Sat.May 21, 2022 - Fri.May 27, 2022

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Reality bites: how composable architecture is a make-or-break strategy for retailers looking to thrive

Retail Focus

Global e-commerce jumped to $26.7 trillion in the first year of the pandemic, a dramatic leap forward from a trend that had already hobbled many high street retailers. Unable to contend with the double whammy of changing consumer behaviour and a COVID-induced slump, dozens of brands fell into administration, from Arcadia and Debenhams to Monsoon and Cath Kidston, with the closure of hundreds of physical stores.

Fashion 246
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Balancing Privacy and Personalization: The Key to Customer Loyalty 

Retail TouchPoints

Retailers are facing a myriad of challenges, from tightening budgets, smaller profit margins and financial constraints to clunky legacy infrastructure and increasing competition from major online stores. This is before they even address the issue of managing customer data. Customers are also becoming more wary of the way retailers are storing their data.

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10 Red Flags That May Indicate Your New Hire Is a Bad Fit

Small Biz Trends

All new hires should be given a fair chance to acclimate to their new position and get used to the way things are done within your company. However, after some time, you may start noticing signs that the onboarding period simply isn’t going well for your new employee. So how can you tell if it’s just new-hire jitters or if they’re not a good fit for the role?

Wholesale 141
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NSW retailers using single-use plastic bags to face fines from next week

Inside Retail

Retailers doling out single-use plastic bags in New South Wales face fines of up to $275,000 from Wednesday, June 1 as a statewide ban comes into force. NSW Environment Minister James Griffin said the reason for the single-use plastic bag ban was simple: “It will stop plastic getting into our environment at the source.”. “Single-use plastic is used by many of us for just a few convenient minutes, but it remains in our environment for many years, eventually breaking into microplastics,” Griffin c

Grocer 298
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Modernizing the Frontend Experience on Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Unlock agility, boost performance, and gain control over your Salesforce frontend with the latest masterclass from Composable.com : Modernizing the Frontend Experience on Salesforce Commerce Cloud Featuring experts from Algolia, Ember, Netlify, and Stripe, this masterclass focuses on practical strategies for optimizing your Salesforce Commerce Cloud storefronts using modern composable commerce integrations.

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Shopper Marketing Weekly Snacks #07

Tokinomo

Campaign scoop. Audio advertising. When talking about keeping consumers engaged with ads, audio has strengths other platforms lack. A new report from Audacy breaks down what audio disruptors are doing today to take an audio approach that encompasses podcasts, radio, and more.

Marketing 246
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Patagonia’s Newest Mission: Replacing Single-Use Packaging with Technology

Retail TouchPoints

Perhaps no brand has more sustainability street cred than Patagonia. That reputation is well-earned — from the company’s self-imposed “Earth Tax” and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (which it founded alongside Walmart ) all the way down to the plastic swift tacks used to attach its hang tags, Patagonia is known for practicing what it preaches. And yet the company keeps pushing to find ways to do more, and one of the many executives participating in these efforts is Jennifer Patrick, Director o

Apparel 363

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ARA predicts $8.8bn mid-year spending spree as retailers quit excess stock

Inside Retail

Australian consumers are set to spend $8.8 billion during the coming months as mid-year seasonal sales ramp up and excess stock is sold. The Australian Retail Association (ARA) forecasts 52 per cent of consumers shopping mid-season sales will be doing so online. Around 6.2 million Australians will spend an average amount of $1420 each. NSW is expected to contribute $3.2 billion followed by Victoria at $1.9 billion and Queensland at $1.7 billion.

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Brand voice: How to create the voice of your FMCG brand

Tokinomo

In the retail industry, competition is fierce and brands need to do everything in their power to make sure that they attract the attention of shoppers. Sometimes, it’s not just about a large budget or an innovative campaign. The simple, elementary things can make it or break it.

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Digital Transformation Exposes the Missing Middle Layer Between Online and Brick-and-Mortar

Retail TouchPoints

Digital disruption is taking place in retail more than any other sector. While customers are gaining benefits from easier access and smarter online commerce with friendly features, the real action is happening behind the scenes. Front-of-house retail starts deep in the backend with CPG companies compiling large amounts of data. We use data to gain consumer insights, test market reception and decide when and where we’re going to advertise.

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New Look is to open a new 5,244 sq ft store in Barnsley

Retail Focus

Fit out work has already started and New Look says the new, brighter and modern store allows the best shopper experience possible for the people of Barnsley. The announcement comes hot on the heels of a string of leasing announcements, which brings major brands including Fridays, Flannels, River Island, Cineworld, Nandos and The Botanist, to the town. .

Fashion 208
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Website Security Essentials: Protect Your Site and Strengthen Cybersecurity

In a digital-first world, website security is non-negotiable. This comprehensive guide explores the critical importance of securing your site against hackers and vulnerabilities like SQL injection, XSS, and malware. Discover tools like SiteLock for threat monitoring and CodeGuard for seamless backups, ensuring robust protection for your data and operations.

