Omnichannel

2018 eTail West: Cloudy With a Chance of Mobile
March 9, 2018 at 11:21 am

Last year at eTail West, it was 85 degrees. Retailers and technology vendors that attended this year’s event were greeted with clouds and temperatures in the 50s, but we made the best of it by enjoying the outdoor parties huddled around fire pits with warm cocktails. As usual, eTail offered great content, fun events and…

It’s Time for Retailers to Step Out From Behind the Technology Curve
March 8, 2018 at 11:25 am

There's little doubt in the retail industry that it’s time to make big changes. And if anything was clear this year at the National Retail Federation's Big Show, it was that retailers are on the search for technologies that can help them adapt to the times. Specifically, these retailers are looking to provide the omnichannel…

The Future of Smart Packaging in the Retail Industry
March 6, 2018 at 10:19 am

Nowadays, 90 percent of smartphone owners use their devices in-store to research products, meaning brand owners and retailers face tough competition. Shoppers can be tempted not only by other retail store competitors, but by online stores as well. It’s not enough to offer a good in-store experience or competitive price; consumers are looking for detailed…

Why Retailers Need an Omnichannel Support Strategy Next Holiday Season
March 1, 2018 at 6:00 pm

With the busiest retail season of the year behind us, it’s the perfect time to assess performance and reflect on opportunities to improve and ensure an even more successful holiday season in 2018. The holidays always bring with them the highest ticket volume, as customers reach out to businesses with a flurry of questions around returns, password…

Org Changes Help Gap Get Back on Track
March 1, 2018 at 12:37 pm

In a keynote presentation at eTail West in Palm Springs, Calif., earlier this week, Noam Paransky, senior vice president, digital, Gap Inc., detailed how the retailer has transformed its organization to better position itself to serve today’s omnichannel consumers. Gap was one of the first mall-based retailers to have an e-commerce site, launching in 1997.…

The End of Online Shopping
February 28, 2018 at 11:57 am

Retail is going through difficult times and is suffering the consequences of both the economic crisis and the digitization of society. But fundamentally there's a bigger problem: stores often cannot keep up with the changing behavior of customers who are connected 24/7. However, there is hope for retailers that are willing to transform and embrace…

In-Home Trials and Multistage Shopping: Rethinking How Millennials Buy
February 26, 2018 at 1:06 pm

Brick-and-mortar stores have been struggling over the past decade, so much so that Credit Suisse estimated 8,600 shops would close last year in the United States and a quarter of malls will close in the next five years. Despite these numbers, though, things aren’t quite as dire they seem. While purchasing may be migrating online,…

What Alibaba's Latest Acquisition Teaches Us About Omnichannel Commerce
February 26, 2018 at 8:48 am

We’ve heard a lot about the struggle of brick-and-mortar retailers feeling the heat of competition from online pure-plays, so why are the biggest online retailers moving the other way? The latest news is that Alibaba.com will pay $2.87 billion for a 36 percent share of the Sun Art Retail Group, China’s top grocer. The reason…