Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Nike plans to open 30 stores in the second half of 2021 as the retailer positions itself for long-term growth. Leaders discussed their plans for the business, including growing its connections with shoppers and improving supply chain capabilities, on a Dec. 18 call with analysts. The retailer’s plan to better connect with consumers will include “scaling direct connections with contactable members,” according to Matt Friend, EVP and CFO at Nike.

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Checkout Planning Consumer Management 358

Retail TouchPoints

JUNE 25, 2020

Even before COVID-19, the retail industry was already going through significant challenges, disruption and transformation. That has all been turned on its head. Get ready for the “new abnormal.”. Going forward there will be a fundamental shift in consumers’ reengagement and behavior towards physical environments, including the size and program of space.

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Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 27, 2020

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has approved the J.Crew Group reorganization plan, paving the way for the parent company of J.Crew , J.Crew Factory and Madewell to emerge from Chapter 11 in early September. J.Crew was an early casualty in what has become a long list of retailers that have filed for bankruptcy in the wake of COVID-19.

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Finance Planning Store Operations Customer Experience 348

Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 31, 2020

2020 has been an exceptional year for the retail sector, with all businesses having to rapidly adapt in some way or another. Such a time of upheaval has led to a permanent, irreversible change in consumer behavior as shoppers embrace the convenience and security of ecommerce more readily. There is much for retail organizations to do to make themselves resilient to the incoming challenges, but enhancing omnichannel capabilities and building powerful ecommerce experiences will be crucial.

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Consumer Checkout Customer Experience Supermarket 342

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Customer Experience

Retail TouchPoints

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

Aetrex Worldwide has launched Albert 2, the next generation of the company’s 3D foot scanning technology. The omnichannel device is designed to be a fully integrated foot scanning system that can help shoppers find correctly fitting footwear and orthotics and provide an enhanced customer experience at retail. Customers step into the Albert 2, which can scan both feet in 20 seconds or less, to capture static and dynamic pressure as well as 3D measurements of the foot.

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Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 18, 2020

Consumer expectations are constantly on the rise, driven by innovations and new offerings that promise more efficient and personalized experiences. For retailers, the stakes of customer satisfaction and engagement that come with a digital world are extremely high: In one recent survey, nearly 70% of consumers said that page speed influences their decision to purchase, with 15% saying that slow loading times would send them to a competitor’s site.

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Consumer Customer Experience Inventory Management Management 340

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

Returns are a cost of doing business for any retailer. But despite representing $309 billion in lost sales for U.S. retailers last year, they haven’t always been a strategic focus. In the wake of COVID-19, returns are receiving serious (and necessary) attention for several key reasons: Retailers are spending more processing returns in stores. They are expected to keep merchandise out of circulation due to COVID infection concerns and to provide employees with personal protection to prevent infec

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Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 28, 2020

The convergence of a pandemic, economic turmoil and a heated presidential election can make it difficult to look beyond the here and now, but shoppers nevertheless expect retailers to have a long-term vision. Consumers are recognizing that major companies can play a large role in shaping tomorrow — both in terms of their influence on society at large and the post-COVID-19 shopper experience, according to the Visions Into The Future report by CallisonRTKL.

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Shopping Customer Experience Planning Consumer 334

Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 19, 2020

Retail industry giants Target and Walmart continued to benefit from their status as essential retailers equipped with strong e-Commerce operational capabilities in Q2. In good news for their bottom lines, both retailers achieved significant sales growth, both online and in-store, while also improving margins. Target achieved a record-setting 24.3% increase in comp sales for the three months ended Aug. 1, 2020, rising from $18.2 billion last year to $22.7 billion this year.

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Retail TouchPoints

JULY 6, 2020

FedEx Office , the printing, packing and shipping services subsidiary of FedEx, is partnering with online design company Canva to create a digital design-to-print marketplace. The partnership aims to make it easier for retailers to create professionally printed materials to help them get back to business quickly and safely. More than 2,000 FedEx Office stores will now feature Canva’s image library and templates, which can be used to help retailers quickly design and print materials.

