2023

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Free Returns Are Starting To Disappear

Retail Wire

Post-holiday blues are setting in for many consumers who have received less than satisfactory gifts this season. The disappointment amplifies when they attempt to make returns, only to be confronted with unexpected return fees.

Returns 297
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Do More In ‘24: Ten Customer Service and CX Tips for the New Year

Hyken

Happy New Year! I want this year to be your best year ever for creating amazing customer service and experiences. And for everything else, too! But as it applies to the customer experience, I thought it would be fun to share some ideas we need to do more of. With that, here are 10 ideas. Many, if not all, will apply to you and your business. Do more in 24!

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Louis Vuitton overhauls stores with Yayoi Kusama polka-dots and life-like animatronics

Dezeen

Luxury brand Louis Vuitton has transformed its stores across the world for the launch of its anticipated capsule collection with Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama. The launch of the collaboration has seen a number of key stores across the world redecorated with Kusama 's signature polka-dots, life-like animatronics of Kusama painting in the windows of the stores and an inflatable replica of Kusama peering over the roof of Louis Vuitton 's Champs-Élysées store.

Outdoor 145
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Rage against the machine: Will more grocers ditch self-checkout?

Retail Gazette

Last month Booths axed its self-service checkouts in all but two of its 28 stores, claiming the move was in response to customer demand. The supermarket insisted the change helped it keep its “warm northern welcome” and that having manned tills was better for shoppers. The high-end supermarket will only retain self-checkouts in its Windermere and Keswick stores in the Lake District as these stores can become very busy.

Checkout 125
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Turn Payments Into Personalization: Unlock the Value of Transaction Data

Speaker: David Nisbet, 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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TikTok Shop launches in US

Retail Dive

Brands, merchants and creators can sell products directly through shoppable videos and livestream features.

Shopping 135
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Record retail theft puts pressure on Australian supermarkets

Inside Retail

Retail theft has hit record levels in Australia, government statistics show, putting pressure on grocery giants Woolworths Group Ltd and Coles Group Ltd that are already struggling with soaring supply costs and freight blockages. Store theft rose 23.7 per cent in New South Wales, the home state of a third of Australians, from 2021 to 2022, state government figures showed on Thursday, the fastest year-on-year increase since records began in 1995.

More Trending

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Elton John Takes Over Selfridges in Corner Shop Transformation

Retail Focus

Selfridges has unveiled its latest installation, “Elton John at The Selfridges Corner Shop”, which aims to transform the retail space into a glittering reimagining of the iconic performer’s world. Customers are invited to explore Elton’s archive and shop for limited-edition fashion, accessories and lifestyle collaborations in-store and online.

Shopping 321
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Counterfeit vapes are undermining efforts to reduce smoking

Talking Retail

By Martin Cullip There is a vaping epidemic taking place across the UK, but not necessarily the one some would expect. The sale of hundreds of thousands of counterfeit vapes, as opposed to legal, regulated products, should be the real cause of concern. The vast majority of people who pick up a vape do so.

ATS 144
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Holiday Retail Forecasts and Predictions 2023

RIS News

For retailers, the holiday season is here. Succeeding in the next few months and into 2024 requires analyzing and understanding shoppers. Here to help retailers strategize, RIS presents our fourth annual guide to peak selling season.

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Price of a healthy packed lunch for children has gone up in four out of five major supermarkets since August, data shows

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Data published today by The Food Foundation shows that the price of a healthy packed lunch has increased in four out of five major retailers since August, with costs increasing by up to 5% in just two months.

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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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Budget-Friendly Thanksgiving Meals Announced by Target, Walmart, and Aldi

Retail Wire

In a bid to attract festive shoppers, major retailers like Target, Walmart, and Aldi are offering competitively priced holiday meals this season.

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5 Sales Email Templates

Small Biz Trends

When it comes to selling, email is still a powerful tool. But crafting the perfect email can be difficult, time-consuming, and frustrating. That’s where our five sales email templates come in handy! These free sales email templates will help you close more deals in less time. Let’s dive in! What Is a Sales Email Template? A sales email template is a pre-crafted set of messages used in cold email outreach campaigns.

ATS 139
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Halleroed mixes French and Japandi influences inside L/Uniform's Paris boutique

Dezeen

In the arty Paris district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Stockholm design studio Halleroed has designed a new boutique for French bag and luggage brand L/Uniform. Taking cues from the brand's simple, rational approach to design, Halleroed design lead Ruxandra Halleröd created a series of backdrops that allow the products to "pop out in a beautiful way".

Boutique 141
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Tesco offers staff bodycams as physical assaults soar by a third

Retail Gazette

Tesco workers are being offered body cameras following an increase in violent attacks, according to the grocer’s CEO. Physical assaults at the grocery giant have risen by a third since 2022, Ken Murphy said in The Mail on Sunday , as he called for stricter laws for the perpetrators. Although recent law changes have made attacking a shop employee an “aggravating factor” in convictions, Murphy said he wanted “abuse or violence towards retail workers” to become an offe

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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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Nike faces lawsuit over greenwashing claims

Retail Dive

A Missouri plaintiff said that 90% of the products Nike advertises as using recycled materials don’t, and that some of the recycled materials themselves are environmentally harmful.

