Omnichannel

U.S. food prices surged by 11 percent last year, marking the largest increase since the 1980s. While the rate of inflation has gradually calmed down since its June 2022 peak, rising prices remain a significant concern for retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands. Given the possibility of a recession, it may be tempting to…

Technological advancement continues to disrupt retail strategies, altering customers’ behavior and, consequently, retail businesses. New technologies influence customers as they switch between channels for research and shopping. Companies must focus on managing the numerous customer touchpoints available simultaneously. Omnichannel has become an appealing medium for retailers to interact with customers and sell their products and…

Omnichannel marketing typically involves using a combination of digital and physical channels, such as websites, social media, email, SMS, mobile apps, in-store experiences, and customer service interactions. By leveraging data and technology, brands can track customer behavior across channels, and then use this information to create more personalized and relevant experiences. Omnichannel marketing can help…

For the last decade, the retail industry has been on an existential search for the future of its own soul. Consumers armed with smartphones increasingly turned to browse-and-buy shopping from virtually anywhere, flipping the nature of retail on its head. Meanwhile, traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have struggled to find effective ways to keep pace with digital…

For the third consecutive year, NAPCO Research, in conjunction with Blackhawk Network, has undertaken a comprehensive review of the state of UK merchants’ gift card programmes. The 2023 review included an assessment of retailers’ e-commerce/digital, mobile, and in-store gift card offerings, providing an omnicommerce view into the consumer gift card purchase and recipient experience. The full…

For the sixth consecutive year, NAPCO Research, in conjunction with Blackhawk Network, has undertaken a comprehensive review of the state of U.S. merchants’ gift card programs. The 2023 review included an assessment of retailers’ e-commerce/digital, mobile, and in-store gift card offerings, providing an omnicommerce view into the consumer gift card purchase and recipient experience. The full report…

Walmart opened a high-tech market fulfillment center in its hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas on Monday, underlining its strategic move toward expanding the use of its stores as fulfillment centers. Located inside Store 100, the center is powered by a proprietary storage and retrieval system named Alphabot. According to Walmart, the new market fulfillment centers will…

Too often, brands and retailers treat their e-commerce and in-store operations as separate businesses. Each has its own product assortment, pricing strategy, inventory availability, and key performance indicators. These businesses tend to wage harmful internal battles for resources and attribution that distract from the needs of the larger organization and/or end consumer. The truth is…

This year, a perfect storm of economic, social and technological headwinds are buffeting the retail industry. Despite analysts’ fears of a 2023 recession, consumers have switched from online to in-store sales in such large numbers, analysts describe the trend as “boomerang” shopping. Even so, researchers are finding that inflation is eating away their purchasing power by…

Nearly 30 years after its introduction as a method for consumers to pay for Blockbuster video rentals, the gift card has evolved from a simple paper gift certificate to a multipurpose tool that brands and consumers are putting to use in new and innovative ways. According to the Annual U.S. Prepaid Consumer Insights Study from…