for nearly anything today. What was once a pricing model limited to magazines, newspapers, utilities and telecommunications services has expanded to encompass just about any product a consumer or business can dream of. This transformation has been seen across B-to-C and B-to-B industries with diverse offerings,…
June 10, 2015 at 4:27 pm
Facebook is offering up free beacons to retailers and businesses using its service as part of an update to the company’s Place Tips feature originally rolled out in January. Place Tips, which works by showing Facebook users posts and photos about a specific retailer or business when they open the app within the actual store,…
May 22, 2015 at 3:10 pm
The Internet of Things (IoT) is coming to retail, so get ready. Digital devices (i.e., Things) are poised to revolutionize everything from inventory management to hypertargeted marketing. IoT-enabled smart shelving will lend a whole new meaning to the term “shelf life,” bringing retail shelves to life by allowing the dynamic changing of prices and the…
May 19, 2015 at 4:29 pm
Anyone who’s worked in retail can testify that it’s largely driven by people. Whether they’re on the floor, in a private office or in the checkout line, all employees play a distinct role in the customer experience. In such a people-centric industry, the idea of automation may seem mechanic, drab or unresponsive. How could a…