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Redbubble co-founder Martin Hosking named CEO

Inside Retail

Martin Hosking has been appointed CEO and MD of the Redbubble Group, effective immediately. Outgoing CEO Michael Ilczynski resigned to pursue other opportunities in a non-competitive area and will provide assistance to Hosking until June 30 to ensure a smooth transition. “While I am disappointed the group has not returned to growth under my leadership, I am proud of the progress we have made towards achieving our strategic objectives,” said Ilczynski.

Apparel 350
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Beyond Shopping: How Retailers can Turn Stores into Experiential Hubs

Retail TouchPoints

Despite the surge in online shopping, physical stores remain essential for retailers, providing a space for customers to interact with products and build deeper brand connections. A well-designed store can create a memorable brand experience that strengthens customer loyalty. This is crucial considering a recent Publicis Sapient report on customer loyalty , based on a survey of over 8,000 consumers across six countries, revealed that 52% of global consumers report having slight to no brand loyal

Shopping 312
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How to run Cisco Modeling Labs in the Cloud

Cisco Retail

Did you ever want to run Cisco Modeling Labs but did not have the hardware or software to do so? Or have you wanted to run a topology on your local deployment—but couldn’t because you did not have enough memory available locally? What about integrating CML into a CI/CD pipeline , which includes the creation and destruction of the entire pipeline, including CML?

Planning 131
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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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The Customer Is NOT Always Right – Again!

Hyken

Whoever said “the customer is always right” didn’t hear this about this story. Fox News just posted an update to a 2021 story about a man arrested for pointing an AK-47 at an employee at a pizza shop in Knoxville, Tennessee. The short version of the story is this. A customer walked into a Little Caesars restaurant and became angry when he was told he would have to wait a few minutes for a pizza.

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The Entertainer joins forces with retail charity Retail Trust

365 Retail

The UK’s largest independent toy retailer, The Entertainer , has partnered with retail industry charity the Retail Trust to introduce a range of new measures to support its employees’ health and wellbeing. The partnership is set to give over 2,000 employees at The Entertainer, and their families, access to a range of personalised wellbeing resources from the Retail Trust.

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The top 10 high streets in the UK for independent shops, as revealed by American Express Shop Small research

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Research commissioned by American Express Shop Small reveals the top 10 high streets for independent shops in the UK, shining a light on the nation’s small businesses that play such an important role in their local communities.

Shopping 126
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Sears Opening New Stores Again Discreetly

Retail Wire

Despite common belief among most consumers that the American retailer Sears has disappeared, the truth unveils Sears opening new stores.

Consumer 299
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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.

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SBA Suspends 2 Companies, Launches Investigation Into PPP Loan Lenders

Small Biz Trends

Two non-lenders Blueacorn and Womply, have been suspended by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) immediately from working with the agency in any capacity. These are companies that worked with PPP lenders according to the announcement from the SBA. The SBA recently issued a statement regarding the findings from the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis report on Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud.

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Kooo Architects creates Shanghai Freitag store in 1970s textile factory

Dezeen

Japanese studio Kooo Architects has converted a 1970s textile factory in Shanghai into a store that aims to capture the ethos of messenger bag manufacturer Freitag. Located on an alley in the Xian-Suo district in central Shanghai, the store was designed to retain elements of the former state-run factory while incorporating reused material. Kooo Architects aimed to create a pared-back aesthetic utilising few finishes to reduce the fit-out's carbon impact.

Shopping 140
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BREAKING: Poundland owner to acquire up to 71 Wilko stores

Retail Gazette

Poundland owner Pepco Group has agreed to take control of up to 71 Wilko store leases from administrator PwC in a new last-minute deal. The discount giant’s parent company said it expects to convert stores to the Poundland brand while offering roles for Wilko team members as it looks to continue its own transformation programme. Poundland boss Barry Williams said it recognised the last few weeks had been difficult for workers of the embattled retailer.

Shopping 137
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5 retailers that need a strong finish for the year

Retail Dive

These retailers have borrowed heavily, delivered soft performance, seen substantial leadership turnover or operate in a heavily discretionary sector. Can they turn themselves around?

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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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ARA predicts $9 billion spendathon over the last week before Christmas

Inside Retail

Shoppers in Australia will spend an additional $9 billion during the final week before Christmas, according to the re-forecast by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), in conjunction with Roy Morgan. This will bring spending for the November-December 24 trading period up to $67.4 billion, an increase of 1 per cent from last year. Across the pre-Christmas period, food spending is expected to reach $27 billion, up 3.2 per cent from last year.

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Want to Have Great CX This Holiday Season? Focus on Employee Experience First

Retail TouchPoints

This is Part 1 of The Holiday Readiness Series , which will feature tactical tips and takeaways from experts that retailers can still apply to rev up their sales results. Looking for even more data and insights to power your approach ? Check out the Retail Strategy & Planning Series on-demand. Offering excellent customer service is a business basic at any time of the year, but it’s particularly vital during the holiday season.

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The importance of cybersecurity in the rail industry

Cisco Retail

The railway industry is increasingly embracing new systems and technologies to enhance operational efficiency, safety, and connectivity. As operators move on from their legacy systems, there is an ever-increasing number of connections and complexity to deal with from a security standpoint. Expanded connectivity means increased chances for cyber criminals to disrupt critical infrastructure and global economies.

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Win the Customer, Not the Argument

Hyken

In a confrontation with a customer, you have a goal: win the customer , not the argument. I’ve written about this before, and it’s worth coming back to this topic from another angle with a different example. First, an interaction with a customer should never result in an argument. The best people in customer service, sales, or any frontline customer-facing job avoid escalating a confrontation to the level of a dispute.

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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.