Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

In general, when you’re trying to speed up delivery and still provide a wide assortment of products, that puts the burden largely on inventory, and getting that inventory positioned close to the end consumer. Retailers have to right-size consumer expectations.

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Returns Supply Chain Management Fulfillment Customer Experience 296

Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 20, 2023

The top five episodes of 2023 reaffirm some of the most trending topics we covered on Retail TouchPoints over the past year, illustrating how rapidly the industry (and the customer experience) have evolved. Let’s begin the countdown… 5. Why it Matters: In 2023, we saw employee turnover reach record highs.

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Advertising Store Operations Merchant Services Wholesale 231

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 10, 2023

DoorDash has introduced Package Pickup, allowing consumers across the country to have the service deliver up to five return items per trip to UPS, FedEx or the USPS. Consumers can attach prepaid shipping labels to their returns or send a shipping QR code directly to their “Dasher” via the DoorDash app.

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Returns Drop-Shipping Wholesale Shipping 243

Retail TouchPoints

JUNE 15, 2022

Also, being consumers, probably not truly understanding what it takes to make these products so readily available and in abundance. Customers expect their orders to be complete, accurate, not damaged, consolidated, with free shipping on the same day, the next day or on time when you said they’d get it. It’s still supply chain.

Shipping 246

Shipping Fulfillment Customer Experience Management 246

Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 30, 2023

In today’s challenging business landscape, where profit margins are shrinking, supply chains are slow and uncertain, labor shortages are prevalent and inflation is a concern, it is crucial for retailers and brands to differentiate between understanding customer habits and fostering customer loyalty in order to succeed.

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Checkout Shipping Customer Experience Point of Sale 216

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

But new direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands like Sundays are designed to streamline the process and develop multipurpose products that can adapt as consumers’ needs change. all of whom are retail and design veterans with 20+ years of furniture industry experience. Owning the Entire Customer Experience.

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Shopping Customer Experience Shipping Consumer 244

Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 28, 2023

billion consumers worldwide. For the back-to-school season, 42% of consumers say they are spending more, but 57% are trading down for lower prices,” said Caila Schwartz, Director of Consumer Insights and Strategy for Retail and Consumer Goods at Salesforce during an Aug. trillion in online sales. 22, 2023 briefing.

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Returns Fulfillment Shipping Checkout 215

Retail TouchPoints

OCTOBER 12, 2021

When consumers go to a grocery store, generally they’re there to buy the individual ingredients that will eventually make a meal. JOANN stores also sell individual “ingredients,” but the end product is a decoupage photo album cover or a spooky handmade Halloween costume rather than a beef stew.

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Retail TouchPoints

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

Consumer expectations of retailers have been transformed by their experiences buying from Amazon and other innovative retailers that are able to provide fast, efficient omnichannel experiences. Last year, COVID-19 lockdowns that restricted shopping at brick-and-mortar stores sent shoppers online.

Supply Chain Management 235

Supply Chain Management Fulfillment Shipping Inventory Management 235

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

During the busy holiday season, digital return rates can spike to 30% ; and Return policies and experiences have a significant impact on customer loyalty. In a survey of consumers conducted by Doddle , 84% said a positive returns experience encourages them to shop with a retailer again. Returns is just one example.” .

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Returns Merchant Services Department Stores Shipping 328

Retail TouchPoints

JULY 25, 2022

BOPIS, boasts a number of very strong positives for both retailers and their customers. Retailers save on shipping costs while leveraging their in-store inventories to fulfill customer orders, while shoppers get the products they want without having to wait for a delivery. Improving Store Operations Efficiency.

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Fulfillment Promotions Shipping Store Operations 191

Cross Cap

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

But instead of rolling over, physical retailers can use this so-called “retail apocalypse” as a catalyst to evaluate their approach to customer experience – perhaps the one edge they have over their cyber counterparts. Here are four tactics to elevate the consumer experience inside the shop: Leverage Omni-Channel Fulfillment Methods.

