Retail TouchPoints

JUNE 20, 2023

REI has offered used outdoor gear to co-op members for more than 60 years through “garage sale” events at its stores. The retailer noted that buying used instead of new typically avoids carbon emissions of 50% or more, based on its estimate of preparing used gear for sale versus making new gear.

Outdoor 243

Outdoor Apparel Returns Location 243

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Customer experience (CX) optimization is a necessity for ecommerce retailers and other online businesses that want to convert visitors, drive sales and cultivate customer loyalty. In addition to missing elements, many sites have searches that operate under rules that are so strict they interfere with useful results.

Customer Experience 242

Customer Experience Checkout Marketing Spend Consumer 242

Retail TouchPoints

OCTOBER 6, 2023

With the bustling holiday shopping season nearing, many brands have spent the last several months assessing their operational strengths and weaknesses, particularly in logistics and fulfillment. It’s what they do with this data, however, that can positively impact their logistics operations. 2: Order cycle time.

Fulfillment 268

Fulfillment Returns Shipping Promotions 268

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

The layoffs and elimination of open positions, which will mostly affect Gap’s main offices in San Francisco and New York as well as Asia, will help the retailer reduce expenses as it faces declining sales. Net sales fell 8% year-over-year to $3.9 billion , and comparable sales were down 10% for the same period.

Location 229

Location Planning Management ATS 229

Retail TouchPoints

MAY 14, 2024

A seismic shift is on the horizon for retail businesses operating in Europe. Enacted last year, the German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) requires large companies operating in the country to establish preventative measures to prevent child labor, poor working conditions, and environmental abuses at all levels of their supply chain.

Supply Chain Management 219

Supply Chain Management Consumer Management Accounting 219

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 31, 2022

This blueprint should ideally answer three simple questions: what problem do you want your IoT implementation to solve, what would you achieve once the problem is solved, and what is the best possible solution? Parminder Singh is Head of Sales Enablement and Offering Management at EcoEnergy Insights , a part of Carrier.

Planning 306

Planning Management Customer Experience Location 306

Inside Retail

JANUARY 10, 2023

Fresh figures from beleaguered US retailer Bed Bath & Beyond show sales slumped by a third in the latest quarter driving a loss of US$451 million in three months. Over the past three years, Bed Bath and Beyond’s sales have declined by 54.4 Out-of-stocks diminish sales and drive away customers. per cent or by $1.5

Marketing 244

Marketing Planning Management ATS 244

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

The problems with getting products to people quickly and cheaply are well-known: consumers want fast fulfillment, which is costly to provide, but they don’t want to pay high (or really any) shipping fees. Until someone invents a Star Trek -style replicator (“Tea.

Fulfillment 247

Fulfillment Shipping Supply Chain Management Consumer 247

Retail TouchPoints

MARCH 27, 2024

With a secure learning foundation, the performance progress possible for employees directly translates to benefits for the business — increases in customer satisfaction ratings and sales as well as productivity and retention. Where videos may be able to elicit an emotion, they don’t provide the neural stimulation for problem solving.

Customer Experience 221

Customer Experience Store Operations Management Consumer 221

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 19, 2024

However, a notable sales slump between summer and holiday spending shows one thing: while they are resilient to macroeconomic concerns, U.S. Establishing a tech-driven culture at all levels of leadership fosters a shared commitment to leveraging data, analytics and automation for operational enhancement and superior customer experiences.

Payment Services 332

Payment Services Merchant Services Customer Experience Consumer 332

Retail TouchPoints

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

billion in sales revenue — it also comes with risks. Similar to how AI often helps to accelerate different processes and practices through automated insights, AIOps enables ITOps and engineering professionals to gain insights from large operational datasets and speed up incident detection and resolution times of any IT stressors.

Shopping 298

Shopping Checkout Returns Consumer 298

Retail TouchPoints

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

Unfortunately for all of us in the industry, the problem of chargeback fraud continues to grow, and for several reasons: The Growth 0f Ecommerce First, ecommerce continues its rapid expansion. However, the internet also causes problems. Yes, ecommerce is crucial for sales revenue. trillion in 2023. trillion in 2023.

Merchant Services 266

Merchant Services Payment Services Customer Experience Consumer 266

Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 27, 2023

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are obsessed with two things: maximizing revenue and minimizing operational expenses. There’s No Such Thing as a Free Launch While CPG leaders are anxious to make up for lost time (and sales), product launches remain notoriously difficult. Consider two beverage companies.

