Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 4, 2022

2021 was a critical year for the direct-to-consumer (DTC) space. With consumers’ rapid shift to ecommerce channels, DTC players had to navigate surges in demand and effectively compete against a broader landscape that included their startup peers but also omnichannel behemoths. At the same time, they’ve had to navigate consumers’ increased desire to buy from brands that align with their social and environmental beliefs.

Consumer 336

Consumer Customer Experience Marketing Fulfillment 336

Inside Retail

JANUARY 5, 2022

Between a third and half of transport workers are currently unable to work due to complications caused by Covid-19, according to the Transport Workers’ Union, putting major stress on the supply chain and leaving supermarket shelves bare. Due to sickness or isolation, up to half of the country’s truck drivers are missing, according to TWU national secretary Michael Kaine.

Supermarket 279

Supermarket Finance Planning ATS 279

Retail Wire

JANUARY 7, 2022

Walgreens plans to have more than 160 Village Medical Clinics in operation before the end of the year. It currently has 80 open to patients. The drugstore giant has a 63 percent stake in Village Medical after investing another $5.2 billion in the company last year.

Planning 261

Planning 261

Retail Focus

JANUARY 6, 2022

Global architecture, planning and design firm CallisonRTKL has released its Forecast 2022 report – looking at the accelerators, disruptors, and constants shaping the built retail environment in the year to come. “It’s all about the Anti-Narrative Narrative,” predicts CallisonRTKL. The retail industry and many brands themselves have developed an obsession with experiences that communicate a story – a narrative that explains why it does what it does.

Fulfillment 246

Fulfillment Clienteling Location Consumer 246

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Customer Experience

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 4, 2022

As retailers have struggled to navigate changes in consumer behavior and economic uncertainty brought on by the pandemic, one area has seen continued growth: recommerce. This trend involves brands reselling previously owned products at a discount — and it’s caught on quickly. The resale market is growing 11 times faster than traditional retail and is expected to reach $84 billion by 2030, far eclipsing the predicted $40 billion market for fast fashion. .

Consumer 325

Consumer Thrift Store Apparel Returns 325

Inside Retail

JANUARY 4, 2022

Paper receipts are so 2021. A digitised era for Australian bricks-and-mortar retailers is here, and it’s transforming the customer experience by sending receipts directly to their bank app. Shifting away from paper receipts to Smart Receipts will enable retailers to turn the end of a transaction into the beginning of a personalised conversation. Being able to send itemised tax compliant receipts straight to a customer’s bank app enables smarter commerce, all while taking a positive step towards

Customer Experience 279

Customer Experience Payment Services Returns Consumer 279

Retail Wire

JANUARY 6, 2022

Target got what it wanted for Christmas. The retailer’s foot traffic increased 6.2 percent during the holiday season compared to 2019, according to Placer.ai. Shopper visits to Walmart fell 0.1 percent on a two-year basis and those at Best Buy fell 11.5 percent.

ATS 236

ATS 236

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 5, 2022

Starbucks will reportedly require its U.S. employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing, according to media reports from outlets including The Wall Street Journal , CNBC and CNN. The restaurant chain set a deadline of Feb. 9, after which unvaccinated workers in its cafes, offices and other facilities must take weekly tests administered by a medical professional.

ATS 317

ATS 317

Inside Retail

JANUARY 6, 2022

My Foodie Box, the food and logistics technology business that provides meal kits to Western Australian households, lists on the Australian Stock Exchange on Friday (January 7) after raising $6 million in an IPO. The online retailer uses ingredients sourced from ethically responsible local farmers and producers. From its launch in 2019, My Foodie Box has grown from 35 subscribers to more than 1650 and delivers around 1000 boxes per week.

Planning 264

Planning Marketing Consumer 264

Retail Focus

JANUARY 5, 2022

A Pea in the Pod, the well-known designer and specialty retailer of luxe maternity apparel and accessories, is returning to its retail roots with the opening of two new concept stores located in Chicago and New York City. “We are excited to announce we will be opening a handful of retail stores in our top populated customer locations across the United States , with the first two stores just newly opened in Chicago and New York City , featuring A Pea in the Pod, along with some of ou

Specialty Retailers 162

Specialty Retailers Returns Accessories Location 162

Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Amanda Adams, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

Accounting

Retail Wire

JANUARY 6, 2022

The U.S. Postal Service requested that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration grant it a temporary waiver from complying with the COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandate scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 10. The USPS is concerned that being forced to comply with the mandate at this time will “likely to result in the loss of many employees — either by employees leaving or being disciplined.”.