Customer Experience 52

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Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 23, 2023

Phygital retail experiences, in which physical elements and technology coexist, offer opportunities to bring customers closer to your brand. Consumers expect a seamless interaction with a brand when and where they want it. Retailers need to make sure their in-store and online spaces can meet those demands.

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Drop-Shipping Visual Merchandising Consumer Apparel 194

Retail TouchPoints

MAY 2, 2023

Known for its closets and organizational solutions, The Container Store’s program is unusual in accepting products for resale from categories that it doesn’t sell. Container Store customers can pick up a ThredUp Clean Out Kit at any of the retailer’s 97 stores or generate a prepaid shipping label from containerstore.thredup.com.

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Payment Services Apparel Shipping Accessories 246

Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 10, 2020

Many retailers suspended returns in the early weeks of the pandemic, but most seem to have reinstated them in forms modified for associate and consumer safety. This policy prompted customer complaints that a local ABC TV affiliate in Chicago reported on. Customers have a point: Walmart needs to handle the return issue.

Returns 249

Returns Beauty and Health Shipping Customer Experience 249

Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 31, 2021

In combination with changes in worker attitudes and consumer behavior, these shifts have weakened the industry’s long-standing low-wage model. Many of these changes are recent: “Ship-from-store wasn’t economically viable [as recently as] two years ago,” said Ritter.

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Home Furnishings Shipping Fulfillment Consumer 293

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 3, 2024

By aligning with Pitney Bowes, we are poised to deliver a premium returns experience to both merchants and consumers through PackageHub Returns, ensuring a mutually beneficial outcome,” said Brandon Gale, CEO of PackageHub in a statement. “We

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Returns Drop-Shipping Merchant Services Fulfillment 147

Retail TouchPoints

JUNE 4, 2020

By looking ahead and trying to prepare for a new normal while dealing with the realities brought on by COVID-19, retailers that embrace an agile approach, focus on the customer experience and make digital a strategic imperative are going to see the benefits and ultimately, end up on top.

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Drop-Shipping Shipping Customer Experience Finance 234

Retail TouchPoints

JUNE 7, 2023

That sense of unease is to be expected from a cohort shaped by both the 2008-2009 Great Recession and the COVID pandemic, and it’s had a big impact on their shopping choices: nearly half ( 48% ) say they shop the most often at discount/off-price retailers, and 25% frequently patronize dollar stores.

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Discount Store Shopping ATS Payment Services 260

Retail TouchPoints

JULY 29, 2020

While the name Burton is almost synonymous with the snowboards the company began making in 1977, Burton has diversified over the years into new categories — including surfboards, apparel, goggles/optics and other sports gear — as well as expanding beyond manufacturing into direct-to-consumer (DTC) retail, both physical and digital.

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Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 20, 2021

Walmart is taking a swipe at Best Buy with the rollout of its new Tech Services offering, which includes 24/7 remote support, device repair and setup services, both in stores and in homes. Walmart originally began testing the program in select stores by offering both consumer electronics and technology services to its customers.

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Shipping Consumer Store Operations Customer Experience 278

Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 4, 2023

Armed with these insights, retailers can enhance efficiency, reduce employee workloads and streamline operations. This process often consumes a substantial amount of labor, time and cost, accounting for 50%-75% of total operating expenses in a typical retail store.

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Retail TouchPoints

FEBRUARY 10, 2022

Since consumers must schedule appointments for the test kits, retailers have control over the number of tests that can be picked up and dropped off each day, and the volume of testing can change over time.

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Drop-Shipping Shipping Returns Consumer 208

Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 16, 2021

After all, consumers need to be able to bring back certain items. Consumers, for example, have started to adopt the ‘bracketing’ strategy. This was rendered possible as retailers and brands offered low-cost shipping, unlimited holding periods and easy returns. But the drivers behind returns have evolved. But don’t stop there.

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Returns Drop-Shipping Consumer Apparel 336

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

Holiday hires will help retailers leverage their store-based omnichannel fulfillment capacity through buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS), curbside pickup, home delivery and ship-from-store services. More and more, retailers’ last-mile efforts are tied in with shipping and delivery companies.