Operating Expenses 227

Operating Expenses Promotions Consumer Marketing 227

Inside Retail

APRIL 12, 2023

After experiencing a brief sales boost during the pandemic as demand for kitchenware soared, the 77-year-old company failed to maintain its performance and has been struggling to compete with its rivals, including Xerox, Kleenex and Thermos.

Finance 246

Finance Planning Marketing Consumer 246

Retail TouchPoints

OCTOBER 6, 2022

Aside from the obvious missed sales opportunities, there’s also reputational damage to consider, as well as potentially boosting competitors’ sales. And manually checking on inventory takes employees away from making sales or other valuable activities. The Way Ahead. Data is the key to this future.

Inventory Management 266

Inventory Management Management Inventory Turnover Supply Chain Management 266

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

This is especially true ahead of the all-important holiday season, as peak-period sales can make or break annual goals. But it is still a new challenge to an old problem — not being able to correctly forecast inventory demand. Excess inventory can quickly balloon into bigger problems for retailers as well as the brands they stock.

Fulfillment 267

Fulfillment Supply Chain Management Management Consumer 267

Retail Focus

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

Phantom inventory is causing UK shoppers to experience out-of-stocks, with poor product availability negatively impacting sales and long-term customer loyalty, according to the latest data from Retail Insight , the leading provider of store operations execution software.

Grocer 147

Grocer Store Operations Supermarket Shopping 147

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 8, 2022

Misfits Market has announced plans to acquire fellow online grocer Imperfect Foods , both of which aim to tackle the problem of food waste by salvaging aesthetically flawed yet edible produce that would otherwise be discarded. “We food system,” said Abhi Ramesh, CEO and Founder of Misfits Market in a statement. “The

Marketing 244

Marketing Grocer Planning ATS 244

Retail TouchPoints

JULY 10, 2023

These first movers near universally are noting the gigantic opportunity to transform their business, from operations to customer relations and retention. Global ecommerce sales, representing 22% of all retail sales, could increase to $5.4 That helps dramatically increase productivity while driving improved sales.

Merchant Services 270

Merchant Services Customer Retention Shipping Marketing 270

Retail TouchPoints

APRIL 27, 2022

Resale is one of the biggest opportunities for any retailer today, but the problem is very hard when you’re talking about oversize ,” said Chris Richter, Founder and CEO of FloorFound , which powers recommerce efforts for oversized products, in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. The Outsized Problem of Oversize Returns.

Returns 212

Returns Consumer Apparel Fulfillment 212

Inside Retail

MAY 11, 2023

Owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway since 1998, the fast-food chain counts China as its second-largest market, operating more than 1250 stores there out of more than 7,000 worldwide. The Bloomington, Minnesota-based company operates in at least 20 countries, five in the Middle East. ” Dairy Queen sales topped $5.7

Marketing 243

Marketing ATS 243

Retail TouchPoints

FEBRUARY 18, 2022

The past two years have seen a rapid evolution of retailers’ digital operations, and perhaps more importantly led to a dramatic shift in the role that ecommerce plays in the overall shopping experience. There’s just one problem — retailers are having a hard time doing this. 95% of Executives Want to Prioritize Cost Optimization.

Marketing 293

Marketing Management Fulfillment Shipping 293

Retail TouchPoints

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

With its high store ceilings, the retailer can store many items in shelving way above the sales floor, ready to be taken down and put on reachable shelves. The Home Depot has one major advantage over competing retailers that keep much of their inventory in back rooms, where it’s invisible to customers and associates alike.

Loss Prevention 203

Loss Prevention Visual Merchandising Store Operations Fulfillment 203

Retail TouchPoints

JULY 12, 2023

Then, last year, in-store sales grew faster than online sales, while ecommerce stocks took a big hit. The National Retail Foundation estimated that retail loss is a nearly $100 billion problem, with evidence that the problem is growing. The past few years have been a rollercoaster ride for the retail industry.

