There goes the neighborhood, as snobby 'better-thans' wait for their Whole Foods drone deliveries
My first reaction to Amazon buying Whole Foods is "Huh?" Few brands could be any more different. The online retailer is all about giving customers the most for the least amount spent, while the grocer is the pricey purview of the alt-organic lifestyle elite. No moment is better metaphor for Whole Foods' clientele than the exchange I heard between a thirtysomething couple standing at the deli holding chicken luncheon meat. "Is it free range?" the women asked her husband. It had to be, or she wouldn't buy. They argued. I silently chuckled: luncheon meat—not a bird! It's all pressed meat, Honey. You do know that?
But from another perspective, and one transcending retail store presence, are other considerations, like brand affinity and buyer demographics. For the first, Amazon may be all about value, but in an increasingly middle-class and well-to-do demographic kind of way, particularly among city dwellers. Despite sharing similar cut-throat margin, expansive business philosophies with Walmart, Amazon doesn't carry the same stigma among the socially conscious "better-thans". For the second, who do you think plunks down 99 bucks a year for Prime membership or can't wait for two-day free delivery or is too busy to go to the store to buy groceries? Without hard numbers to back the supposition, I'd bet there is lots of existing and potential regular shopper overlap among these customers and those who walk Whole Foods' aisles.
Amazon to buy Whole Foods as its grocery store revolution continues
Amazon's increasingly overt and aggressive push into the grocery retail market has officially gone into full-blown, alarm-blaring fever-pitch mode today as its plans to acquire the brick-and-mortar chain Whole Foods was publicly announced.
Under the terms of the tentative deal, Amazon will pay $42 per share of Whole Foods stock for a total purchase price of $13.7 billion. At the end of trading yesterday, Whole Foods was going for around $33 per share, making Amazon's offer represent a reasonable 27 percent premium.
Automation, IoT and VR will improve sales and customer experiences
Retail, wholesale and manufacturing companies are turning to Internet of Things (IoT), Automation and Virtual Reality (VR) to drive sales and improve customer experiences.
This is according to a new report by global ecommerce consultancy firm Salmon, which says almost two thirds (61 percent) of European companies in above mentioned industries are investing and believing in IoT.
Technology won't fully replace in-store workers, retailers believe
There will still be people working in the stores of the future, but technology is still going to make a profound impact on the retail industry. This is what retail workers think about how their job will transform in the near future.
According to a new report by Epson, 70 percent of retailers think technology will never be able to fully replace people in stores, but it will revolutionize the shopping experience.
The major challenges retailers face in 2017
Things are changing everywhere around us, you don’t need me to tell you that. Soon, the UK will probably no longer be part of the EU, the former host of the US Apprentice already holds the most powerful position in the world and, perhaps most shockingly of all, Leicester City won the UK Premier League last year. The retail arena is no different.
Once customers were happy to look at and buy their products in physical stores. However, today the modern consumer not only wants to be able to go into a store, but they also want to be able to view products on their tablet, phone or laptop and get them delivered to their home at a time of their choosing. Oh, and they want to be able to return them if they’re not happy with the product in some way. Unsurprisingly, this creates considerable challenges for retailers and this shifting market is contributing to the huge amount of change and transformation that’s already underway in the sector. But what are the key trends in retail transformation and what does it mean for hiring?
Artificial intelligence in retail: It's the right move
Technology has long since advanced to the point where it can make decisions better than people can, and yet grocery managers are still happy to use their own experience to drive decision-making, sacrificing speed, efficiency and savings.
By optimizing key strategic areas of pricing and replenishment, and automating decisions using machine learning, retailers can combine the speed of their decisions with their KPIs (margins, volumes, mark downs). Yet still retailers are not currently marrying the two in a responsive and effective way.
Few UK retailers confident about their customer experience
Retailers are seriously lacking confidence when it comes to delivering a seamless, connected experience across channels. This is according to a new report by SAP and PwC. The report, based on a poll of 300 retailers and more than 2,000 consumers, says less than a fifth (17 percent) of retailers are confident in their capabilities.