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How to scale your e-commerce business

Inside Retail

Congratulations! So, you’ve managed to launch a successful e-commerce business. Now what? At EIZ, we know a thing or two about e-commerce. And that doesn’t just come from designing and developing technology solutions for the industry. It also comes from the close relationships we’ve built with thousands of customers – successful and growing e-commerce businesses like you – and dozens of solutions partners, over many years.

Shipping 279
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Get More from Your Cybersecurity Spend When Inflation Rates Climb

Cisco Retail

Find out how you can stretch your organization’s security budget amidst inflation and its economic impacts. No one could have predicted the lasting effects of the pandemic on our economy. A strain has been put on the overall supply chain, causing the value of the dollar, or any other local currency, to not go as far as it once did. Consumers are experiencing skyrocketing energy, gas, and food prices, and businesses are facing delays in deliveries of goods and services to their customers.

Finance 145
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With U.S. Livestreaming on the Rise, Firework Raises $150M in Fresh Funding

Retail TouchPoints

Livestreaming platform Firework has secured $150 million in Series B financing led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 , bringing its total funding to-date to more than $235 million. Brands, retailers and marketplaces are increasingly using shoppable live-video events to promote products and raise brand awareness, with Coresight Research projecting that livestreaming in the U.S. market will more than triple by 2024 to reach $35 billion.

Finance 321
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Rituals Cosmetics to open in Solihull this May

Retail Focus

On Thursday May 26th, 2022, Rituals Cosmetics will open its doors in Solihull’s Touchwood Shopping Centre for the very first time. Joining an array of local and global brands in this exciting shopping destination, the Touchwood Shopping Centre is the perfect location for Rituals’ expansion in Solihull. “We are so excited to be expanding the Rituals interactive experience in the UK.

Shopping 182
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Less Stress, More Success: Accounting Best Practices & Processes for 2025

Speaker: Duke Heninger, Partner and Fractional CFO at Ampleo & Creator of CFO System

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Duke Heninger, 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.

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Coles launches plastic bags made from marine waste

Inside Retail

Coles supermarkets will roll out plastic bags made with 20 per cent marine waste and 80 per cent recycled plastic in stores across the country. The Marine Reusable Shopping Bag is made from recovered plastics from inland and ocean-feeding waterways, mainly in Malaysia. Coles’ chief sustainability, property and export officer Thinus Keevé said the new plastic bags offer a ‘practical and convenient’ way for customers to shop while also supporting a circular economy.

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Perspectives on the Future of SP Networking: Intent and Outcome Based Transport Service Automation

Cisco Retail

One lesson we could all learn from cloud operators is that simplicity, ease of use, and “on-demand” are now expected behaviors for any new service offering. Cloud operators built their services with modular principles and well-abstracted service interfaces using common “black box” software programming fundamentals, which allow their capabilities to seamlessly snap together while eliminating unnecessary complexity.

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How Retail Should Enter the Metaverse

Retail TouchPoints

Retail is just like any other business category — a buzzword symbolizing an abstract concept gains traction, and the excitement takes over before there’s actually time to use that word in a sentence. Essentially, we lack a couple of concrete examples of how that idea could play out for brands in a winning way. The issue with a buzzword becoming something more is that often, the term is too squishy — it’s introduced in a vague way across the industry, and thought leaders end up all discussing it

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Global Mutual signs 8,500 sq ft Sports Direct at Affinity Devon

Retail Focus

Frasers Group has this week committed to open a new 8,500 sq ft Sports Direct store at Affinity Devon , the 100,000 sq ft outlet scheme in Bideford. The news underlines the confidence in the Global Mutual managed scheme from the occupier community. This letting follows the opening of Quba and Co. in a new 1,500 sq ft store last month. Over the next few months, a further 10,000 sq ft of new lettings are set to be announced.

ATS 182
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NEWS: SML RFID Delivers 98% Inventory Accuracy to Gina Tricot

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.

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Alquemie Group to launch National Geographic stores

Inside Retail

Apparel retailer Alquemie Group will launch a network of National Geographic apparel stores in Australia and New Zealand. Managed by private-equity group Acta Capital, Alquemie Group last month acquired urban lifestyle apparel chain General Pants, at the time saying it was looking to add further brands to its stable which also includes Lego, Ginger & Smart, and SurfStitch.

Apparel 264
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Are You Achieving a Work-Life Balance? Not Even Close

Small Biz Trends

Americans spend a significant amount of time working and looking at screens, but the majority don’t take enough time off. Are You Achieving a Work-Life Balance? Not Even Close. Over the course of their lifetime, Americans spend, on average, 13.2 years working, and just 328 days socializing. The average worker in the US spends 5.3 hours per week checking work emails at home.

Outdoor 145
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H&M to Test Smart Mirrors and Enhanced Checkout Tech at COS Stores in the U.S.

Retail TouchPoints

H&M Group is rolling out a pilot of several new tech-enabled in-store shopping solutions at COS stores in the U.S., including new payment and checkout options, personalized styling facilitated by smart mirrors and upgraded delivery and return options. COS (which stands for Collection of Style) is owned by H&M and currently operates 13 locations across the U.S.

