Tag: Ketner Group

SXSW 2016: The Customer May Always Be Right, But What The Heck Do They Want?

Posted on | by Mariana Fischbach

SXSW Interactive 2016 blazed through Austin this past week in typical disruptive fashion, bringing the tech industry’s brightest minds into town for a five-day festival that was all business during the day and all party during the night.

No matter the application, the topic of how to engage customers was at the forefront of the most prominent conversations. From machine learning to data analytics to mobile, all technology pointed to one focal point – the customer and their engagement.

However, during all of the discussions one thing became apparent: while we now have technology that can help us track and study customers’ actions throughout the engagement cycle, we cannot yet decipher what prompted the customer to begin the engagement process with a particular brand.

Zappos Product Manager Kandis Yaokum best described it during the panel session titled “Future of Cool: Predicting What’s Next in Fashion”. Sitting alongside ThoughtWorks Senior Retail Consultant Rachel Brooks, Google Fashion Data Scientist Olivier Zimmer and Shoptelligence Founder Laura Khoury, Yaokum discussed how data analytics is helping fashion retailers predict what will be the industry’s next big trend. When Yaokum was asked “what kept her up at night?,” she answered that it was not knowing why a particular customer decided that a certain product was the “cool one” to buy and what stirred the initial curiosity to engage with a brand.

All the panel members described how data analytics is historical by nature, and can help deliver better insights into overall trends that can help predict the future. However, understanding what sparked a customer’s initial attention is still something that technology cannot yet decipher.

It seems we are at an inflection point, however; additional sessions all pointed to a better understanding of the customer and different ways we can look at the convergence of brand and technology to spark and measure customer’s attention. Key themes that emerged included:

It’s all about psychology: a brand’s engagement with a consumer should have personal and organic connection.

  • Marcela Sapone, founder of the New York based startup, Hello Alfred, discussed that how brands make you feel is all about perception, and brands can use this perception alongside technology as a metric to continue innovating and building a better product.

Going beyond the product – A physical store setting should be more about the overall experience and providing content customers can immerse themselves in.

  • STORY founder Rachel Shecthman discussed how the retail store should be utilized as a media channel to create an experience that immerses customers in the overall story and gives them something to do. We should think about physical stores as living labs and places of entertainment that are enabled by technology.

Democratizing access to luxury: luxury is now defined as a combination of access, experiences and usability.

  • Discussing wearables, Uri Minkoff and Decoded’s Liz Bacelar emphasized how luxury items should be both about usability and functionality and how the wearables of the future will be more about portraying emotion than tracking health data.

ALL customers are individuals.

  • Refinery29’s Phillipe von Borries discussed how all brands should look to people as individuals instead of grouping them into a block such as a generational age group. The power, he says, lies in niches – people who are defined by their overall passions and hobbies.

At the end of the day, the customer is the key driver, and brands that look to incorporate innovative technologies and tactics into their overall customer experience philosophy will continue to spark their attention.

New Year, New Site, New Baby!

Posted on | by Ketner Group

This has been an exciting couple of months at Ketner Group. As we covered in our last few blogs we had a very successful NRF with 11 of our 18 clients attending, making announcements and holding over 80 meetings with analysts and media.

Jeff Meets Jack!Behind the scenes, our team has been furiously working on building this brand new site that you see today. Countless hours went in on our end cultivating the content and working with Creative Pickle to create this beautiful site! We thank them for their patience and creative leadership.

Thirdly, and most exciting, we are happy to announce that our fearless leader, Jeff, and his wife, Molly, are
now grandparents! Their daughter and son-in-law welcomed Jack Andrew Winterroth in to the world at 9:30pm on Wednesday, February 3. He is a healthy 6 pounds and 12 ounces. We are thrilled to welcome this newest addition into the Ketner Group family. Congratulations Jeff, Molly and the entire Ketner clan!

 

Retail’s BIG Show: #NRF16 Client Recap, Part 1

Posted on | by Ketner Group

NRF’s 105th annual conference featured over 30,000 attendees, a plethora of thought leadership sessions from retail’s top leaders and a vast selection of innovative new technologies— too many to even count— however, in the midst of all the activity, our clients definitely shined through the crowd at Retail’s BIG Show bringing their own innovative stories into the mix.

Photo courtesy of Kathleen See
Photo courtesy of Kathleen See

360pi

According to RIS News, 360pi’s session, “Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery: Learn from Amazon” hosted by VP of Marketing, Jenn Markey, was a session quick hitter with the company’s “Holiday’s Insights Executive Intelligence Report,” which covered various pricing strategies of the world’s biggest retailers like Amazon, Target and Walmart. The report’s most interesting insight revealed that though Walmart is usually within 5% of Amazon’s Prices, the pricing disparity increased to 10% during the holiday season with Amazon’s exclusive membership-only shopping opportunities.

Advanced Pricing Logic

This year at NRF, Advanced Pricing Logic presented their easy-to-use analytics interface, PRICEXPERT, which combines the use of price optimization and competitive data. At their booth, APL got the chance to showcase their innovation that can enhance the way retailers and other businesses meet their financial goals. APL was also able to network with many retailers and top tier media alike.

Birdzi

With thousands of attendees from the retail industry, Birdzi utilized the conference to network with big names in the retail industry and the media. Birdzi had the chance to connect with fellow industry players and share how they’re transforming retail through their state-of-the art personalized shopper engagement platform.

CART

At NRF, CART presented how their website can help navigate the ever-changing industry of retail technology. With over 5,000 solutions, CART was able to show how their innovation can aid with searching and learning by connecting retailers to a variety of solutions and products. By demonstrating how their service works, CART was able to network with a variety of retailers and members of the press.

Displaydata

As the leading, global supplier of fully graphic, 3 color electronic shelf labels and in-store location management, Displaydata took NRF by storm by showing how their innovative system leads to better sales, profits and customer loyalty. By demonstrating their dynamic solution, showcasing their electronic shelf labels and offering interactive tours with real-time consumer interaction, Displaydata was able to boast their dynamic pricing tactics.

Adam Blair of Retail TouchPoints went on to highlight Displaydata’s capabilities in his NRF recap post.

Mirakl

This year at NRF Mirakl had the opportunity to meet with a vast amount of retailers and the press about their e-commerce marketplace platform and Best Buy Canada’s launch of its online marketplace. With constant networking all around the conference, Mirakl was very busy making their name known to the big players in the retail industry and earning their spot on Retail TouchPoint’s “What were The Hot Topics of #NRF16?” coverage round-up.

To be continued…

Ice Cream’s Biggest Fan (and our new Intern): Meet Cambria!

Posted on | by Ketner Group | 1 Comment on Ice Cream’s Biggest Fan (and our new Intern): Meet Cambria!

Hello! My name is Cambria Sawyer, and I am thrilled to be joining the Ketner team as their newest intern! And yes, Cambria as in the font, wine, California town, and the heavy-progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria- but I am actually named after an old sailing ship in Rhode Island. My middle name is one of the most commonly chosen for children in China, but I’ll let you guess about that one!

CambriaWords are some of my favorite things on this earth. You can use them for good or evil, express your deepest thoughts and feelings, ask for ice cream (very important use of words), harness them to become closer to someone or push them farther away, motivate people toward life-changing action and a million other things. Words are powerful but also mischievous- it is not always known what effect they will have, and I think that is so dang cool. It’s truly a science to figure out how to best approach communication, and I think that is why I am so drawn to the fields of PR and marketing- they are mysterious and very, very fun.

