Fast fashion retailer Zara has recently experimented with an AR campaign, placing AR displays in 120 stores around the world for two weeks in April - and the experience was something quite different to the usual application of augmented reality in retail.
Foot locker's new "Power Stores" seek to empower youth culture as hubs for art, music, and sports while using data to deliver better customer experience.
Walmart is prototyping AI-powered brick-and-mortar retail stores to enhance the experience of sales associates and customers across the U.S.
It may be one of the largest and fastest-growing ecommerce retailers in the US, but delivering an unbeatable in-store experience remains the top priority for Home Depot.
CVS is now looking to overhaul their entire medical records system with software developed by industry leaders, Epic.
Innovation has clearly been ingrained in Costco’s DNA from the start, and it’s something the company has sought to continue as it moves towards the future.
With online stores poaching many customers from traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, digital technology is providing a way for these businesses to offer unique customer experiences.
As one of the world's largest fast food chains, McDonald's serves nearly 68 million people every day - that's more than the population of Great Britain. Now, the famous burger giant is using digital technology to offer its US diners new ways to order their favorite sandwiches.
America's largest supermarket chain Kroger is rolling out smart shelving to 120 of its stores. The technology known as EDGE - which stands for Enhanced Display for Grocery Environment, developed by Sunrise Technologies (a division of Kroger) - offers a personalized, interactive shopping experience for Kroger customers.
How did Best Buy go from a downward spiral, to driving Amazon back, to performing better than anyone expected?
The new checkout-free convenience store is in prime position to shake up in-store grocery shopping.
Digital technology presents many challenges to the brick-and-mortar retail space. One way in which these retailers can stay relevant is by offering experiences which consumers simply cannot get online. This is exactly what Nike is looking to achieve with its new smartphone app and concept store, Nike by Melrose.
As we move further from the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the retail industry is experiencing significant challenges acquiring and retaining staff. The retail talent crisis is here to stay and will require action from leaders to solve. In today’s article, we analyze the retail talent crisis, consider its causes, and suggest some clear ways retail leaders can fight back against it.
Following the global COVID-19 crisis, retail has been bouncing back and the commercial real estate market has been experiencing increasing demand as a result. However, there is much more to consider than simply the availability of shop space. In this week’s article, we discuss the state of retail real estate in 2023 and some of the key factors we believe will be shaping the market as we move through the year.
As the effects of manmade climate change continue to dominate the news cycle the onus must fall to businesses to do their part in creating a more sustainable world. This is causing ESG concerns to become a top priority for the retail business. In this article we discuss two important pieces of research which demonstrate how increasing pressure to adopt ESG in retail is being applied by both customers and investors.
As the economic downturn continues, retailers are being asked to achieve more with fewer resources. Success in this environment will depend on their ability to create the greatest efficiencies whilst still offering customers the kind of rapid and effective service they expect. In today’s article, we discuss the current state of play, set against the backdrop of the greater economic landscape, and suggest some easy wins retailers can achieve right now.
As we move through the so-called permacrisis, it would seem an opportune moment to pause and consider the role of the retail sector and in-store shopping has to play in this rapidly evolving and uncertain period of time. In this article we consider some of the opportunities and challenges facing the brick-and-mortar shopping experience in 2023.
When the COVID-19 crisis first hit, the way people accessed products – in particular, groceries – transformed almost overnight. Never one to miss a trick – especially when it comes to digital ordering – the UK arm of ecommerce titan Amazon realized it could play a role in the trend towards click and collect which has persisted long into the pandemic.
We’ve already discussed during this article series how strategic brand partnerships can provide a way to augment instore experiences and provide new and interesting customer segments. This is extremely evident in the "Tasty" collaboration established by online media giant Buzzfeed and retail titan Walmart – two brands you wouldn’t instinctively put in the same room together but have seen great result from collaborating.
Like many industries, the retail business is currently experiencing a crisis of recruitment. This means retailers need to rethink their recruitment and retention strategies if they want to fill those vacant roles and prevent their best people from looking over the garden fence to see if the grass is truly greener – or at least less infectious.
As one of the biggest brands in the fast fashion space, Irish founded retail giant, Primark has faced many criticisms for the way its clothing products are produced. However, Primark is now looking to transform this image and has committed itself to transforming its operation into an altogether more sustainable beast.
One brand which has always been dedicating to bringing the very latest sporting technology to its discerning army of customers is fitness giant Nike. And now the global sports brand is bringing the latest augmented reality technology to its instore retail experience.
As retailers scramble to find ways to draw customers back into their brick-and-mortar locations and away from the comfort and convenience of online shopping, the humble store associate could potentially be one of the most powerful bits of equipment in the customer experience toolbox.
The retail space has been in trouble for a while and the only way for brands to stand out and make themselves indispensable in an increasingly online world is to provide services and experiences which highlight the advantages of a physical store over their digital equivalents. As customers become savvier about their purchases, collaborating brands can offer re-energized in-store experiences and new and intersecting segments.
The effects of manmade climate change are becoming impossible to ignore – even if some corporations and governments are having a really good go – and customers are increasingly flocking to brands which can demonstrate their green credentials. Customers are savvier than ever when it comes to these factors and companies need to step up and meet their expectations in this regard.
By kitting stores out with digital technology and omnichannel features, retailers can transform their physical locations into more than simply somewhere to shop. If a store gains a reputation for seamlessly merging technology driven experiences with retail shopping, it stands a far greater chance of attracting, not just shoppers who are looking for those products specifically, but also those with a healthy dose of curiosity.
Stores have reopened, but we are still seeing relatively low volumes of footfall as customer confidence in in-person shopping is understandably taking time to return to pre-pandemic levels. This is giving rise to many retailers turning to a hybrid model of business, leveraging the advantages of online shopping combined with those of a physical store.
In-store retailers are finding compelling use cases for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in physical stores. The arrival of 5G and evolving consumer expectations are accelerating the trend.
Explore how top retailers are transforming in-store experiences to capitalize on the growing appeal of in-store shopping around holiday seasons.
Technology is at the core of customer experience. Perry Ellis invests in Oracles' POS to attain a real-time, 360-view of its customers across all touchpoints.
EssilorLuxottica outlines 5+1 pillars of innovation which accelerates business growth, focusing investment on customer experience and digitization.
Starbucks is brewing up new ideas from its innovation hub: the Deep Brew Initiative, the Mobile Order & Pay functionality, and more to come.
The growing senior population presents a new market for Best Buy's consumer healthcare offering of analytics and health monitoring services.
DSW leverages loyalty programs, data, mobile app, and feedback to personalize customer experience and drive engagement across all touchpoints.
Sephora's "The Next Big Thing" corner is where customers can discover new trends and hidden gems from up-and-coming digitally native brands.
Macy's subscription line for beauty products and clothing offers product variety to its customers at great value, encouraging successful repeat business.
Eataly is incorporating a farm-to-table initiative to bring sustainable products to its ethically and environmentally-conscious generation of customers.
RFID technology has found increasing uses in the retail space for managing inventory, reducing out-of-stock incidents, preventing losses, and more.
With mobile representing over half of online store traffic, top brands are incorporating ways to bring mobile into their customer experience strategy.
“Click and Collect” is an effective way to drive sales and in-store revenue. Find out how to incorporate it into your omnichannel retail business today.
Purchase returns are costly for retail businesses. Digital technology can help reduce the volume of returns and their operational/logistical cost.
In-store shopping experience is still relevant to Millennials and Gen-Zers, but retailers must identify successful use cases to capitalize on this inclination