Sat.Dec 30, 2023 - Fri.Jan 05, 2024

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Rethinking Returns: Innovative Strategies for Retailers to Drive Growth in 2024

Retail TouchPoints

Long viewed as a necessary evil, the retail returns process is emerging as an unexpected avenue for growth and customer engagement. In the rapidly expanding ecommerce market, projected to reach $3 billion in 2023, a significant 20% to 30% of online purchases end up being returned. This substantial return rate highlights a vital opportunity for retail leaders: by revamping the often-overlooked returns process, retailers can unlock a new avenue for driving customer satisfaction and business growth

Returns 261
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Retail trends that shaped the holidays in 2023

Retail Dive

From new marketing techniques to consumers spending despite inflation, here are the big takeaways from the latest holiday season.

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Understanding Economy Pricing: Is It the Right Strategy for Your Business?

Wiser

Companies continually grapple with the best approach to set prices that would not only cover costs but also attract and retain customers. One such approach to consider is economy pricing. Adopting certain pricing strategies could mean the difference between a thriving business and one that struggles to keep its doors open. The question that arises, however, is whether economy pricing is the right fit for every business.

Consumer 145
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Exclusive Valentine’s Day Stanley Cups Are Causing a Ruckus at Target

Retail Wire

As we approach the second month of the year, love is definitely in the air, and so is the frenzy for Target's limited-edition Valentine's Day Stanley Cups.

ATS 147
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Turn Payments Into Personalization: Unlock the Value of Transaction Data

Speaker: Loreal Lynch, Everett Zufelt, and Michaela Weber

Once upon a time, in the vast realm of online commerce, there lived a humble checkout button overlooked by many. Yet, within its humble click lay the power to transform a mere visitor into a loyal customer. 🧐 💡 Getting checkout right can mark the difference between a successful sale and an abandoned cart, yet many businesses fail to make payments a part of their commerce strategy even when it has a direct impact on revenue.

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Luxury Retail Phygitalisation: Blending Tradition and Technology in the Digital Age

Retail Focus

Ghalia BOUSTANI. Senior Retail Consultant at Univers Retail | Published author | Visiting lecturer. Luxury retail has undergone a significant transformation driven by digital technology and changing consumer expectations. The term ‘phygitalisation’ is used to describe the fusion of physical and digital realms to create a seamless and enhanced customer experience.

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The retail contest between CBDs, malls and online is set to reshape our cities

Inside Retail

Retail activity has been a defining facet of cities since antiquity. The Greek Agora and Roman Forum may be viewed as the original CBDs – central business districts, or what urban planners call activity centres. Retail spaces have evolved over time. Urbanisation, mass production and the rise of conspicuous consumption led to the high street and CBD dominating the retail landscape across the Western world from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century.

More Trending

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China’s Manufacturing Slump Continues into December

Retail Wire

China's manufacturing scene experienced a significant pullback in December, marking its third consecutive month of contraction and underscoring the persisting lethargy in the world's second-biggest economy.

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Early Findings Show Moderate Growth Downturn in 2023 Holiday Sales, Despite Strong Consumer Spending

RIS News

Another holiday season is behind us, and retailers will now begin reflecting on their performance. Some early results show U.S. retail sales during the 2023 holiday season grew by 3.1% year-over-year, falling short of predictions and the previous year's figures.

Consumer 107
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JD.com Wins Antitrust Suit in China; Alibaba Fined $140 Million

Retail TouchPoints

JD.com has won a lawsuit against rival Alibaba Group in the High People’s Court of Beijing, which fined Alibaba 1 billion yuan ( $140 million) for engaging in monopolistic practices. JD.com had sued Alibaba and its ecommerce divisions, Zhejiang Tmall Network and Zhejiang Tmall Technology, for practicing “choosing one of two” behaviors — essentially saying to suppliers that if they sold to JD.com, they would not be allowed to sell on Alibaba.

Marketing 270
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‘This place enables curiosity’: Inside Levi’s Eureka Innovation Lab

Inside Retail

Levi Strauss & Co’s Eureka Innovation Lab is located on a quiet, dead-end street near Coit Tower in San Francisco. Unassuming from the outside, the brick warehouse is a hive of activity within. Sewing machines whir, washing machines thump and lasers beep as they precisely cut holes into raw denim. Hundreds of jeans in every shade of blue hang on the walls and mysterious trunks covered in stickers from around the world are stacked wherever there’s room, while jazz music plays in the backgroun

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Get MACH Ready: Preparing Your Business for Digital Transformation

Adopting MACH technology means more than implementing new platforms. This type of digital change affects your organization at every level and requires a thoughtful approach to navigate challenges that crop up. The Get MACH Ready report, co-authored by MACH Alliance member Scott Canney in collaboration with Orium, commercetools, and Contentstack, will provide you with strategies to prepare your organization for a digital transformation.