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Shipping Planning Marketing Store Operations 331

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Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Walmart has announced that its long-rumored paid membership program, Walmart+, will be available on September 15. It will cost $12.95 per month or $98 annually and include a 15-day free trial period. At launch, members will have access to unlimited home deliveries for groceries and general merchandise — as quickly as the same day they are ordered. Other perks include fuel discounts at Walmart, Murphy USA and Murphy Express gas stations, and access to proprietary technology such as “Scan & Go

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Retail TouchPoints

JUNE 11, 2020

Over the past four months, retailers have been scrambling to adapt and respond to customer behaviors that have emerged due to the coronavirus pandemic. Solution providers also have joined the fray, creating new solutions and services to help businesses stay open — and even uncover new revenue opportunities — as we venture into the “New Normal,” or what Aptos calls the “Next Normal.

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Consumer Fulfillment Payment Services Planning 327

Retail TouchPoints

OCTOBER 27, 2020

IKEA has partnered with Google Cloud to improve it technological capabilities, including the implementation of AI and machine learning tools, upgrading omnichannel capabilities and exploring new customer service offerings. The retailer already was using Google Cloud to help scale operations during the coronavirus pandemic and will continue looking into new possibilities.

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Customer Experience ATS 325

Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 14, 2020

It’s no surprise that the shopping habits of Gen Z during the pandemic will predict the near future for retail. Gen Zers are currently the largest and most influential generation of shoppers in the U.S., and COVID-19 has had a serious impact. We are already seeing that 46% say they plan on saving more of their earnings over the next five years, and 63% are currently concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their ability to make money.

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Merchant Services Shopping Payment Services Customer Experience 326

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Accounting

Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 26, 2020

There’s lots of potential danger in supply chain operations: work at distribution centers involves using heavy equipment to pick, pack and move products at an extremely fast pace. Walmart’s U.S. division achieved dramatic safety improvements with a daily training solution that provides personalized short quizzes on safety topics, helping change on-the-job behaviors of more than 100,000 associates at 150 DCs.

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Retail TouchPoints

JULY 6, 2020

In an industry as diverse and wide-ranging as retail, there’s no one way to create a stellar brand experience — but there are a few common factors. The 17 brands and retailers recognized by the first Brand Experience Awards (BEA), co-presented by Retail TouchPoints and RetailX , have different business models, customer types and challenges, but they share a commitment to never standing still.

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Boutique Customer Experience Location Accessories 325

Retail TouchPoints

OCTOBER 13, 2020

At its heart, a progressive web app (PWA) is a website that functions like a native app on a shoppers’ device. Although simple in concept, PWAs have the potential to massively improve a retailer’s operations, from shortening website load times to boosting natural Google search ranking, according to the Progressi v e Web Apps: The Best Kept Tech ‘Secret’ In Retail session at the 2020 Retail Innovation Conference.

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Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 8, 2020

The AI-powered autonomous shopping experience just got bigger, in the form of a 4,000-square-foot hybrid convenience market called AI Go in Shanghai. The store combines a manned checkout with the use of computer vision as part of checkout-free shopping powered by AiFi Solutions. Stocking 2,000 SKUs ranging from fresh meats to snacks, this store represents the largest deployment to date of the AiFi Autonomous Store Platform OASIS.

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Shopping Checkout Payment Services Consumer 321

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Fashion

Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 7, 2020

Walgreens Boots Alliance and VillageMD will open the next 40 Village Medical at Walgreens full-service primary care clinics by the end of summer 2021. The first markets slated for expansion include Houston, El Paso and Austin, Texas; Phoenix; and Orlando, Fla. The expansion is part of the large-scale rollout that will open 500 to 700 Village Medical at Walgreens clinics in more than 30 U.S. markets in the next five years.

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Retail TouchPoints

OCTOBER 1, 2020

Bed Bath & Beyond achieved a 6% sales increase in Q2 2020, its first growth since Q4 2016, driven by an 89% jump in ecommerce sales. The online growth offset a 12% decline in same-store sales, bringing net sales to $2.7 billion. The retailer credited the improvements to its expansion of omnichannel offerings such as buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) and curbside pickup during the pandemic.

