Interesting facts on Technology and the Changing Paradigms...

Here are the trends that are bringing virtual experience into reality... The Future Of Retail: 4 Trends Bringing The Virtual Experience Into Reality from Samsung Business USA

The new behemoth in the world of retail!!

Sephora is a beauty retailer and belongs to the LVMH group. It was founded in Paris, France in 1970 and focuses on prestigious and emerging brands across the categories make-up, fragrance, skincare, haircare and nails. While, the beauty specialist retailers have grown at a CAGR of 6% since 2009, Sephora has outgrown the market with double digit growth. Technology plays a big part in that growth. Technologies inside the store enable Sephora to provide customers with very individual recommendations and unbiased feedback that can hardly be found in department stores or branded beauty outlets. Technology allows Sephora to capture different shopping profiles and allows to capture a large share of demand. The technologies in store and omnichannel integration transformed the previously rather offline focused beauty industry to an online platform. Digital technologies are used to create an integrated multi-channel experience to capture most shopping preferences and thus sales. Addi...

It's no secret that a dependence on technology affects individuals and families, with studies showing that 80 percent of teens own mobile devices. Kids in general spend only four to seven minutes playing outside daily, according to the American Camp Association. To rally against this over-connectivity, Cabela's, in partnership with country singer Justin Moore, announced today the launch of Disconnect Day, a nationwide campaign encouraging Americans to step away from their devices for a day of their choosing to enjoy outdoor activities, while reconnecting with themselves, family and friends. The core idea behind Disconnect Day is to remember how rewarding the outdoors can be in strengthening the relationships in our lives, said Scott Williams, Cabela's chief marketing officer. "When our children grow up, they aren't going to remember how many likes they got on a status update, but they will remember their family camping trips and the first fish they caught...

According to the study by PWC and NRF, retail is the largest private employer in the United States. Retail directly and indirectly supports 42 million jobs, provides $1.6 trillion in labor income and contributes $2.6 trillion annually to U.S. GDP. The report also makes clear that retail is American small business. An overwhelming majority of retail businesses (99%) employ fewer than 50 people. In fact, these retailers provide 40 percent – or 11.5 million – of the 29 million jobs in retail.

2014 holiday season: What really happened in retail and what you need to know for 2015 No two holiday seasons are the same, whether it’s an economic swing, unexpected weather or a shift in gas prices — retailers must be prepared for the consumer response. The 2014 holiday season was by most accounts a successful season for the retail industry. With a strong national economy and individual economies, consumers felt confident in shopping for gifts and décor and retailers were prepared with deals and customer services.   Holiday Season Deep Dive 2014

For over 140 years people have been customizing Levi's 501 jeans. Levi’s invented blue jeans and it's still the world’s denim leader, but with increased competition, the old-schooler is looking to boost its brand (and sex) appeal with youths Levi's now finds itself at the intersection of old and new, striving to maintain a well-established brand and cultivate new fans, a generation raised on multiple choice, on demand availability via digital channels—and the well-honed ability to vote on brands with their discretionary dollars. “Making icons matters, but you have to continue to innovate.” tells James Curleigh, brand president told the US National Retail Federation trade show that happened last month, Levi’s wants you back, and it's listening. A very inspiring talk from James 'JC'.....

McDonald's, which stand among the  American capitalism’s greatest success stories is now  losing market share, losing sales, and suffering one heck of a identity crisis.  McDonald’s  CEO Don Thompson finally ran out of time to fix the restaurant chain’s deepening problems. Thompson would step down as  CEO and board member on March 1, 2015 and be replaced by Steve Easterbrook, its chief brand officer who is responsible for fixing the fast-food operator’s marketing and menu.  In addition to Thompson’s departure, the company also announced that Chief Financial Officer Pete Bensen will take on the newly-created role of Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing functions that support operations. The move comes a week after McDonald’s, the world’s biggest restaurant company, reported  fourth-quarter and full-year results  that made 2014 the first with a decline in same-store sales in a dozen years. So what has gone wrong? 1. Perception: McDonald...