My first major try at figuring out words came last year when I ran the promotion, marketing and creative aspects of a local non-profit’s 5K. We decided to call it the Record Run (themed around breaking a new world record every year), and broke the world record for the number of pennies collected for charity with over 500,000 pennies. Although it was my greatest challenge yet, I had an absolute blast branding the race, contacting media and strategizing for how to get more runners at the starting line. If you’ve ever wondered what half a million pennies look like, you can check it out here.

During my internship freshman year at the Frank Erwin Events Center, I had the Cambriaopportunity to approach marketing from an entirely different angle. Between holding interviews, analyzing social media response, and blog-writing, the learning curve was steep and also totally awesome. Plus, getting to high-five practically every professional fighter in the UFC was an added bonus.

Of course, there are a few completely non PR-related things that play a considerably large role in my personality, so here you have it:

  • I am six feet tall, but I am an absolute sucker for a pair of high heels.
  • My younger brother has a severe form of Tourette Syndrome. He and I have become ambassadors for the Tourette Association of America to help raise awareness and funding for the disorder. I am also currently writing a book about my family’s journey with Tourette’s (there are just way too many good stories for them to go untold).
  • If you give me ice cream, we are friends.
  • I absolutely love to travel and try new things. If you want to go on an adventure, the answer is almost always yes.
  • I am a drummer- I spent seven years in percussion, and four years playing tenors (55 lbs) on drumline. My next step is to learn steel drums!

Going into my sophomore year at The University of Texas at Austin as a PR major, I could not be more excited about the adventures that await me both on and off-campus. I am so thrilled to have been welcomed here at Ketner Group, and am excited to see what I can learn from such a talented team!

It’s an Amazon world, we’re just living in it

Posted on | by Ketner Group

If you know anything about the retail industry you’ve probably heard a thing or two (or a million) about Amazon. Amazon, an ecommerce giant, provides thousands, if not millions of items to consumers from all over the world delivered to your door step within days. Retailers, physical and digital, find themselves competing with Amazon constantly. It’s hard to beat impeccably cheap prices, two-day free shipping and same-day delivery in some cities for Prime members. But now there’s something else to compete with. Amazon announced that it would be launching Prime Day, an event to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Amazon boasts that it will have deals that are much bigger than those on black Friday. Of course the purpose of this is to drive sales, but how can other retailers beat such a heavy promise?

Walmart, for one, is taking a big stab at competing with Amazon. Walmart’s CEO Fernando Medeira posted a blog titled “Why Every Day is Low Price Day at Walmart,” in which he announced they would reduce the minimum free shipping for online purchases from $50 to $35 and reduce prices on thousands of online items. “We’ve heard some retailers are charging $100 to get access to a sale,” Medeira stated in the post. “But the idea of asking consumers to pay extra in order to save money just doesn’t add up for us.” A point well made by Walmart, which was clearly taking a punch at Amazon’s Prime Day event. A few days later Walmart increased the competition a bit more with their new promotion called “Dare to Compare,” in which they guarantee that they will offer lower prices than Amazon and invite consumers to compare the prices themselves.

Though two of the biggest retailers in the world are going head to head in competing for market share based on low prices, they are not the only ones. Food Lion has also jumped on the price lowering bandwagon. They announced they would be lowering prices on thousands of items that are most important to consumers based on extensive research and frequently purchased items. To ensure that consumers are aware of the price cuts, Food Lion is using three signed deal offers including, “WOW: Lower prices on thousands of items that matter most to customers, offered for longer periods of time,” which also alludes to Amazon’s brief one-day event.

As the highly anticipated Prime Day is in full swing, many consumers are anything but impressed. Many consumers went to social media to criticize the event for its unexciting items and for the fact that there are waitlists for those items. Though Prime Day isn’t what people expected, the event still sparked a lot of competition from other retailers and interest from the media and consumers alike. The fact that other retailers created promotions in response to Prime Day deals shows just how significant Amazon’s influence is in the retail industry.

 

The Most Buzzworthy PR Successes June 2015

Posted on | by Ketner Group

Public relations is such a diverse and expansive field and there is a constant stream of notable PR successes to praise. With the impactful changes that have been made across all kinds of industries this past month, there are most definitely a few PR successes to celebrate.