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Rising Fast-Food Prices Spark Nationwide Concern

Retail Wire

The nation has witnessed a widespread uptick in fast-food prices, primarily attributed to the escalating operational costs, especially labor.

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Despite a muted outlook for 2024, the Retail Think Tank outlines key growth opportunities and predictions for next years’ winners and losers

Retail Focus

While the retail sector outlook for 2024 is expected to be muted, hampered by ongoing macroeconomic challenges, weakened consumer demand and low economic growth prospects, retailers mustn’t let stagnation stifle innovation and future opportunities, the KPMG/RetailNext Retail Think Tank (RTT) , an independent board of retail experts, warns. With the UK economy set to tread water in 2024, the RTT expects this will impact growth within the retail sector.

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Virginia Costco Workers Vote to Join Teamsters Union

Retail TouchPoints

Costco workers in Norfolk, Va. have voted to join the Teamsters Local 822, with the union calling this its first organizing victory at the wholesale retailer in two decades. The 238 -worker group will join more than 18,000 Teamsters at Costco nationwide. Successful unionization efforts in the retail industry have been relatively rare, but they may pick up steam this year following a strong year for labor in 2023, with successful strikes by the United Auto Workers against the Big Three carmakers

Wholesale 292
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Generative AI is supercharging retail, what does this mean for consumers?

Inside Retail

AI is a non-negotiable for retailers. As the driving force behind a new era of hyper-personalisation, efficiency and sustainable retail experiences, its impact on the way we shop cannot be understated. So as more and more retailers integrate the benefits of AI into their growth strategy, what will be next for this transformative technology? And how will it shape the way we shop?

Consumer 266
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Brick & Mortar Retail Relevance: How to Stay Ahead of the Curve

Speaker: Jay Black, Senior Account Executive

Let's set the record straight: in-store retail isn't dead - it's evolving! Faced with the digital age and the demands of omnichannel shopping, some retailers are thriving while others are struggling to adapt. Join Jay Black in this exclusive session as he explores the strategies that set successful stores apart, including: Crafting unique and unforgettable in-store experiences 🛍️ Mastering the art of retail demands 🛒 Navigating inventory challenges in today's climate 📦 an

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Apple Shares Drop to Lowest in 7 Weeks After Barclays Downgrade

Retail Wire

On Tuesday, Apple fell by almost 3.6% to a low that has not been experienced in seven weeks after Barclays downgraded the shares due to concerns that demand for its devices will still be fragile in 2024.

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Sainsbury’s crowned Christmas winner as grocery sales hit £13bn

Retail Gazette

Sainsbury’s has been named as the big winner over Christmas as grocery sales surpassed the £13bn mark in December for the first time. The supermarket chain saw its sales jump 9.3% in the four weeks to 24 December, achieving its highest market share since December 2020 at 15.8%, according to analysts at Kantar. Consumers spent £13.7bn in the run-up to Christmas, the research noted, with average household spending up 6% to £477 across the month.

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Why Personalization Can Survive the Loss of Third-Party Cookies

Retail TouchPoints

Personalization is at something of a crossroads. The New Year saw a key step in the coming deprecation of third-party cookies, which have been one of marketers’ most powerful tools for tracking online activity for many years. A small group ( 1% ) of Google Chrome users are now eligible for Tracking Protection , which restricts the use of these cookies by default.

Consumer 284
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RIP: The late Terence Conran’s once high-flying Habitat is no more

Inside Retail

Europe-based home furnishing chain Habitat has shut down all of its operations, just a month after collapsing into receivership. The company’s trustees have initiated a final liquidation due to the lack of cash flow and a recovery plan. As a result, all of the chain’s 25 stores in France will close and 383 employees will lose their jobs. The fate of five other shops in Barcelona, Geneva, Madrid, Milan and Zurich is unclear.

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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

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AMC Hits Record Low and Struggles To Improve

Retail Wire

AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc.'s stock is plummeting. The company's shares marked a record low yet again this Thursday, closing at a meager $5.30, down by 5%. This makes it the fourth day in a row of losses for the movie theater chain.

ATS 264
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Asda private equity owners to face grilling by MPs

Retail Gazette

Asda private equity owner TDR Capital is set to give evidence to the Business and Trade select committee on 9 January. The move follows evidence given by both GMB Union and the grocer’s bosses at a committee session before Christmas, which Asda co-owner TDR Capital did not attend. GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said: “It’s right that MPs will finally get the chance to hold TDR Capital to account on their co-ownership of Asda. “Too often shadowy private equity bosses are a

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Deloitte Shares Loyalty Trends and Best Practices for 2024

Retail TouchPoints

To drive customer retention and loyalty, most brands and retailers continue to rely on purchase discounts ( 77% ) and loyalty program points ( 61% ), according to Retail TouchPoints research. However, a Deloitte survey reveals that consumers’ loyalty program preferences and expectations are evolving. While financial benefits are still top of mind — largely thanks to inflation pressures and tightened household budgets — consumers are increasingly seeking services and experiences that truly reflec

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Global first: The Body Shop offers fully vegan product formulations

Inside Retail

The Body Shop has earned the title of being the first global beauty brand offering 100 per cent vegan product formulations certified by The Vegan Society. Back in 2021, just 60 per cent of the cosmetic brand’s products already carried the Vegan Society trademark. The retailer has been campaigning against animal testing in the cosmetics industry since 1989. “We were the first beauty company to fight against animal testing in cosmetics.

