Retailers are prioritizing immediate investments in customer-facing tactics such as price, marketing and customer service over strategic infrastructure, according to research released from eBay Enterprise.
Automation may be the single most important issue for distributors across the country as they tackle the escalating costs associated with multichannel distribution.
The technology-driven shift to omnichannel shopping is the most transformative change to hit retail in decades. Yet in a global survey of CEOs conducted by PwC, only 22 percent felt this monumental shift would impact their organizations. Are these retail CEOs missing the boat?
Specialty retailer Bed Bath and Beyond spent $68m in its recently completed first quarter, primarily for IT enhancements. "While we continue to review and prioritize our capital needs, we remain committed to making the required investments in our company to help position us for our long-term success," said CEO Steven Temares.
Curt Bimschleger, senior vice president of retail logistics with Genco, offers some observations on how the omnichannel is transforming the retail sector.
Holiday promotions, including so-called Black Friday deals, are expected to begin even earlier this year than last, according to Experian Marketing Services, a cross-channel consumer information firm that recently surveyed more than 200 marketers.
Retailers in the UK are facing a growing threat of "showrooming," according to research from Omnico, which reveals that one in 10 consumers have used their smartphone to buy a product from another retailer's website while in-store.
It doesn't feel so long ago that brick-and-mortar retailers were rushing to develop online stores. Now that evolution often happens in reverse: Retailers start online and migrate to the real world, where customers can touch, taste, and try on their goodies.
Target CFO John Mulligan has confirmed that Target is in the middle of not one but four different fulfillment pilots, including acting as a guinea pig for the same-day-delivery trials of both Google and Ebay. The other Target trials involve pay-online-pickup-in-store, pay-in-store-pickup-at-another-store and pay-online-ship-from-store.
Release of the second UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper: A Customer Experience Study analyzes omnichannel retailing and shows consumers want more choices when it comes to shopping online, more control over when their purchases will be delivered and a convenient returns process. They're also using social media to shop for the best deals and expect more shipping options from e-tailers.