A big win for Apple and Taylor Swift

There is no doubt Taylor Swift is aware of her influence and is no stranger to speaking her mind. A few weeks ago, Swift released a letter to her fans, peers in the music industry and to Apple voicing her opinion on their new free streaming trial. Swift explained that Apple hadn’t planned on paying artists during this free three-month trial. Swift explained that fortunately this was not a big deal for her, but it was a huge deal for upcoming and new artists who have recently released music and depend on income and recognition to continue pursuing their music. After Swift’s argument went viral, Apple changed their terms to pay the artists during the trial. Some speculate that it was Apple’s plan all along to have someone high profile to speak out against these terms to draw attention to their new service. True or not, both artists and fans are praising Swift; plus, everyone now knows about Apple’s free trial. Read more here.

Etsy, Amazon, Walmart and other retailers remove the Confederate flag

In light of recent events fueled by racism, controversy around the prevalence and meaning of the Confederate flag has heightened. The church shooting in Charleston that left nine dead was strongly associated with the Confederate flag. Many people were disturbed by the fact that the Confederate flag, which has historical significance involving racism and violence, still flies over the South Carolina State Capitol. Despite differing opinions, the flag is causing uproar. In fact, the South Carolina legislature is deciding today whether or not to keep the flag at the Capitol. The flag’s removal has passed through the Senate, and is now in the House. Many retailers have taken an initiative to remove items with the Confederate flag from their stores. Regardless of your opinion on the Confederate flag, it is a tactful move by many retailers, as it prevents the potential for future controversy. Read more here.

Obama’s approval rating is above 50%

Also, if you happen to have internet, watch TV, or interact with other humans you are probably aware of a few successes in the last couple of weeks for the Obama Administration. One being that The Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Healthcare Act. The second: The Supreme Court ruling that the constitution guarantees gay marriage, making it the law of the land. Whether or not you support these rulings, they have led to a boost to 50% approval rating of the Obama Administration for the first time since the very beginning of his presidency. Read more here.

Brands show their support for marriage equality

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality, and many brands have used this historic event as an opportunity to show their support of the decision. A number of brands used Twitter and Instagram, but one company in particular went above and beyond to celebrate. Ben & Jerry’s, who has publicly supported gay rights for quite some time, renamed their chocolate chip cookie dough flavor to “I Dough, I Dough.” The flavor is available all summer at participating stores nationwide and online through the Human Rights Campaign. Regardless of the different views on marriage equality, brands have used this ruling as an opportunity to connect with current and potential consumers in a heart-felt way. Read more here.

It’s safe to say that June was a memorable month that kept the PR world busy. Stay tuned to find out what July has in store for PR professionals.

Meet Adrienne Newcomb

Posted on | by Ketner Group

adrienneHi there, Adrienne Newcomb here! I’m the newest addition to the Ketner Group team. I joined Ketner Group this month as an Account Manager and so far, everything is off to a great start!

I’m originally from Fort Worth (not Dallas) and have lived in Austin for close to nine years now. Like many others, I moved to Austin to attend The University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘em), and when my four years at UT Austin studying public relations were up, I couldn’t quite find it in my heart to leave.

I began my PR career as a communications specialist at Mental Health America of Texas (MHAT), where I had previously interned during undergrad. Much of my work at MHAT was spent planning events, raising funds and working closely with board members. Just before I decided to leave MHAT, I spent some time working with an ad agency on website redesign for the non-profit. Through that experience, I knew I wanted to the next stop on my career path to be at an agency.