ATS 189

ATS 189

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 6, 2022

We’re well past the point of personalized consumer experiences simply being “nice to have.” Consumers don’t just want personalized experiences — they expect them. And brands are incentivized to deliver on those expectations: According to McKinsey, businesses that are proficient in personalization boost their revenue by 5% to 15% and their marketing-spend efficiency by 10% to 30%, yet only 15% of CMOs think they’re on target to deliver personalized experiences.

Consumer 312

Consumer Marketing Spend Marketing Returns 312

Inside Retail

JANUARY 5, 2022

The story began back in 2005 in South Korea and today Goobne has more than 1000 outlets in its home country, with expansion into Hong Kong, China, Macau, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. It’s another Korean chicken brand but with a difference – the meat is not fried but roasted without oil in a blazing hot oven. Goobne Chicken is part of the international Chatime Group .

Location 264

Location Marketing ATS 264

Retail Focus

JANUARY 5, 2022

Tiffany&Co has opened a new store in Barcelona on the prestigious Passeo de Gracia. It is actually a relocation on the same high-street, the new space being larger and reflecting the most recent retail design concept of the brand. The jeweller has started unveiling locations that reflect its new store design concept, intended to feel warm and inviting to the fine jewellery shopper.

Location 162

Location ATS 162

Advertiser: Experience Retail Today

I’m getting in touch with the news that fashion retailer, Gina Trictot, has achieved 98% inventory accuracy thanks to its partnership with SML RFID. Please see the full press release below, including exclusive quotes.

Fashion

Retail Wire

JANUARY 7, 2022

Thrive Market is launching a brand campaign to raise the online grocer’s profile with American consumers. The company, which previously only ran digital advertising, will add television spots in addition to YouTube. The spots are focused on connecting the brand’s ability to simplify the lives of busy consumers. “Life can be a lot,” a voiceover says in one ad.

Marketing 130

Marketing Grocer Advertising Consumer 130

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 7, 2022

Bed Bath & Beyond has released a list of 37 stores slated for closure in 2022 as it approaches completion of its 2020 plan to shutter 200 underperforming locations. The affected shops are located across 19 states, including seven in New York, five in California and four in Washington. The retailer reported a loss of $276.4 million in Q3 2021, with year-over-year comparable sales down 7% to $1.9 billion.

ATS 304

ATS Apparel Planning Location 304

Inside Retail

JANUARY 3, 2022

After a massive spike in Covid-19 cases over the holiday season in New South Wales, Woolworths is suffering from a logistics bottleneck across the state as more and more distribution staff are unable to work due to the “high levels of Covid in the community” With much of the retail group’s NSW operations hinging on a few key DCs in the Greater Sydney Area, many deliveries of necessary stock are unable to be sent through to stores due to high levels of staff “absenteeism&#

Supermarket 246

Supermarket Shopping 246

Retail Focus

JANUARY 6, 2022

In the past, there weren’t as many crimes to threaten physical retail stores as there are now. That is because technology has advanced rapidly over the years, making the world more digitally interconnected and dependent on technology than ever before. As a result, cybercrime has turned into a severe threat to the world of retail. Cybercrime includes a broad scope of threats, with the most common crime identified as hacking.

Payment Services 130

Payment Services Management Shopping ATS 130

Speaker: Jennifer Wright and Nick Barron

2025 is right around the corner, and with it comes a new wave of consumer expectations, competitive pressures, and operational challenges. Success lies in finding the balance between operational flexibility and creating experiences that keep customers coming back. The future of retail belongs to those who can stay ahead of shifting customer preferences and marketing trends. 🔮 In this session, we’ll dive deep into what it takes to keep customers engaged and your operations nimble, no matt

Customer Experience

Retail Wire

JANUARY 6, 2022

Nike is claiming that Lululemon Athletica’s Mirror device and applications infringe on its patents. Nike said it sent a letter to Lululemon in November detailing the patents it believes are being used without permission. “The patents in question are overly broad and invalid. We are confident in our position and look forward to defending it in court,” said a spokeswoman for Lululemon in a statement.