More than six in ten agree siloed business units are hurting their efforts, and a third say they are having trouble implementing the "single view of the customer". Just eight percent have successfully done this, the report claims.
Apple's 'lump of coal in your stocking' Christmas
Apple sure knows how to keep its store stocked for the holidays. Ho, ho, ho, bah humbug. The shelves are bare, and you can get your must-have pretty thing some time next year. If you're lucky. Let's start with the delayed AirPods, which went on sale online last week. They arrived in stores on Monday, and whoosh were gone before the waiting line ended. My local shop had about 30 pairs. If you want them, first available retail pickup date is—cough, cough—February 8th. That is 2017. I had to confirm not 2018, because you never know with these dumbfounding delays. Straight-to-ship orders move your way in six weeks. Donald Trump will be president sooner!
Perhaps you're pining for one of those pricey MacBook Pros—you know, the ones with Touch Bar that no sane person knows what to do with. Apple will miss Christmas, but you can still beat Martin Luther King's birthday, with orders made today delivering sometime between January 4-10 or available for in-store pickup on the tenth. God Bless America and Made in China!
Ways technology is continuing to transform the retail industry
From smartphones to the cloud and automation, technology is dramatically changing nearly everything about how we live and work. Technology’s impact can be felt in every industry, but it is especially strong in retail. It used to be that you had to have massive resources and connections to operate in the retail space. These days, thanks to more accessible technology, anyone with an idea and a product can sell via it the Internet and social media. Traditional retail business plans have been thrown by the wayside to make way for the disruptive new ideas of rapid transformation and increased competition, and it’s all thanks to new technology.
The latest technology is rapidly transforming the retail landscape -- here are a few examples:
Vera Bradley is the latest retailer to fall victim to hackers, extent unknown
2016 has been a long year for retailers, with a number of them being relieved of customer data by hackers looking mostly for credit card information. Wendys, Eddie Bauer, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas and others have all been forced to step forward in an effort to protect customers, though largely done after the fact.
Now the latest victim has been announced as retailer Vera Bradley reveals it too has suffered a serious breach of its payment processing system.
Free Wi-Fi is a 'major factor' when choosing a restaurant
Choosing between a restaurant offering free Wi-Fi and one that doesn't, two thirds (66 percent) of consumers will go with the one that allows free connectivity, according to new research. Hughes Europe's new report says access to free Wi-Fi has become a "major factor" when consumers are faced with eating and drinking choices.
Almost half (46 percent) also say this affects their choice of shops. "Our survey explores how consumers increasingly expect access to Wi-Fi when they shop, enter a restaurant or look for somewhere to stay", says Chris O'Dell, vice president of sales and marketing, Hughes Europe.
Eddie Bauer point of sale systems hit by malware, customers notified
If you aren't thinking twice every time you swipe your card at a retail location, be it a store or restaurant, then you haven't been paying attention lately. It should give you reason for pause, but sadly you still have to do it. Just cross your fingers on the other hand.
Previous examples have included Target and Home Depot to name just two. The latest is retailer Eddie Bauer. The company is warning customers it’s point of sale system was hit by malware.
Retailers believe social media is key for future growth
Retailers consider social media extremely important for future growth, a new report states, adding that all of them use at least one social media channel.
SAP’s new report, based on a face-to-face survey with retailers and SMEs between April and May 2016, reveals that almost a third (29 percent) of respondents use more than three social media channels. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are considered the most popular, but Pinterest and YouTube are not that far behind.
Euclid Connect delivers personalized in-store experiences via Wi-Fi
Part of the reason for the success of online retailers is the ability to gather information on customers so that they can be targeted with appropriate offers.
Retail analytics and engagement specialist Euclid Analytics is launching a new platform that aims to give brick and mortar retailers some of the same advantages.
Amazon Prime Day about to begin, you can check now for deals
Amazon Prime is popular for many reasons, such as free two day shipping, streaming video and music, even a Kindle lending library. Now the company plans to once again celebrate those who cough up the $99 it costs for an annual subscription.
July 12th is Prime Day where users can take advantage of extra deals and large discounts are being offered on an array of items.
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