I decided to take a leap of faith and quit my day job at MHAT without my next full-time opportunity lined up. Luckily, I quickly landed as an intern at what was then WPP Team Dell (and now PPR Worldwide), Dell’s communications agency of record, where I began my dive into two new worlds: agency life and enterprise technology. After a few months crash-course in both and working with a large, worldwide client such as Dell, I was hired full-time. During my time at PPR, I obtained valuable PR experience and was also introduced to the world of analyst relations. My experience included coordinating 1:1 briefing schedules for hundreds of influencers and executives at Dell World and managing the ins and outs of day-to-day activities and  client relationships.

Now for the fun stuff!

I’m a dog mom to Mackey, a red and white piebald, miniature dachshund who I adopted last year through a rescue group. Our favorite activities include snuggling on the sofa and strolling along Shoal Creek. Feel free to request photos and videos, I’m happy to share.

I’m also an aunt to two beautiful girls who are eight and almost two. They live in Fort Worth, but I usually see them once a month or so. Again, photos and videos available upon request. Speaking of family, I have an older brother and younger sister, making me the middle child. According to the experts, that explains a thing or two.

In addition to my fur and human family, I’m an avid reader (feel free to send over any recommendations, or we can nerd out over our recent reads), an aspiring home decorator and an overly involved Texas Ex.

And here I am, the newest addition to the growing Ketner Group team and now you know a little about me. I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you, as well!

Athleisure: The New Casual Wear

Posted on | by Ketner Group

When I came to college, my day-to-day fashion style definitely changed. I went from dressing ‘cute’ with cute tops, shoes and accessories to a more ‘simple’ style. In the summer (which stretches from March-October in Austin), I wear athletic shorts and an over-sized t-shirt leaving my body shape to the imagination, with some sort of non-fashionable sandals or tennis shoes. I’ll throw in the basic knit-top on occasion. In the short winter months, I jump into leggings, a long-sleeved, oversized t-shirt or sweatshirt; with a fleece jacket and tennis shoes, or maybe leather boots if I’m feeling extra-fancy.

You might assume I do this because I’m a college student who is probably not getting enough sleep and rolls out of bed five minutes before class, or because I work out a lot—both of which are true and sometimes the case.  But fashion choices across age groups and demographics are beginning to fit these descriptions more often than not, because that’s just simply how everyone dresses.

Just like any other fashion trend, you have to have the brand names are a must.

I know what you’re thinking, we’re all slobs and Austin is too casual. But there’s more to it than just that. Just like most fashion trend, brand names are basically imperative. Typically athletic shorts range from Nike, Lululemon Athletica and Under Armour. Those oversized t-shirts also have a well-known brand, believe it or not. Comfort Colors brand t-shirts offer a cozy touch and come in a broad range of colors that student organizations love to use. The unfashionable sandals are also household names: Birkenstocks have made a recent come back (because well, they’re so comfy), Rainbows are favorites and the most popular athletic show by far is Nike. Personally, I own a few pairs: one for actually working out, one for walking to class and one extra pair that I keep spick and span for weekend brunch outings. Leggings have to be Lululemon (they’re outrageously expensive), but once you try a pair, your life is changed. So, if you consider all of the thought that actually goes into our comfy clothes, it’s actually a fashion statement, rather than an anti-fashion statement. If you have the right look, you’re actually considered on- trend.

Originally I thought this was just a college student trend, but then I noticed how almost everyone was hopping on the comfort clothing bandwagon. I started reading articles analyzing athleisure, and came to the conclusion that it is actually a phenomenon.

Athleisure has actually boosted the economy,

According to an article in Forbes, retailers are realizing they can make a killing by selling activewear at elevated prices. This comes with no surprise because it’s no longer a college student fad; it’s a widespread fashion trend. In fact, research has shown that the increase in retail sales was “driven primarily by growth in sales of activewear, athletic performance footwear and bags.” Studies also show an overall increase in spending on clothing and footwear are driven by performance attire. In the article, Shannon Wilson, co-founder and creative director of Kit & Ace and former head designer for Lulumeon, said this “trend in activewear is just another indicator that people expecting more functionality and ease of wear from everyday attire. People want clothes that feel luxurious, but have performance attributes to support a fully contact lifestyle.”Simply put, society demands that fashion and function come together.

