ZB Group

Retailing

By

It’s A Small Seamless World

Store, Online, Mobile, MediaYears ago we often associated the word seamless with women’s stockings but times have changed. Now whether we’re talking about a satisfying shopping purchase or access to the latest news, consumers want a seamless experience. Retailers, marketers and the media are all figuring out the best way to meet the “gotta-have-it-now” and “gotta-have-it-how-I-want-it” consumer mentality.

I’ve been thinking about this lately since the same word was discussed recently in two totally different settings. One was during the insightful Webinar, “Closing the Gap Between Retailer Capabilities and Customer Expectations,” presented by Susan Reda, Editor of STORES Media and Renato Scaff, Managing Director of Accenture’s Retail Practice. To access the Webinar citing the firm’s research results click here.

The other was during a lively breakfast meeting of New Jersey-based senior level communications colleagues a couple of weeks ago where we shared best practices and challenges in regards to measuring the results of our clients’ campaigns. The moderator, Ken Jacobs, explained that news and information consumption is now a seamless activity. People are using different types of methods and devices to keep abreast of what’s happening and its relevance to their daily lives. We talked about various ways to track P.R. and marketing campaign results in this new media and social-media environment which encourages sharing online and across social-networking platforms.

Even though the subject matter for the Webinar and the meeting were totally different, one of the main points was the same – today’s consumers want seamless experiences. Period. The delivery methods and distribution channels for retailers and the news media have changed immensely due to our interconnected, integrated world. Neil Blumenthal, co-founder of Warby-Parker, the trendy and popular prescription eyewear brand which launched online a couple of years ago also opened a flagship store in New York City. He believes the term E-Commerce will be obsolete soon with the convergence of e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar stores.

According to Mr. Scaff from Accenture, retailers need to Customize, Connect, Converge and Collaborate to become seamless and satisfy consumers’ needs. A few other takeaways discussed during the Webinar were:

  • Consumers are as price-conscious today as ever
  • The customer experience is everything
  • Free delivery is more important than getting same-day delivery with a fee attached
  • People like receiving coupons via email
  • Consumers want something back in exchange for their brand loyalty.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about seamlessness and how it’s affecting your role and business today.

 

 

By

Six Ways Marketers Can Really S.P.R.I.N.G. Forward

Spring seasonWe love spring don’t you? The weather warms up, the sunshine-filled days are longer and we get inspired to revitalize our work and personal lives. To celebrate the arrival of spring, here are six ways to engage consumers and put some spring in your brand’s step.

S = Store Experience

Physical stores are here to stay for a long time but they are no longer the center of the shopping experience. Consumers now use technology such as the Web and mobile apps along with the in-store visit to compare prices, learn about an item’s features and search for what they want. Even so, the popularity of the store visit hasn’t waned so it needs to be a great experience for everyone who enters.

For a look at the future of retail from Deloitte and STORES Media click here.

P = Personal Involvement

Consumers are human so they take things personally. Whether it’s the foods they eat, the cars they drive, the homes they live in or the clothes they wear, our purchases reflect who we are. Brand marketers must understand what makes their customers tick and demonstrate a personal connection with them so they become loyal customers.

R = Relationship Building

Just like people, every local community has its own personality. Marketers can build strong relationships with consumers by demonstrating an interest in improving the fabric of the local community. Our Fuse4Community program helps marketers achieve this goal by working with and leveraging the resources of nonprofit organizations for mutual benefit.

I = Involve Consumers

We are in the Age of the Consumer. Influence has shifted from manufacturers to consumers. Take a few minutes to watch this video where a Dean from The School of Business and Technology at FIT explains this important change.

N = News Coverage

Getting a brand featured in traditional news media is still a valuable communications goal for any marketer. However, today there are dozens of niche blogs, online outlets and many social media platforms which allow brands and companies opportunities to tell their story and engage with target consumers. It’s now much easier to connect with your target audiences and industry influencers in two-way conversations due to the proliferation of new media opportunities.    

G = Give Back

It’s good for a company to give back. Consumers will notice and will support those companies that do. Donna Karan explained her belief in and practice of conscious consumerism when she spoke in January at the National Retail Federation’s BIG Show. She urges retailers to do their part to make a difference.

Evidently this idea also applies to individuals who work for companies and is discussed in length in a recent story penned by Susan Dominus in The New York Times Magazine. Adam Grant is the youngest-tenured and highest-rated professor at Wharton who has written a new book based on his research called, “Give and Take.” His work in the field of organizational psychology suggests that the more individuals give back of their time and energy to help others, the more they and the companies they work for will reap the benefits. You can read the story here.

Happy Spring!

By

Is Brick-and-Mortar Yesterday’s Retailing Model? Obviously not.

People shopping in a retail mallBefore you know it spring will arrive and along with colorful flowers new stores will sprout welcoming customers who want to shop in person. For a myriad of reasons shopping offline hasn’t lost its appeal among today’s consumers. When referring to the increase of Web retailers opening stores, Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst at Forrester Research says in The New York Times:

“Well over 90 percent of sales still happen in physical stores, so there is a huge, compelling reason to think about the physical store as a driver of sales.”

The word has evidently gotten out!

Those that have been selling their wares exclusively online like the Gap’s Piperlime, men’s apparel brand Bonobos (which starting selling at select Nordstrom’s last year) and the eyeglass company Warby Parker, have already or soon will open their own bricks-and-mortar locations. Bonobos’ decision to build physical stores and their Guideshops are explained in the New York Times story cited above.

A retail partnership will bloom in March when the Canadian apparel brand Joe Fresh opens nearly 700 shops within JC Penney department stores across the U.S. Known for its brightly colored clothing at affordable prices for men, women and children, Joe Fresh already operates six stand-alone stores in New York and New Jersey.

Retailing has become a multi-faceted business where it’s necessary to interact with customers face-to-face in addition to doing so via e-commerce websites to build strong brand loyalty and repeat business. This is clearly evident in our neighborhood.

We are located equidistant between New York City and Philadelphia, where the Quaker Bridge Mall has undergone a major transformation. It added 25 new retailers last year, four new ones (Bachrach, Vans, Lush and Bebe) will open by this summer and others are expected to be announced this year. One new addition is the high-end retailer Michael Kors which plans to open about 40 stores in North America this year. The Princeton MarketFair mall located a few miles away has also been adding stores and new restaurants.

Airport terminals now feature a variety of shops beyond fast-food restaurants in their food courts or kiosks selling souvenirs. A businessman can conveniently pick up a suit or tie he may have forgotten to pack for a meeting and a working parent can return home with a birthday gift she bought while waiting for her flight to board.

This is an exciting time for retailers and consumers alike as companies are reinventing themselves by forming partnerships, opening in unlikely locations and entering new markets to meet the needs of consumers wherever and whenever they have the urge to shop.

By

Social Consciousness = Good Business for 2013

As summer turns into fall and you focus on business planning for 2013, are programs that help the communities in which you do business included? If not, they should be.

According to a recent Nielsen study when a company becomes socially conscious it helps the bottom line. Almost half of global online consumers who responded to the survey said they’d be willing to pay more for goods and services from companies that are giving back. You can read about it here.

This is not a new concept. The Body Shop, Starbucks Coffee and Kenneth Cole are just a few examples of companies which have successfully incorporated social responsibility into their culture.

We’ve worked on many cause marketing types of projects over the years. The thing is that now more than ever, socially responsible products resonate with consumers both young and older. People are opting for brands and services that are making a difference and are also choosing to work at firms that give back.  As explained in this AP story, more baby boomers aspire to careers that provide meaningful work or they are including a social purpose into their own entrepreneurial companies.

I’ve recently read about two new interesting initiatives scheduled for this month and next which are designed to engage consumers and do good on the local level. They are highlighted below:

One new initiative to help feed hungry Americans this fall is Run 10 Feed 10. The partners are Unilever, Women’s Health magazine, The FEED Foundation and Crowdrise as reported in The New York Times this summer.  Each person who registers to run in races to be held in New York and 10 other cities from September 23 through October 13, will help feed those in need in the runner’s local community.

Another is from the American clothing retailer Eileen Fisher which is committed to social purpose and invests in women’s issues by supporting various nonprofits. This weekend, on Saturday, September 15, Eileen Fisher will hold a LIVE LIFE LOCAL event at 175 local specialty stores with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Girl Talk, a national peer-to-peer mentoring program.

So by working up a sweat during a 10K or with the purchase of a new fall sweater we can help others thanks to these worthwhile partnerships – it’s all good!

 

{image by Ben Hung; iStockphoto}

By

Shopping Online, at Stores or Both

A retail store is open for business.You can’t beat shopping online for the convenience it offers busy consumers. However, savvy retailers are now finding ways to integrate their online operations with their brick-and-mortar outlets. The opposite is also true with some online businesses opening physical stores. These changes are giving consumers more opportunities to save time and money along with the advantage of buying exactly what they need.

A recent article by Stephanie Clifford of The New York Times, discussed the growing integration of the online and offline experience offered by retailers so they are profitable while remaining relevant for shoppers. Since the Internet has become an integral part of everyday life it has increased our desire for immediacy. Realizing this fact, Walmart, the Container Store, Sears, Apple, and Nordstrom, allow items purchased online to be picked up at their local outlets. With this option, customers avoid shipping fees and the time incurred between making a purchase and redeeming it.

Transformations affecting retail businesses abound to keep up with consumers’ desires. Those which were online-only for years have augmented their operations with physical outlets and other brands found in mass retail outlets are introducing company-owned stores.

An example of each is below:

The popular Greek-style yogurt, Chobani, which is sold at grocers in the U.S., just opened its first retail location in New York City’s trendy Soho area, stocking items in addition to yogurt and giving the brand its own unique presence.

Athleta, Gap Inc.’s line of stylish athletic wear catering to active time-pressed women, began as a catalogue and online business in 1998. Its first retail store opened in San Francisco last year and then added 20 outlets where classes in yoga, Pilates, running, plus others are offered. Athleta plans to double the number of stores in the near future expanding along with the increasing desire for active woman to remain fit and embrace sports as discussed in this Wall Street Journal story.

Retailers are fulfilling consumers’ desires whenever possible. Whether it’s during a 2 a.m. online search for a little black dress or while browsing at the mall for an espresso machine, factors such as the online and offline shopping experience, the buyers’ values and the products’ features, are all important considerations for today’s marketers.

{Image by londoneye, iStockphoto}