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Fulfillment Department Stores Shipping Planning 302

Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 7, 2020

The store is laid out in distinct sections for custom, rental and retail sales, and includes new fixture systems and co-creation tables for customers to work with expert stylists. A new “Vault,” highly visible on the store floor, holds additional inventory while giving consumers transparency into store operations.

Customer Experience 298

Customer Experience Location Consumer Apparel 298

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Leverage Digital Tech for Touchless Store Experiences. Retailers are faced with the task of creating immersive shopper journeys within their brick-and-mortar stores, while at the same time reassuring skittish consumers that the experience is safe for them. Checklist to Ensure a Profitable Holiday.

Payment Services 259

Payment Services Fulfillment Location Shipping 259

Retail TouchPoints

NOVEMBER 3, 2021

To prove the value of these experiences, Buzek cited results at retailer Sam’s Club , where stores that offered a self-checkout option registered sales 18% higher than those without it. More Dark Kitchens Over the next five years, QSR chain Wendy’s is planning to add 700 kitchens in converted shipping containers to support delivery.

Payment Services 337

Payment Services Checkout Fulfillment Kiosk 337

Retail TouchPoints

OCTOBER 15, 2020

Kelly: Overnight, the operations needed to change and react to consumer demand safely. ABC created a new role called an Online Order Captain to orchestrate the digital-to-physical experience in stores. RTP: How has the customer experience changed? Kelly: Buy online, pick up in-store became the norm.

Management 149

Management Merchant Services Fulfillment Store Operations 149

Retail TouchPoints

MAY 18, 2021

This group increased their online purchases by nearly 3.5X ( 343% ), according to a new global survey of more than 9,650 consumers in 19 countries conducted by Accenture. They could be dark stores serving as micro-fulfillment centers, cutting down on shipping and delivery costs.

Fulfillment 177

Fulfillment Consumer Returns Shipping 177

Retail TouchPoints

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

Over the last decade or so, Batteries Plus has struggled to find its place in the world of digital retail, even as consumers have become ever more reliant on battery-powered devices. Right now [those experiences] look very similar, so we’re working to reinvent what those consumer journeys look like.”

Consumer 179

Consumer Marketing Specialty Retailers Shipping 179

Retail TouchPoints

JULY 14, 2020

As the LUXIE brand has grown to become a global DTC cosmetic tools brand sold in 160 countries, its consumer base has shifted from an average age of under 20 to a 30- to 45-year-old demographic. Riley : When I first came on board as CEO in February 2018, I wanted to get us out in front of a lot of consumers. and Singapore.

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Retail TouchPoints

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

And as they become more important structures versus things just made out of shipping crates, they’re creating another layer of the city that hadn’t existed before. From just being operated by restaurants they’re expanding to having retail, bike parking and play spaces.

Visual Merchandising 256

Visual Merchandising Location Shipping Shopping 256

Retail TouchPoints

JULY 20, 2020

“The nature of our furniture is that it breaks down into flat packs that can be shipped as parcels. The showroom infrastructure has grown to supplement e-Commerce over the years because “it’s hard for some consumers to make a purchase of several thousand dollars without touching the fabric and sitting on the cushions,” he added.

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Management Shipping Location Promotions 177

Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 13, 2021

Carrie Tharp, VP, Retail & Consumer, Google Cloud. These retailers are using the Cloud to unlock digital potential across their business — both online and in stores — and Carrie Tharp, Google Cloud’s VP of Retail and Consumer, is helping them do it. And then the final bucket is optimizing operations.

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Retail TouchPoints

OCTOBER 3, 2023

It was at that point that putting the technology and operations in place to fulfill from an increasingly complex supply chain network embarked upon its next frontier. It was no longer enough to route orders to a handful of DCs and drop ship vendors. Checking inventory in a local store but not placing an order?

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Theatro

MAY 4, 2020

A number of industry experts have commented that we’ve seen the equivalent of three years’ worth of store operations’ evolution in the span of the last 6 weeks. First, frontline associates are central to evolving plans both because they define the customer experience and because they are retail’s largest expense.

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Shipping Store Operations Fulfillment Employee Engagement 52