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Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 3, 2022

The Container Store has acquired Chicago-based home storage solutions and closet organization company Closet Works for $21.5 million as it looks to expand its manufacturing capabilities and design customization offerings. The Container Store already manufactures component-based systems through its wholly owned subsidiary Elfa. With the acquisition of Closet Works, the retailer will expand its manufacturing capabilities to include wood-based spaces and enhance its premium wood-based product offer

Location 304

Location Marketing Consumer 304

Inside Retail

JANUARY 6, 2022

In a sudden shift of direction, Woolworths Group has dropped its $872 million proposal to pick up Australian Pharmaceutical Industries , leaving the business likely to be acquired by Wesfarmers. In a statement to the market, Woolworths said it was unable to validate the financial returns it would require from the acquisition after completing its due diligence process, and that it was therefore revoking its non-binding offer. “We are grateful to the board and leadership team of API for thei

Beauty and Health 246

Beauty and Health Returns Planning Marketing 246

Nvidia

JANUARY 4, 2022

CES has long been a showcase on what’s coming down the technology pipeline. This year, NVIDIA is showing the radical innovation happening now. During a special virtual address at the show, Ali Kani, vice president and general manager of Automotive at NVIDIA, detailed the capabilities of DRIVE Hyperion and the many ways the industry is developing on the platform.

ATS 145

ATS Shipping Planning Consumer 145

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Customer Experience

Retail Wire

JANUARY 5, 2022

Fanatics, the world’s largest seller of licensed sport apparel, is now the biggest player in the trading cards category after its deal to acquire Topps for roughly $500 million.

Apparel 130

Apparel 130

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 3, 2022

CS Hudson recently hosted its fourth annual Live. Love. Laugh., an immersive retail experience, to benefit the children of Help USA ’s Help Suffolk Chapter, a homeless housing facility on Long Island. The event, held at Tanger Outlets in Riverhead, N.Y. in December 2021, bussed in children to grab their favorite toys and take part in live activities in a pop-up shopping experience.

Shopping 299

Shopping ATS Store Operations 299

Inside Retail

JANUARY 3, 2022

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has said it will “name and shame” retailers and suppliers jacking up the price of rapid antigen tests, as the Omicron pandemic continues to spread. ACCC chair Rod Sims said the watchdog had already received over 100 customer contacts in relation to the pricing of rapid antigen tests, which are sold across several facets of retail and are currently in short supply – a factor Sims hopes won’t lead unscrupulous actors to use the RATs to make a prof

Supermarket 240

Supermarket Consumer Management ATS 240

Hyken

JANUARY 5, 2022

I love to receive great examples of outstanding customer service. I’m always on the lookout for great stories, whether I personally experience them, or they are sent in by our followers. What I share with you today is a great example of personalized and proactive communication. While I provide the lessons, the example comes from one of our subscribers, Dawn Mushill, who shared a letter that BarkBox wrote to one of its customers.

Customer Experience 145

Customer Experience Shipping ATS 145

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Retail Wire

JANUARY 5, 2022

Services such as HotStock.io, NowInStock.net and ZooLert.com are helping consumers discover stores where they can purchase hard-to-find COVID-19 testing kits.

Consumer 130

Consumer 130

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 7, 2022

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” – Robert Swan, OBE. New data from Retail TouchPoints indicates that 73% of retail organizations believe the main reason to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives is that it’s the right thing to do. A focus on company reputation (50%) and customer preferences (50%) were also among the drivers motiving companies to pursue CSR.

Consumer 298

Consumer Planning Wholesale Store Operations 298

Inside Retail

JANUARY 6, 2022

Authentic Brands has dropped its bid to go public just three months after it sold a stake in its business to private equity firms CVC Capital Partners and HPS Investment Partners. The deal was made in November, closed in December, and valued Authentic Brands at US$12.7 billion. According to Reuters the business has not yet specified why it forfeited its aspirations to list on the New York Stock Exchange, which it first revealed last July.

Planning 130

Planning Department Stores Consumer Management 130

Small Biz Trends

JANUARY 2, 2022

Coffee is no longer just a drink – it is a way of life. Whether you are running a high-traffic café, opening a new restaurant, or simply want to add espresso to your current hotel menu, you need a commercial espresso machine that will keep up with your orders and reliably whip up the best quality coffee as fast as possible. As coffee grew in popularity, so did the types of commercial coffee machines.

Shopping 145

Shopping ATS Retail Trends 145

Speaker: Igli Laci, Strategic Finance Leader

In today’s competitive market, pricing is more than just a number — it’s the cornerstone of profitability. The right pricing strategy ensures that you capture the true value of your offering, paving the way for sustainable growth and long-term success. Join Igli Laci, Strategic Finance Leader, in this exclusive session where he will explore how a well-crafted pricing approach balances customer perception with business objectives, creating a powerful tool for securing both competitive advantage a

Finance