Payment Services 210

Payment Services Inventory Management Checkout Loss Prevention 210

Inside Retail

DECEMBER 6, 2023

CP Axtra is almost twice the size of CRC by sales, or at least it was in 2022, but if Central ramps up a successful wholesale business then CP Axtra will begin to look over its shoulder. It operates 164 wholesale units, of which all but 10 are in Thailand itself. In the September quarter, its sales in the fashion category were up 8.2

Wholesale 130

Wholesale Supermarket Beauty and Health Department Stores 130

Retail TouchPoints

NOVEMBER 18, 2022

According to the most recent National Retail Security Survey , shrink is now a $100 billion problem. Some large chains are also developing sophisticated security operations centers with dedicated teams to gather evidence on ORC ringleaders so prosecutors can put together a stronger case. Let’s not make it easy for them.

Loss Prevention 261

Loss Prevention Store Operations Shopping Marketing 261

Retail TouchPoints

AUGUST 1, 2023

Ironically, ecommerce might be part of the profitability problem. While brick-and-mortar stores continue to command 80% of global sales, a significant portion of retail CEOs are investing heavily in enhancing online shopping experiences. The antidote to these problems?

Drop-Shipping 239

Drop-Shipping Consumer Shipping Returns 239

Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 13, 2023

As omnichannel capabilities become table stakes, brands and retailers will think more holistically and intentionally about how technology can support operational efficiency as well as immersive product interaction and brand engagement. For instance, it is much easier for operations to establish and reach success in one facet of the store.

Loss Prevention 268

Loss Prevention Visual Merchandising Sporting Goods Store Operations 268

Retail TouchPoints

MAY 17, 2024

of retail sales, and, worryingly, 13.7% As a result of this burgeoning problem, retailers have started to incorporate return fees. This intelligence helps stores deliver operational efficiencies. According to the NRF, U.S. returns reached a staggering $743 billion in 2023, representing over 14.5% Agile fulfillment.

Returns 198

Returns Fulfillment Inventory Management Apparel 198

Retail TouchPoints

JANUARY 1, 2024

Retail operations are complex and interconnected; there are no isolated decisions. Retailers have, for years, focused on streamlining shopper journeys by reducing friction throughout sales floors to facilitate seamless, enjoyable experiences. However, the reality is more complicated.

Loss Prevention 233

Loss Prevention Checkout Point of Sale Location 233

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

Yet as more retailers turn to immersive customer experiences to create a competitive advantage, there is one major problem many are unprepared for: unreliable internet. Apps are built to operate without reliance on the cloud and work as intended even with a weak or nonexistent internet connection.

Point of Sale 232

Point of Sale Customer Experience Shopping Location 232

Inside Retail

JULY 27, 2023

In the past five years, the business, which operates an online marketplace where customers can purchase original artwork and have it printed on a variety of products, from T-shirts to phone cases to doona covers, has seen three chief executives pass through its doors. However, Redbubble’s problems run deep.

Accounting 242

Accounting Returns Management Marketing 242

Inside Retail

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

million in cash to Singapore-based Qoo10, which operates localised marketplaces in Asia, subject to certain purchase price adjustments. This view is backed by the terrible sales declines that Wish has been posting over the past year. It has basically been losing customers hand-over-fist to rivals like Temu.”

Merchant Services 130

Merchant Services Customer Experience Consumer Shopping 130

Retail TouchPoints

APRIL 10, 2024

Explain the effect of rising costs of raw materials, operating expenses and other factors impacting the business; Evaluate and minimize : Assess those products most sensitive to price hikes and prioritize them, minimizing upward adjustments on core/essential items that customers value the most.

Payment Services 234

Payment Services Consumer Operating Expenses Promotions 234

Retail TouchPoints

JUNE 2, 2021

“With the January transition we were integrating the full store and integrating service clouds and integrating customer service function, feedback and that type of process,” said Chadwick Hamby, VP of Ecommerce Operations and Solutions at GNC in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. Collaboration Keeps Operations Running Smoothly.

Drop-Shipping 286

Drop-Shipping Fulfillment Customer Experience Shipping 286

Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 2, 2022

Although it presents a host of advantages in terms of cost and competitiveness, it also raises a few problems. Carol Lau is SVP of Client Services, Sales Support & Analytics at Global Sources. Global sourcing involves buying services, products or materials from suppliers or manufacturers from outside your own country.

Management 255

Management Marketing Location Planning 255

Inside Retail

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

“The only way to achieve that is through a digital medium,” says Neal French, director of Chrome Enterprise sales JAPAC at Google. This means adopting new-generation technologies such as digital signage, powered by a robust operating system, enabling remote management, personalisation and interactivity with in-store signage.

Kiosk 289

Kiosk Payment Services Promotions Customer Experience 289