Even luxury fashion can’t get away from this trend.

“Athleisure has been around for decades, but it’s really hitting hard now,” said Chase Rose, the brains behind Athleisurely, a blog based in New York City. “Today, more and more luxury brands are designing athletic-inspired apparel – Vera Wang, Urban Outfitters, Cynthia Rowley and Stella McCartney to name a few.”

Athleisure celebrates and inspires not only a fashionable lifestyle, but also a healthy one.

“Shoppers will buy these products and become inspired to be more active, walk a few more blocks, spend a little bit more time out doors with their families,” said Jacqueline Renfrow, editor of Fierce Retail. “If a healthier, more natural lifestyle is in fact a growing trend that is here to stay, this could mean changes that will affect other sectors or retail, ranging of course from apparel and food to home appliances and furniture.”

Athleisure is a significant and widespread fashion trend that is stimulating growth in retail, redefining fashion and catalyzing a healthier American society. And that’s a lot to say for something that I once thought to be a college student trend.

#RetailRoundUp

Posted on | by Ketner Group

It has been a very busy week for the retail industry, from being able to shop and buy items from Nordstrom with just a simple text, to the new-found ways to utilize pop-up stores. Check out the top stories this past week from the retail world:

Nordstrom enables shopping via text via Retailing Today

Imagine a world where you could text someone what you wanted, and all of a sudden it’s yours. Well, for all of those shopaholics out there, it’s time to rejoice. Nordstrom has launched TextStyle at all of their  116 U.S. stores, and it’s basically revolutionized retail. TextStyle allows shoppers to make purchases from a personal salesperson or stylist, and enables associates to send new product recommendations to customers with a text message. If the customer would like to purchase the items, they can by simply replying with ‘buy’ and a unique code. Shoppers can also send their salesperson a text message with a product description or photo. All purchases are completed with the customer’s Nordstrom account information, and items are shipped directly for free.

Of course this isn’t the most mind-blowing news around. There are many retailers that have similar programs like this, but Nordstrom is now the only retail company in the U.S. that offers customers who opt-in the ability to shop and buy with just a text message. TextStyle provides consumers with a unique, efficient and extremely personalized way of shopping.

Target addresses digital channels after overwhelming demand for Lilly Pulitzer collaboration via RIS News

April 19, 2015, is a day that will live in infamy. It was the day that the Lilly Pulitzer collaboration with Target, #LillyForTarget, launched, sold out in minutes, crashed the company’s website and left many people angry, sad and extremely disappointed. Target’s CEO, Brian Cornell, noted that the company was disappointed their, “digital channels were not able to properly accommodate the surge in traffic at the time of the launch.”

Since that chaotic event, Target has been working to redeem itself and its digital business. Target announced during their Q1 2015 earnings call, that the company will make a $1 billion investment in technology and supply chain. Kathryn A. Tesija, executive vice President, chief merchandising and supply chain officer, ensures the company will continue to invest in technology and supply chain to allow their guests to shop on demand, and to improve the economics of its online business meaningfully. Target is now “working to address root causes and learn from the experience” as they prepare for the upcoming holiday season and the accelerated growth of the company.

Jo-Ann Fabric among first retailers to partner with Pinterest’s new Buyable Pins via Chain Store Age

We’ve all been there… well most of us. You’re scrolling through your Pinterest feed and you basically fall in love with everything you see. You re-pin it, thinking that you might attempt to create it later. After a while, you finally have time to create this beautiful masterpiece that is supposedly simple to do. But then you realize achieving the perfection that is pictured on Pinterest is basically unattainable, and your sad attempt hardly resembles it. Well, look no further because you can finally buy items from Pinterest directly from the site!