To create more compelling and relevant shopping experiences, best-in-class retailers are leveraging mobile, digital and interactive technologies. An infogrpahic from STRATACACHE, outlines  how retailers can leverage cutting-edge technology throughout the six stages of the customer journey. The 6 step Digital Customer Journey.pdf    

In Retail, while some predictions make tremendous headway, some take more time to progress. Mobile is such a case that made a slow and steady progress in the retail space. About 2-3 years ago, it all started with rumblings about mobile commerce and mobile POS and their potential use cases. It has been a long time since then but I personally believe that mobility is finally coming to fruition. Mobile is now, one of the top priorities for most of the retailers in the areas of marketing, commerce and in-store payments. After the data breaches that we have recently witnessed from the notable retailers like Target and Neiman Marcus , tying payments with mobile is the new trend that promises to secure the customer data more aptly. It is indeed safe to presume that Mobile is the new payment reality. Some of the key indicators in the mobile payment space - There is a g rowing acceptance of Apple Pay , NFC, Google Wallet and other apps. This is a key sign that consumers will continue ...

In a recent survey, 51 percent of US consumers switched service providers within a year. Switching rates were highest among retailers, cable and satellite providers and retail banks, making businesses in these sectors the most vulnerable. To counteract this trend, businesses need to act quickly and boldly. The next frontier in customer experience is engagement, because an engaged customer is much more likely to be a repeat customer. Know more on the Seamless lifestyle experience here Seamless lifestyle experience- A new paradigm

There has been a lot of buzz around NRF 2015. Here are the key takeaways from this year's event Top 5 Trends from NRF 2015  

Forrester Study: Retail Leads Shift To Modern Marketing Marketers in a variety of industries could learn from retail, according to a recent study, titled  conducted by  Forrester Consulting   and commissioned by  Oracle . The global study of 492 marketing decision-makers featured responses from executives in 20 industries, including electronics, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, media and telecom, in addition to retail. As many as 46% of retail organizations currently are able to provide real-time feedback and advanced insights to enhance customer engagement and marketing effectiveness, compared to 31% in other industries, according to the study. Additionally, 42% of retail companies  are leveraging a fully integration cross-channel marketing platform vs. 14% from other industries. Why-You-Need-To-Be-A-Modern-Marketer by Forrester

Brick-and-mortar and e-Commerce are constantly fighting for consumers’ attention and dollars. While 94% of all retail sales still take place in stores, e-Commerce sales are expected to increase annually by 17%, reaching $414 billion by 2018.  Which channel will win this sparring match? This infographic, courtesy of Whisbi, spotlights trends in e-Commerce and brick-and-mortar, and how both channels can come together to create a seamless omnichannel experience.

This IDC study summarizes IDC Retail Insights' outlook for 2015 and the 24-month planning horizon beyond through the lens of the 10 decision imperatives that make up the best framework as IT and line-of-business decision makers and influencers plan and execute technology-related initiatives in the year ahead. The team scanned the global retail ecosystem to identify critical economic, technology, business, political, environmental, and legal developments that drive the 10 most important decision imperatives facing the industry's IT and LOB technology buyers and influencers. Retail Trends 2015 by IDC

The infographic shows how monetizing customer data is simple – just identify your retailing challenges, extract required intel out of raw customer data, and then you just connect the dots. Understanding customers doesn’t get any easier, does it? by daSantosh . Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually .

The demand for retailers to step up their game is more apparent than ever. Consumers are shifting the retail landscape and innovating with technology to engage the tech savvy shopper is a must. by em_nemtin . Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually .

Few industries stand to gain more from self-service than retail. Learn how to get the most from retail kiosks, and how the deployment of the technology yields benefits on both sides of the counter. Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually .

Use of digital in retail is in its infancy. There are pockets of brands in certain cities trying out new tools and methods to engage their customers. One of the keys to success is starting by being in the customer's shoes and following the consumer's journey. Setting objectives, experimenting and measuring are also vital. This six-part infographic looks at various opportunities to engage the customer according to where they are and what they are doing. While technology is critical, the attempt has been as much as possible to focus on the customer's viewpoint as opposed to a specific technology. Infographic by Brand Talking & The Myndset.   by BrandTalking . Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually .

Infosys lays out retail execution plan and strategy for consumer packaged goods industry to enhance sales force productivity and utilization with the help of mobile devices. Learn more about this through the infographic provided. by Infosyslimited . Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually .