Trends in Retail
AI, Machine Learning Are Helping Retailers Spot Flaws in the Customer Experience
Retailers can?t always rely on customer feedback to measure the success of their ecommerce platforms. Small technical issues, which often go unnoticed by the business itself, can significantly hinder the customer experience.
Consumers Are More Open to Biometrics
Nearly half of consumers surveyed by Paysafe said they?ve used biometrics?typically based on facial recognition technology?to make some form of payment.
A look at 12 myths in the luxury retail industry
The luxury retail segment is experiencing a transformation and with that comes a slew of myths, according to research conducted by the Luxury Institute and its Global Luxury Expert Network. The organization has identified 12 myths ? what it it also views as top obstacles ? to high performance retail this year: 1. Time is the ultimate luxury.
Meal delivery service Deliveroo is quitting the German market as of this Friday. The company says it wants to focus on better-performing markets.
Belgian supermarket chains see profit shrink
The major Belgian supermarket chains have lower profit margins than five years ago, and that is before Dutch Jumbo is set to disrupt the market even more. The reason is clear: the competition gets tougher and discounts, meant to lure more customers, cut the profitability.
Even prime retail locations lose their value
The value of retail property is now also beginning to decline in prime locations. This trend has spread from the United Kingdom to the Netherlands and is beginning to wreak havoc in Belgium too.
Zalando increases forecast after excellent quarter
Zalando has increased its forecast for the full year 2019 after it had an excellent second quarter, in which turnover went up 20 % to 1.6 billion euros.
Lidl wins in France, Carrefour and Casino lag behind
The fastest-growing food retailer on the French market is - once again - German discounter Lidl. Market leader E.Leclerc continues to make progress, but Carrefour and Casino are unable to reverse the downward trend.
Walmart, Ford partnering to explore autonomous car delivery
On the heels of offering grocery pickup, Walmart is working with Ford to explore autonomous car delivery in what it's calling a pilot effort. It's part of Walmart's strategy to innovate when it comes to serving customers, according to a...
Pop-Up Shops And Small-Format Stores Are Changing The Retail Landscape
In America, it can often seem as though most people?s mentality is ?bigger is always better.? But that no longer seems to be the case when it comes to the retail industry. Recently many retailers are seeing more success with small-format stores, pop up shops, and even mobile shops.
Innovative Tactics Retailers Are Using To Keep Brick-And-Mortar Stores Relevant
There's an opportunity for innovation and sales growth in brick-and-mortar stores considering only 10% of total retail sales in the US are made online; 90% are made in physical store locations. Some companies are Imagining the possibilities by elevating the in-person shopping experience.
Colruyt bets on Belgian craft beers
In collaboration with nine small, independent breweries from all over Belgium, Colruyt expands its beer offering with 16 experimental craft beers. The beer department at the food retailer is 99 percent Belgian.
Slowdown in sales growth at Amazon
After two years of growth exceeding expectations, the wave of profits at Amazon is now coming to an end. Even though sales and profits have increased, analysts expected more.
Optimizing Your B2B Marketing Strategy Around the Trust Funnel
The traditional funnel is at odds with a truly customer-centric marketing strategy. Learn why the trust funnel is a better model to follow, and how.
90% of webshops shut down within 120 days
Nine out of ten start-ups in e-commerce fail within 120 days. Poor online visibility and low demand turn out to be the main issues.
How to make video ads work for your local business
The key to creating a video strategy is to make sure that you capitalize on your strengths as a local business.
It's not quite Black Friday, but consumers have come to expect the midsummer sales event, and it's not just for Amazon anymore.
Time-crunched consumers on the hunt for convenient, last-minute meals increasingly are opting for food prepared outside the home, but a small and growing portion also are interested in learning new cooking techniques and recipes ? giving the sluggish meal kit category hope, suggests new research.
China to become world’s largest grocery market by 2023
China is set to overtake the US to become the world’s largest grocery market by 2023 in value terms, according to new forecasts. Studies from
Walmart’s e-commerce biz is reportedly racking up $1 billion in losses and that’s only one problem it has
Walmart's effort to try and catch up with Amazon isn't going over well.
Will Investing In E-Commerce Win The Game For Luxury Retailers?
Will distribution and pricing be enough to lure GenZ and millennial shoppers, or do luxury retailers need to do more to strengthen their positioning for this lucrative audience?
The wealth gap is a retail problem
It's convenient to blame Amazon for retailers' struggles, but the real culprits may be the rising costs and stagnant income dragging down the middle class.
McGregor returns to the Netherlands and Belgium with six stores
Fashion brand McGregor will be returning to the streets in Belgium and the Netherlands. The label is about to open six stores in the two countries in the coming autumn.
Carrefour to offer home delivery throughout France
Carrefour is rolling out two new online services. Within the domestic market of France, the supermarket group will start to offer home deliveries everywhere from 2020 onward. And this year, customers will already be able to pick up their orders within two hours.
Ecommerce Continues Strong Gains Amid Global Economic Uncertainty
The global retail market will reach $25.038 trillion in 2019, an increase of 4.5% and a slight acceleration in growth vs. the prior year, per our estimates. At the same time, it represents a marked decline from the five years preceding that, when global retail sales grew at rates between 5.7% and 7.5% each year.
Paid Search Spend Expected to Grow 22.5% This Year in Retail Sector
According to eMarketer's latest figures, paid search spend in retail is expected to grow by 22.5% this year.
Global Ecommerce 2019
The global ecommerce market will rise more than 20% in 2019, despite mounting economic uncertainty and declining consumer spending growth around the world.
Belgian Retail Estates invests extra 100 million in Netherlands
Belgian retail investment fund Retail Estates continues its Dutch expansion, buying 56 stores for 97 million euros. Its total Dutch investment now stands at 422 million, for 218 properties.
How to Write Content for Each Stage of Your Sales Funnel
Find out what format and form of content you should implement at each stage of your sales funnel and additional strategies to make your campaigns measurable and successful.
Nouveauté : commandez vos courses via WhatsApp
Superama, filiale de Walmart Mexique, lance la livraison de courses via le service de messagerie WhatsApp.
China No Longer Expected to Overtake US in Retail Sales in 2019 Amid Trade War
The trade war between the world?s two largest retail markets is taking its toll, especially on China. Coupled with a slowing domestic auto market, the trade war is hurting the country's retail sales. In our latest worldwide retail forecast, we have cut our outlook for China and the US. As a result, China will not surpass the US in total retail sales this year, as expected in our Q4 2018 forecast. That milestone will likely not happen until 2021.
Jumbo confirms timing and location of first Belgian stores
Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo has confirmed it will open its first three Belgian stores before the end of the year. The three locations are Lanaken, Pelt and Rijkevorsel, unsurprisingly all near Belgium's northeastern border with the Netherlands.
How Pinterest is trying to win over DTC brands
Pinterest said in its S-1 filing, released in March, that it was starting to build more product and measurement tools to better serve digitally native vertical brands, and had a dedicated sales team?
Why the Pixel Is Essential to Social Commerce's Success
After initially struggling to gain traction, social commerce has finally begun to materialize as platforms, including Instagram and Pinterest, fill the need for discovery in the digital shopping environment.
Traditional Retailers Invest in D2C Strategies: An Interview with Charlie Cole of Samsonite
Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands thrive on their abilities to build strong customer relationships, optimize data and identify the unmet needs of modern customers. More and more, brands see these digital natives as a threat.
Social Commerce 2019
Social commerce is on the rise as visual platforms like Pinterest and Instagram fill a need for product discovery. By developing an effective social commerce strategy, brands and retailers can drive awareness, affinity, consideration and conversion.
These are the 50 biggest retailers in the world
The list of biggest retailers in the world is dominated by American companies, with Walmart and Amazon at the top. While challengers from China are continuing to rise, Belgian-Dutch Ahold Delhaize climbes to fourteenth.
Consumer Goods Brands Hope to Fend Off Amazon by Investing in D2C
As retail store closures continue at an alarming rate, consumer goods brands have fewer channels to sell their products outside of retail and ecommerce behemoths like Amazon, Walmart and Costco. This reality has many in the consumer goods industry looking to sidestep retail and online marketplaces altogether with hopes of selling to their customers directly.
Amazon to open 10 pop-up stores to support small businesses
Research from shops will be submitted to government.
Can a Circular Business Model Be a Profitable and Sustainable Approach for Your Brand?
The fashion industry, in its current state, is not environmentally sustainable. For this reason, companies have begun implementing circular business initiatives in attempts to appeal to conscious consumers and cut back on their carbon footprint. But a new study shows that these models may benefit only higher-priced players, leaving value markets in the dust
23% of Small Businesses Say Visual Content is Most Effective
A recent study shows that nearly a quarter of small business owners believe visual content is highly effective.
In an Amazon vs. Walmart world, big-box retailers plot their futures
It's earnings week, and retailers are dealing with a universal truth: It's sink or swim in an industry increasingly dominated by Amazon and Walmart.
Searches at Belgian retailers in competition enquiry
The Belgian Competition Authority is investigating whether some supermarket chains have violated competition rules. Yesterday, a search and seizure took place at the headquarters of Carrefour and Provera (louis delhaize). For clarity's sake: Ahold Delhaize is not involved in the matter.
Albert Heijn trials AI discounts based on expiry dates
Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn is experimenting with dynamic discounts for fresh products. The discount is not only dependent on the best-before date, but also on other factors such as the weather, and is determined by artificial intelligence.
Consumers' organisations want Nutri-Score made mandatory
Seven European organisations for consumer rights demand that Nutri-Score, a better version of the traffic light food information system, be made mandatory. They have started an online petition, which needs to get a million signatures before it can be brought to the European Commission.
Freebies Can Motivate Trial of D2C Brands
According to a March 2019 survey from consumer intelligence platform Toluna, more than one in four US internet users would be motivated to consider trying a new direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand if they were offered a free trial period.
50% of Small Businesses Do Not Have a Marketing Plan
A new study on small business owners in the US finds that many are operating without a marketing plan.
Is Cash Still King? Consumers Talk Mobile Payment Pain Points
While many shoppers still pay with cash, mobile payment utilization continues to increase. To keep adoption rates on the rise, however, better improvements to visibility, quality, connection and usage instructions will need to be implemented.
Trois e-shops belges qui changent la donne
Le commerce électronique se substitue au lèche-vitrine. Mais n'imaginez pas qu'il se cantonne à Amazon et Zalando. Décryptage d'une pratique dans l'air du temps à grand renfort de trois e-shops belges.
Want to Bring Customers In-Store? Get Them to Follow You on Social Media
Building a social media following isn't just a great way to engage customers online, it can also help increase brick-and-mortar foot traffic.
What Types of Personalized Content Appeal to Consumers?
According to a March 2019 survey from Evergage, 86% of B2C respondents said they?re driven to personalization in the hopes that is delivers a better customer experience, with 61% noting they hope to generate measurable ROI. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they hope to increase loyalty when implementing personalization. In order to do these things, marketers need to pay attention to what consumers actually want.
‘They threw every option at the wall’: How Walmart is narrowing the delivery gap with Amazon
The battle over who can offer e-commerce customers the most convenient shipping is increasingly shaping up to be a showdown between Amazon and Walmart.
Chatbots Useful for Some Customer Service, but Can't Do Everything Yet
Marketers are looking to chatbots to help personalize the automated aspects of customer service, but many believe the technology still has some ways to go before catching up with their expectations.
Unilever looks to acquire more premium beauty brands as it seeks to grow online business
Unilever has undertaken an aggressive growth strategy, as it seeks to grow its e-commerce business, and expand internationally.
Store turnover stops growing in Western Europe
Increasing purchasing power, higher real estate prices, online growth and growing economic insecurity: conflicting factors are influencing the growth prospects for brick-and-mortar retailers in Europe, according to GfK.
10 biggest webshops in Belgium all in foreign hands
Belgium has always been very keen on cross-border e-commerce, but a report now reveals that all of the ten biggest web shops in the country are in foreign hands.
How Brand USA goes global via local
America has a story to tell - but we all prefer to listen in different ways. So matching message to regional nuance is essential...
How retailers can drive ROI with 3D and AR on websites
3D and AR need no longer be limited to retailers’ mobile apps. New technology makes it possible to add these immersive displays to website product pages and other online venues, most notably social media.
For retailers, Facebook Groups can be data goldmines
Before they can become a part of Hill City?s Wear Tester Facebook Group, members must commit to a four-week program. It's a tall order -- with upside.
The Future of Shopping lands in Antwerp
In 2020, RetailDetail will launch ?The Future of Shopping? in the Stadsfeestzaal shopping centre in Antwerp. It will be a global first, as a 'live' lab at this scale - where retail chains and tech firms will test brand new concepts together and directly measure their results - does not exist anywhere at the moment.
H&M takes up sale of second-hand apparel
H&M is about to begin the sale of second-hand items: the fashion group will launch this new project on the Swedish website of subsidiary & Other Stories. Other brands and countries will follow.
Will AI radically change the fast food industry?
Fast food companies are partnering with AI startups and implementing innovative solutions, with the goal to improve your dining experience.
Did ‘Clicks’ Really Surpass ‘Bricks’ for Share of US Retail Sales? Not Exactly
This year, ecommerce is set to be 10.9% of total US retail spending?about one-eighth the size of retail brick-and-mortar. The general merchandise category will account for about 50% of total retail sales this year, and that number climbs to roughly 67% when you look at strictly online general merchandise sales.
C&A to close 14 French stores
Fashion chain C&A has indicated it wants to reassess its network of French stores, which currently features 150 locations. According to the trade unions, 14 of those stores would be closed permanently.
Zalando launches Beauty in Belgium, France, Italy
After a successful launch in Austria, Germany and Poland, Zalando now launches its beauty range in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy and Sweden. A new campaign accompanies the expansion.
Zalando cuts back on free shipping policy
Zalando is introducing shipping costs in Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom, following an earlier test in Italy. This seems to mark the end of the free era, even though the German company says there are no plans to further expand the measure.
McDonald's announced it would be acquiring personalization company Dynamic Yield
Last month, McDonald's announced it would be acquiring personalization company Dynamic Yield in order to install ‘smart’ drive-thru displays at all of its US restaurants. The upgraded screens will offer suggestions to diners based on what’s currently in their cart, how busy the location is, the weather, and the time of day.
Two quick insights to take back to your team:
Sentient spaces. Regular readers won’t be surprised by this news story, given we’ve featured many similarly dynamic solutions, from Clear Channel’s emotional art gallery in Stockholm to 7-Eleven’s facial recognition rollout in Thailand. And they certainly won’t need reminding of the key insight that underpins the wider trend: customers’ digital expectations – for responsive, personalized environments – are rapidly shifting from the online world into the ‘real’ world, too. Indeed if you want a glimpse of where this trend is headed, then look to Asia where SENTIENT SPACES are becoming increasingly commonplace.
New tech, old needs. Of course, there’s a fine line between convenient and creepy. But this example should also highlight that this trend isn’t simply about aggressive personalization to individual customers. McDonald’s 68 million (!) daily customers demand fast food, and so the dynamic screens will highlight items that are quicker to prepare when its kitchens are busy. Are yourpersonalization efforts as aligned with what your customers want?
D2C Brands Show Rapid Growth & Many Advantages
Direct-to-consumer brands are capturing more of the American retail market due to their differentiators of convenience, product quality, and fast and free (or low-cost) shipping, according to a recent report from Diffusion. A third of US consumers plan to do at least 40% of their shopping from D2C companies in the next five years, and 81% say they'll make at least one purchase from a D2C brand within the next five years. All of which means that direct-to-consumer brands are not a passing trend. They are an evolution in the retail industry that puts the customer at the center of business decisions.
While many brands are strictly D2C (mattress firm Casper, athletic sock brand Bombas), some legacy brands are establishing a D2C channel in order to compete. Nike, which recently reported sales results that disappointed analysts, said that investment in its direct-to-consumer channel continues to pay off all around the globe. It plans to put significant emphasis on becoming more direct-to-consumer in 2019.
The advantages held by D2C brands are numerous. D2C companies have more control over the brand, have less reliance on supply chains, and eliminate third-party retailers. Most legacy consumer brands base product size, packaging, and labeling on the specifications of their distributors and retailers, while most D2C brands make those decisions based on the desired customer “unboxing” experience. One obvious benefit of a D2C channel is that it provides direct access to customers and their data. Also, in a 2019 report called How To Build a 21st Century Brand, the Interactive Advertising Bureau stated that D2C brands have lower customer acquisition costs than legacy brands. The report goes on to say that once a customer is acquired, D2C brands are building communities around the brands and these communities are supplying lifetime value.
More legacy brands are expected to establish D2C channels this year.
Source CMI online
The Store of the Future
Fortunately, you don?t need perfect clarity of the future to run a successful retail store. The key to success relies on agility. Here are a few predictions on what the store of the future will look like:
Walmart to deploy almost 4,000 extra robots
Supermarket chain Walmart wants to start using more robots for a number of repetitive tasks such as cleaning and checking shelves, allowing the staff to spend more time on sales and helping customers.
More Millennials Buy Online, but In-Store Still Plays Role in Path to Purchase
Millennials have long been omnichannel shoppers, but their preference for digital channels is growing alongside the rise of D2C brands and mcommerce.
Lush says goodbye to social media
British cosmetics company Lush has decided to close various social media accounts in the United Kingdom.
3 Ways to Increase Customer Loyalty With an Omnichannel CX Strategy
For retailers exploring how to increase customer loyalty by successfully guiding their customers through the new blend of digital and physical communication channels, here are three vital characteristics to include in their omnichannel strategies.
Takeaway.com orders increased by 51%
In the first quarter of 2019, meal order platform Takeaway.com processed 51% more orders, reaching a total of 31.1 million orders. The meal delivery service is currently investing in the German market.
Carrefour in partnership with pharmacy chain Medi-Market
Carrefour Belgium and Medi-Market are entering into a partnership: Carrefour hypermarkets will feature shop-in-shops from the health and wellness retailer. Some hypermarkets will feature a real pharmacy.
Grocery Ecommerce 2019
Grocery is the least penetrated but fastest-growing category in ecommerce today. Traditional brands and retailers need to understand why this channel shift is accelerating and adjust their marketing and selling strategies accordingly.
5 digital beauty retail developments that just changed everything
In recent weeks, major technology companies, social media platforms, and personal care makers have made a handful of announcements that definitively change the way consumers buy makeup, personal care, fragrance, and more. Here, Cosmetics Design takes a look at what?s new and now in the digital beauty retail space.