Monday, March 23, 2020

Poll: SMBs worried about recession

Even before states began shutting down schools and issuing shelter-in-place orders due to the COVID-19 outbreak, small business owners were worried about a recession. Now that many businesses have been shuttered to help stop the spread of the pandemic, SMB owners are even more worried. >>

Monday, March 16, 2020

Amid virus concerns, ecommerce may be strong point for merchants

Digital merchants may weather well the storm brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic. This as polls find many shoppers are avoiding shopping centers and malls around the globe. >>

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Retail forecast strong but will Coronavirus slow expectations?

The NRF is predicting solid growth for retailers in 2020 but could fears about the Coronavirus slow retail sales? First, the numbers. The NRF in February estimated retail sales would increase about 4% this year to reach at least $3.9 trillion for US merchants. >>

Thursday, March 05, 2020

Study: People want consequences for fake reviews

For many years, reviews have been an important part of the digital buying experience. Shoppers seek out reviews for products as part of their research, and some are now fighting back against the fake reviews that spread across the digital space. In fact, some consumers want merchants and brands to take a tougher stand on fake reviews. >>

Wednesday, March 04, 2020

Expert: Bots should be less human

While artificial intelligence has been shown to be a big help in brands bringing ad campaigns in at scale and with more engagement, one expert believes AI can be a hindrance in at least one area: customer service. That's because AI-powered bots can appear too human, and complicate customer service in ways that are harming brands. >>

Monday, March 02, 2020

Study: For drugstore shoppers, personalization is key

More drugstore shoppers are heading online before they hit brick-and-mortar aisles. That is a key takeaway from new Valassis data which finds that 73% of drugstore shoppers who aren't only buying prescriptions are checking both online and physical circulars for coupons and deals before they actually make a purchase. >>

Monday, February 24, 2020

Study finds Google still drives more shopping

While a great deal of attention is being put on the influence of, well, influencers on social media for retail sales one new study finds that search remains at the top of the influencer heap. Specifically, Google. Data out from Oribi found that Google is driving about 20% of ecommerce sales. >>

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Slight increase for retailers in January

While January is typically a down month for merchants and brands, January 2020 saw a slight increase in sales. According to the National Retail Federation January sales were up nearly 3% YoY for January. >>

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Experts: What Amazon's brick-and-mortar expansion means for retailers

Amazon's recent earnings announcement was a big one - breaking records for the online giant whose earnings keep going up. From those record breaking earnings to more brick-and-mortar stores, Amazon has a lot of retailers buzzing about what comes next. >>

Friday, February 14, 2020

Studies ID areas of impact for ecommerce

Two new reports out this week may give retailers and other brands tools to build a better overall digital experience - and thus a stronger customer base. >>

Monday, February 10, 2020

Forecast: Look for content/tech consumer spending to slow

Over the next year, consumers will begin spending less on media content and technology. This is just as more broadcasters have announced launch dates for their own streaming services. >>

Wednesday, February 05, 2020

Study: Shoppers sense of value isn't just about price

New data out from IBM's Institute fo Business Value and the National Retail Federation indicates shoppers' perception of value isn't just about price. Researchers studied more than 15,000 consumers in nearly 30 countries about how their perceive value from favorite brands. >>

Monday, February 03, 2020

Study: Relevance key for 'every day' items

For those repetitive purchases - toilet paper, milk, clothing - relevant advertising is key to engagement. That's is a key finding from new data out with Valassis and Kantar. Their researchers surveyed more than 1,000 consumers and found that half want more relevant advertising for these items. >>

Friday, January 24, 2020

Top 3 tips to a better checkout

Smoother, more friction-free checkouts are high on consumers' want list for 2020, but providing a hassle-free checkout can be a difficult thing. There are differences in mobile and desktop, how many 'add-ons' will engage and how many will be annoying? Do your shoppers even want to know about related items? We asked a digital expert his advice for merchants and brands to create a more seamless checkout experience. >>

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Expert: Choice, story take precedence for shoppers

Over the past 20 years the way consumers learn about and shop for products and services has changed. From digital ads and message boards to social media, merchants and brands have a plethora of new ways to engage. The problem is finding the right elements; one expert offers his thoughts one what will be important engaging elements for consumers in 2020. >>