Checkout 299
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H&M opens doors to new Braehead store, Glasgow

Retail Focus

Braehead owned by property company SGS and asset managed by Global Mutual Properties, has announced that H&M has opened the doors to its new new Braehead store in Glasgow. H&M has re-located from its former unit to a new ground floor space, spanning 17,000 sq ft, on a 10-year lease. Visitors to the store will enjoy a new, bespoke interior, with an emphasis on creating a warmer and more relaxed environment.

Boutique 162
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Is Your Business AI-Ready? Find Out with Orium’s Maturity Model

Generative AI is poised to redefine B2B, but scaling AI success in this space isn’t without obstacles. From fragmented data sources and complex buyer journeys to operational inefficiencies, the road to AI-powered growth can be challenging. To achieve a competitive edge, understanding your organization’s AI-readiness is essential. Orium's Data & AI Maturity Model provides a quick, actionable way to assess your starting point.

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Reconciliation Week pop-up shines a spotlight on First Nations brands

Inside Retail

Australia’s thriving First Nations economy was on full display at a pop-up market in Melbourne last night, featuring artwork, apparel and homewares from several Indigenous brands and businesses. Timed to coincide with National Reconciliation Week, the pop-up was hosted by WeWork in collaboration with Ngarrimili, a local nonprofit that provides business advice and support to First Nations entrepreneurs.

Apparel 246
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Leading with Infrastructure Automation to Enable Consumable Business Services

Cisco Retail

Businesses are looking to increase their agility and deliver new services to attract and retain customers. Developers are working to create apps that creatively solve a business problem. These demands apply increasing pressure on IT departments, their partners, and tech providers. At Cisco Live this year, I’ll be discussing this challenge with one of our Cisco Partners, Marcus Lind from Miradot, the world’s first DevNet Specialized Partner.

Consumer 144
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WSJ: Apple Raises Starting Associate Pay to $22/Hour Amid Rising Inflation

Retail TouchPoints

Apple is reportedly planning to boost starting pay for U.S. store associates to $22 per hour, and even higher in certain markets, according to The Wall Street Journal. The increase would make starting salaries 45% higher than they were in 2018 as the retailer faces the challenges of a tight labor market and a unionization push. The change would be part of a wider effort to increase compensation across the company.

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JYSK continues UK expansion with new store to open in Telford

Retail Focus

As part of JYSK’s plans to expand in the UK, the largest Danish retailer, operating globally, will be opening its first Telford store on 2nd June 2022 at Unit NQ1, Northern Quarter, Telford Shopping Centre. The new store will be managed by Stephen Ambrose and boasts 1200 sq mtrs of floor space in the latest JYSK store concept layout. JYSK will b ring affordable Scandi-chic homeware to Telford, in addition to 10 jobs being created by the Danish brand.

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Master Off-Page SEO: Boost Traffic, Build Trust, and Drive Conversions

Off-page SEO is the key to building trust, attracting qualified traffic, and boosting conversions. This guide explores how to leverage backlinks, guest blogging, social media, and influencer marketing to expand your website’s reach and authority. Discover the synergy between on-page and off-page SEO, ensuring your site is optimized for success. Learn how to create valuable content, engage with online communities, and track your progress to fine-tune your strategy.

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“It’s really exciting”: How Coles is supporting its LGBTQIA+ staff

Inside Retail

Supermarket Coles recently made the shift to offer its employees 10 days of paid gender affirmation leave. Coles had offered this leave without pay since 2020, but made the change after realising it can better support its staff members who identify as transgender. Since making the offer, the number of Coles’ workers that were comfortable identifying themselves as transgender in the workplace shortly increased from 900 to 1,100.

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14 Top Mom Influencers

Small Biz Trends

Some businesses are already experienced with influencer marketing. And others may wonder ‘ what is Cameo and how can influencers impact my business?’ But no matter your level of experience, working with trusted content creators can help you make a real impression on your target audience. If you sell products to moms, the following influencers may be ideal for your next campaign.

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Exclusive Q&A: ‘We’re Asking a Lot More From Our Supply Chains’

Retail TouchPoints

It’s the question that’s on every retailer’s — and not a few consumers’ — minds: When will global supply chains flow freely once more? Unfortunately there’s no definitive answer, nor is there likely to be one: multiple factors contribute to supply chain problems, including but definitely not limited to COVID’s persistence in China, the war in Ukraine and upcoming labor negotiations at West Coast ports.

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Revisiting the Session: The Potential for Shared Signals

Cisco Retail

Sometimes in order to move forward effectively, it’s good to take stock of where we’ve been. In this blog, we’ll review a concept that has been foundational to networking and cybersecurity from the beginning: the session. Why focus on the session? As the philosophy of Zero Trust is adopted more broadly in the security industry, it’s important to understand the building blocks of access.

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eCommerce in 2025: How Customer Experience Drives Online Retail Success

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