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Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 6, 2020

DoorDash is taking dark store fulfillment in a new direction with an online delivery service that sells products from its owned and operated local distribution centers. The DashMart convenience stores carry approximately 2,000 products, a combination of basics and impulse items — such as snacks, groceries, over-the-counter medicines and pet food — along with “fan favorites” from local and national restaurant chains.

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Merchant Services Marketing Grocer Fulfillment 321

Retail TouchPoints

JULY 21, 2020

As COVID-19 has accelerated the trend away from cash payments to mobile and other contactless methods, Starbucks and 7-Eleven have both expanded their mobile payment options. Starbucks Reward members using the company’s mobile app will be able to earn rewards, which Starbucks calls stars, when they pay with cash, credit and debit cards or mobile wallets.

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Payment Services Customer Experience ATS 321

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 TouchPoints

OCTOBER 1, 2020

The 2020 holiday season will be dominated by uncertainty, a sharp contrast to the relatively steady growth in spending and ecommerce traffic that retailers enjoyed over the past several years. Retailers will have to forge ahead without reliable historic data to guide them — but looking at the events of the past six months and results from recent surveys can help center their perspective.

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Fulfillment Planning Consumer Shopping 318

Retail TouchPoints

NOVEMBER 27, 2020

There is no doubt that retailers have faced many struggles as a result of the pandemic. Brick-and-mortar stores were forced to shutter around the country, forcing retailers to amplify their ecommerce efforts, with varying levels of success. Many struggled to adapt, resulting in a record number of bankruptcies, and in some cases complete closures, including industry stalwarts like Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor and J.Crew.

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Retail TouchPoints

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Consumer preference for online shopping continues to rise, as more purchases are being made online than in stores with each passing year. In 2019 , the total market share of online U.S. retail sales surpassed general merchandise sales for the first time in history. And as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, this trend is only increasing. According to McKinsey , ecommerce sales in apparel, department stores and beauty products have increased by nearly 10%, on average, since the onset of the pan

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Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

In anticipation of customer demand for more and faster delivery options during the holidays, Bed Bath & Beyond has launched multiple options for same-day home delivery. Customers selecting home delivery on the Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY websites will have their orders fulfilled in stores by personal shoppers working with Shipt , a division of Target.

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Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 10, 2020

In June , DICK’S Sporting Goods launched its two new discount-focused store concepts — DICK’S Sporting Goods Warehouse and OVERTIME by DICK’S Sporting Goods — with the opening of five Warehouse and three OVERTIME locations. This month, the retailer will open five more Warehouse stores and one additional OVERTIME location. DICK’s also is expanding the footprint of its predominant DICK’S Sporting Goods brand with four new stores and one combination DICK’S and Golf Galaxy location

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Retail TouchPoints

JULY 29, 2020

While the name Burton is almost synonymous with the snowboards the company began making in 1977, Burton has diversified over the years into new categories — including surfboards, apparel, goggles/optics and other sports gear — as well as expanding beyond manufacturing into direct-to-consumer (DTC) retail, both physical and digital. The Burton name is on 66 stores in 10. countries and the principality of Andorra, as well as the U.S.

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Retail TouchPoints

JUNE 29, 2020

Lowe’s will pay its frontline employees an additional $100 million in bonuses, bringing the retailer’s total commitment to associates and communities during the pandemic to more than $450 million. The money is being offered to recognize the work they have done for the company during the COVID-19 crisis. All active hourly associates in Lowe’s U.S. stores, distribution centers and store support centers will receive the bonuses in mid-July.

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Retail TouchPoints

JUNE 15, 2020

Before COVID-19, the brick-and-mortar shopping differentiator for the consumer was the in-person experience: They could try on the goods, or just see them in context. They could lie down on that mattress. It wasn’t a problem if customers opened that dresser drawer and touched every handle in the display. But for the foreseeable future, shopping will be “ no contact.

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Shopping Boutique Supermarket Management 317

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