Marketing

With less time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and growing consumer expectations, the busiest season for retailers and shoppers continued to evolve in 2019 as the battle for consumers’ attention and dollars was as competitive as ever. Alliance Data’s Holiday Hindsight research and holiday retail data showed the importance of customer connections, convenience and channels, promotions,…

As a consumer and experience designer, the future of retail is exciting to think about. We’re living in an economy where experience and convenience are driving innovation across the entire customer experience. Almost daily we see old models making way for the new. For some brands — i.e., those that aren’t actively working to keep…

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, many businesses are slashing their prices and sweetening up their deals to gear up for another unofficial retail holiday. In 2019, the National Retail Federation reported that Valentine’s Day sales totaled an all-time high of $20.7 billion. Although department stores slightly edged internet sites, 27 percent of consumers…

Technology has changed the way consumers shop and relate to brands. As digital channels, platforms and devices continue to evolve, consumer behaviors do too. Consumers today are digitally savvy, and many have become masters at navigating the omnichannel landscape. Accustomed to being everywhere at once, they’ve become channel agnostic, turning upside down the traditional concepts…

Modern direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) brands, which tend to be digitally native, have cracked the code on the contemporary shopper. Through a unique combination of brand voice, value proposition and storytelling, these brands have created memorable, end-to-end experiences that resonate with consumers on a deep, emotional level. As a result, Forrester forecasts that online spending for D-to-C…

Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, and retailers everywhere are feeling the pressure. In 2019, Valentine's Day shoppers spent an impressive $20.7 billion on candy, bling, teddy bears, flowers, and other romantic gifts, according to the National Retail Federation. From new marketing campaigns, new promotions, and big, attractive discounts, retailers and e-tailers alike are trying to…

Two conflicting sentiments — hope and trepidation — are the driving force behind many U.S. retailers’ marketing plans for this year. U.S. retail sales rose 3.4 percent during the 2019 holiday season. The online sales for apparel, jewelry, and department stores all saw year-over-year increases. In 2020, retailers hope for growth rests on their ability to…

Successful retailers know that retail is all about customer experience, whether online or in brick-and-mortar stores. Before consumers begin their buying journey, they first want to know what to expect before they engage. For example, it's typical for modern-day customers to read brand reviews, look at company Facebook pages, and browse photos on Google and…

Over the past decade, retail has undergone a number of shifts that have redefined how consumers find and purchase products. An analyst looking ahead from 2010 would have struggled to predict many of the changes we've seen, especially the ways in which the rise of smart devices have disrupted the retail experience. As we head…

In episode 231 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Melanie Huet, chief marketing officer at Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB), the largest manufacturer and distributor of mattresses in North America. Listen in as Huet talks about her career background in both global brand and D-to-C marketing, as well as where she hopes to lead SSB's…