Pinterest is embarking on their first attempt in e-commerce by partnering with various retailers, including fabric and craft specialty retailer Jo-Ann fabric and Craft Stores, for their new Buyable Pins. Currently, there are over 4.2 million pins linking back to Joann.com. With buyable pins, consumers can find a product, pin it to their board, and directly purchase it off of Pinterest.

The Buyable Pins are expected to launch on the Pinterest iOS app this month and for Android and desktop later this year. Other retail partners for Pinterest’s Buyable Pins include Macy’s, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Ethan Allen.

Pop-Ups: How temporary storefronts are changing brand loyalty via Fierce Retail

Pop-up stores are a big trend this year. Though the concept of placing a shop within a shop to attract attention to new designers and collections is nothing new, but the concept of a pop-up shop today has evolved into something much more intricate. The 2015 pop-ups are used as a sort-of beta test for a physical presence for retailers that have previously only had an online store and to see how it might change brand loyalty.

Many retailers are joining this trend, including e-commerce giant Amazon with its launch of a holiday pop-up store in 2014. Brands such as Zappos, The Grommet, Crest & Co. and Boohoo have recently introduced their first pop-up store. Even the highly anticipated buzz for the sold out Lilly Pulitzer collection for Target was fueled by a pop up shop in New York’s Bryant Park.

This growing trend for retailers utilizing pop-ups can be attributed to a few important reasons. First, retailers are starting to realize that pop-up stores are a feasible way to increase sales and presence in the marketplace. Secondly, these temporary stores are a great way to track customer approval for the transition from online to brick-and mortar in a temporary setting. Lastly, opening a temporary store is relatively inexpensive with little risk, which is great when testing something new. Pop-ups are not only a great way to assess costs and success; they’re also a great way to promote a brand.

This Week’s Retail Round Up

Posted on | by Ketner Group

With the retail industry changing on a day-to-day basis, there’s always something that’s trending in the news. From the havoc that Lilly Pulitzer created with their launch at Target, to the possibility of having robot technology take over the retail world, this week was filled with some fascinating trends.

Lilly Pulitzer for Target causes shipping frenzy via CNN

Lilly Pulitzer, known for bold colors and prints, announced earlier this year that it would partner with Target to release a new, more affordable line of bags, shoes, dresses and much more. This news created some major hype amongst people all over the country, and according to CNN, lines started forming early as 5 a.m. on Sunday, April 19 for the highly anticipated collection.

Within hours, it was sold out online and in stores across the country. And people were irate. Target announced that the inventory would not be restocked because the collection was only available for a limited time. Once people realized that #LillyforTarget was essentially a thing of the past, people were furious. And today, Target is facing the backlash, but are “learning from these experiences and sharing with our online and store teams,” according to a statement.

Sam’s Club makes being a member more valuable via Retailing Today

Sam’s Club announced on April 22 that they would implement five new services, including those that are focused on financial services, theft protection and the possibility of saving members as much as $2,300 annually. These new services will allow Sam’s Club to differentiate themselves from Costco and other competitors, as well as simplify how their consumers work, live and conduct their businesses. Sam’s Club, who has been dedicated to low prices on bulk goods and quality products for many years, embarked on this change in response to their CEO’s push in increasing the value of membership and multiplying services involved with business, home and life. With these new services, Sam’s hopes to attract new members, maintain their existing ones and promote their $100 Plus level membership.

Services offered from providers with recognizable brands include:

  • Identity theft protection from industry leader Lifelock at a 25% discount on annual rate.
  • Accounting services and tax preparation from 1-800Accountant, a network of accounting experts that provide bookkeeping and tax filing through a simple platform, starting at $29 a month.
  • A Sam’s Club Business Lending Center that gives access to as much as $350,000 of capital by connecting business members to lenders and credit options through Lending Club, Smart Biz and Sam’s Club Business MasterCard.
  • Enhanced payment processing solutions provided by First Data. This will bring in-club business consultants and centralized payments and point of sale technology to business members to help simplify operations.
  • Online marketing services provided by Web.com with a 36% discount. Web.com has created member-exclusive digital marketing bundles, including do-it-yourself (DIY) and do-it-for-me (DIFM) plans for digital marketing services.

