Online grocery sales pick up despite slow adoption
The majority of US consumers haven’t yet used a grocery delivery or click-and-collect service, but online grocery sales volumes are growing, according to various reports. Survey respondents who do use curbside pickup programs spend the most at their local supermarkets, followed by Target and Walmart, according to Offers.com. Read...
Zero-waste grocer uses bike deliveries, reusable packaging
The Wally Shop in Brooklyn, N.Y., wanted a delivery system that embraced its no-waste philosophy, so it delivers groceries by bike with no packaging to throw away. Customers pay a deposit for the cloth bags and glass jars that are used, which is refunded when they’re returned for reuse....
Stores increase relevance with click-and-collect
Retailers are increasingly using click-and-collect programs to cut shipping costs on online orders and boost in-store sales. “We consider our stores our single biggest competitive advantage; they function as service hubs, fulfillment hubs, and they’re incredible showrooms for inspiration,” Target CEO Brian Cornell said at Retail’s Big Show. Read...
Big retailers go mobile to speed customer traffic
Major retailers such as Walmart and Target are drawing on mobile technology to help customers speed up their visits this holiday season, abandoning their old strategy of prolonging in-store stays. Digital tools for finding items and employees checking out items on the floor using mobile devices are among the...
Checkout line important when choosing grocers
Expectation of checkout experience was one of the three main factors on the minds of shoppers who choose regularly from multiple supermarkets, according to a study from Forrester Research and Digimarc. Prices and store location were also top deciding factors in the study. Read more …
Retail shrink decreased in 2017
Thefts, fraud and other losses from other retail “shrink” decreased to $46.8 billion in 2017 from $48.9 billion the year before, according to the annual National Retail Security Survey released today by NRF and the University of Florida. Shrink averaged 1.33% of sales, down from 1.44%. Read more …
How technology is changing the role of the retail employee
Retailers are increasingly combining in-store and online operations, a trend that’s changing the face of retail jobs, Miles Jennings writes. Retail employees will need to be tech-savvy salespeople who know their way around social media, he writes. Read more …
How retailers are responding to tax reform
Retailers are beginning to assess what the new tax code means for their businesses. Walmart, Starbucks, The Home Depot, Best Buy, Chipotle and others have announced plans to invest in their workforces because of tax reform, and more than 3 million American workers are receiving special bonuses, higher wages...
Why We Should Be Optimistic About Retail
A number of stores and retailers may closing, but many others are making the positive changes needed to position them for the future, longtime retail consultants Joel Bines and David Bassuk write. Store closings are paring down overcapacity, retailers are reducing debt and merchants are growing bolder in their...
The best loyalty programs make customers feel appreciated
Many of today’s restaurant and retail customers prefer quick rewards and an engaging, personalized loyalty program that makes them feel valued, according to research from Deloitte. “Consumers are emotional, they are more sophisticated and they have choices, so that’s the era we face,” said Narvar executive Harsh Jawharkar. Read...