Shopping 260
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How Retailers Are Transforming Customer Experiences with Data & AI

Speaker: David Azoulay, Marc Stracuzza, Román Tejada, and Guest Speaker Sucharita Kodali

Imagine a retail landscape where every interaction is personalized, every decision informed, and every opportunity maximized 🤔✨ Join us for an exploratory journey into the heart of AI-driven retail innovation. We’ll unveil the transformative potential of AI and data analytics in shaping the future of omnichannel personalization and e-commerce.

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Apple Lawsuit Settled Over iTunes Gift Card Scams

Retail Wire

Apple is settling a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of allowing fraudsters to exploit its iTunes gift cards and pocket a portion of the stolen funds.

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Christmas footfall drops after December washout

Retail Gazette

Footfall across the UK fell last month after December’s heavy rain pushed shoppers online, the latest data by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic IQ shows. Total footfall dropped 5% in the five weeks to December 30, down from a 1.7% fall in November, dragged down by a 7.4% plummet in shopper numbers in Shopping centres. Retail parks experienced a 4.8% fall in footfall, while high street saw shopper numbers sink 4.2% over the Christmas period.

Shopping 120
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Fueled by Discounts and BNPL, Online Holiday Sales Grow 4.9%

Retail TouchPoints

Online holiday sales increased 4.9% YoY, reaching $222.1 billion for the period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023, according to Adobe Analytics. November’s sales total of $123.5 billion topped December’s $98.6 billion , fueled by strong Cyber Week sales of $38 billion. Consumers responded to steep discounts in key ecommerce categories, including electronics, where discounts peaked at 31% off listed prices (versus 25% in 2022); toys ( 28% versus 34% last year); and apparel ( 24% versus 19% ).

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How fashion turned the tennis court into a runway

Inside Retail

The 2024 Australian Open is gearing up to serve a fashion-forward Grand Slam by partnering with sportswear giants, high-fashion brands and luxury labels. This year’s Australian Open will be sponsored by the likes of Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, New Balance and Rolex – positioning tennis as a rival with the races for sport’s most fashion-forward event.

Fashion 246
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Forrester Report: Demystifying The Technical Functions of POS Solutions

Understanding the intricate world of Point-of-Sale (POS) technology is a common challenge for tech buyers. When it comes to defining the functions of Point-of-Sale systems, the communications have yet to be standardized–—until now. Forrester’s new report, Demystifying The Technical Functions of POS Solutions, breaks through the noise and provides business leaders with the information and tools they need to evaluate the features of POS systems.

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Xerox Announces Restructuring, Including 15% Workforce Layoffs

Retail Wire

In a significant shift in strategy, Xerox, a global powerhouse in digital printing and document management, announced that it will reduce its workforce by 15%.

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The shift to digital and sustainable practices will redefine retail

Retail Dive

Discover how traditional retailers are adapting to the digital era and embracing sustainability, leveraging technologies like Hanshow's ESL solutions, AIoT and SaaS to enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact and meet evolving consumer demands.

Consumer 120
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TikTok Taps Peloton for New Fitness Content Hub

Retail TouchPoints

TikTok and Peloton are teaming up to launch a new fitness hub on the social media platform — #TikTokFitness — marking the first time that Peloton will produce bespoke social content for a partner outside of Peloton-owned channels. Within the new space on TikTok, Peloton will have its own dedicated hub — #TikTokFitness Powered by Peloton — that will include select live Peloton classes (with and without equipment required), original Instructor series, ongoing creator partnerships, Peloton class cl

Shopping 246
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Magnum’s beauty move: Behind its collab with skincare start-up Fayshell

Inside Retail

Retailers of all sizes and industries are using the success of experiential activations to create brand awareness and, as a result, drive more business. Sydney’s Bondi Beach has become home to many pop-up activations and brand collaborations, including, most recently, a beach club venture between membership-based skin clinic Fayshell and ice-cream giant Magnum.

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Exploring the Advantages and Hurdles of Direct Store Deliveries

Direct Store Delivery, or DSD, is a common practice among global suppliers and retailers – like PepsiCo, Frito Lay, CVS, and Dollar General – and its popularity is growing, with the global DSD market expected to reach $1.19 trillion by 2027. Download this eBook for exclusive insights into direct store deliveries, challenges, benefits, and future trends.