Will retailers I-up the latest in robot technology?  Via Retail Gazette

Tech innovator, Toshiba, has introduced a humanoid robot to the retail world in Japan. They have introduced this “lifelike” communication technology to attract people into stores, where androids have been greeting and assisting consumers around the store and aiding human employees. Currently, the robot is being used as an attraction or as a form of entertainment, but Toshiba’s Business Development Division Group Manager, Hitoshi Tokuda, thinks that this robot can revolutionize the shopping experience. Toshiba is hoping to develop a robot that can eventually do what a human does in regards to customer service.

The robot is powered by 43 motors and blinks and talks. Apparently, the robot named Pepper can understand about 80% of conversations and is set to launch across 1,000 stores in Japan. This new development has set the bar high for customer experience for retailers wanting to expand in Japan. These androids could be a solid investment that has the power to change communication and employ more staff, but businesses could also lose their brand’s personality without face-to-face human interaction. These new robots are setting an intriguing stage for the future of retail.

 

Retailers’ Aging POS Platforms in Need of a Makeover via Retail Info Systems News

As the times change, so do the needs of consumers and POS platforms. Older platforms, traditionally used for scanning merchandise and completing basic transactions, are reducing consumer engagement. In fact, most POS platforms are about 6.9 years old; the need for upgraded technology is now becoming essential for empowered consumers that are expecting much more than a register. Consumers are now demanding POS as the “omnichannel point-of-service” where retailers engage consumers and build loyalty. The retail industry needs to address these outdated systems or face potential compliance penalties, security risks and even a hindered ability to reach growing business needs. According to EKN Research, the need for more up-to-date systems is attributed to four key factors including the EuroPay, MasterCard, VISA (EMV)-liability shift, the growing need for mobility, omnichannel POS integration and the introduction of new payment methods.

 

Amazon Takes aim at the B2B market via Retailing Today

Amazon is now thinking about delving into the B2B world with retailers like Staples to launch Amazon Business marketplace that is stocked with millions of business products. Amazon says that their business customers will benefit from free two-day shipping on eligible items, multi-user business accounts, approval workflow, payment solutions, tax exemptions, customer support and so much more. Amazon Business will give businesses the convenience of shopping online in an expanded marketplace with the selection, convenience and variety of Amazon.

Some of the features of Amazon Business we think are super awesome are:

  • Business Accounts: Create a single or multi-user business account, invite additional users to join the account and define groups of users to easily share payment methods and shipping addresses.
  • Free Two-Day Shipping: Fast, free shipping on orders of $49 or more on tens of millions of eligible items, plus access to even faster shipping options.
  • Multi-Seller Marketplace: View multiple offers on a single product page for easy price comparisons, as well as shop sellers that consistently meet the performance and service requirements that businesses expect.
  • Business-Only Pricing: Business-only prices on select items and quantity discounts from select manufacturers and sellers.
  • Business-Only Selection: Business-only items combined with Amazon’s vast selection provides access to hundreds of millions of products, including hard-to-find items like traffic signs, industrial deep fryers, antibodies, 55-gallon steel drums, dent pullers and much more.
  • Purchasing Approval: Create approval workflows to enable better spending controls.
  • Amazon Tax Exemption Program: Make tax-exempt purchases and manage tax exemption permissions across an organization.
  • Amazon Corporate Credit Line: Place orders and finance purchases using a Pay-in-Full Credit Line or a Revolving Credit Line.
  • Comprehensive Product Information: Rich product pages and studio-quality photography, as well as dimensions, CAD drawings and manufacturer how-to videos.

 

 

What other retail stories in the news caught your eye this week? We’d love to hear what you think about the Target/Lily Pulitzer ordeal, and if you’ll be using Amazon Business for your company!