It’s the most wonderful time of the year according to the Andy Williams’ song, and it’s certainly the busiest for the retail sector. Christmas is just around the corner, when months of hard work behind-the-scenes, come to fruition. The holiday season has always been frenetic…
In retail today, we tend to think that shopping is easy. But with so many choices of brands, products and promises, it’s anything but easy! Take toothpaste. “Whitening. Brightening. Lightening. Spearmint. Peppermint. Natural. Organic. Travel Size. Purse Size.” With as many as 400 types of…
I think there is no denying that the better you understand your customer, the better your business can be. Understanding your customer’s desires can occur in many ways in the retail environment. The most obvious is through staff interaction with customers, but there is a…
When’s the last time you walked into a store and were truly wowed by your experience? Chances are your response will depend not just on where you live, but the types of store you go into, and the pressure that’s been placed on them to…
From the outside, the store hasn’t changed. In fact, from the inside as well, it’s often the same story. However, the context of where the store fits into the retailer/customer relationship has evolved significantly, and that’s where businesses today are experiencing challenges. There was a…
There was a time when the only thing a retailer needed – beyond customers – was available inventory and a traditional fixed point-of-sale (POS) system. Well, those days are long gone. Today, retail is more about the customer experience, and less about the transaction. The…
12 October 2015 – Watlington, Oxfordshire, UK – Bricks-and-mortar stores could well be the ‘weak link’ in the omnichannel chain, a new report from iVend Retail, a leading global retail solution brand, warns. The report – ‘Omni-Illusion: why are customer connections disappearing when shoppers reach…
Retailing is about to hot up with Christmas approaching. The pressure of keeping customers happy and the sales flowing is sure to find any weakness in your business processes. One way retailers are combatting the Christmas rush is by embracing mobile POS solutions. A mobile…
Staying ahead of the competition in 2015 means finding new ways to connect with customers – and technology is a powerful asset in this challenge. The number of global smartphone users will surpass 2 million next year, according to eMarketer, yet not enough retail and…
It’s a basic human desire. What? You ask. To be liked and loved. The basic aim of a retail business is to provide the goods and services that people desire. For those retailers focused on building a thriving customer base, they go further. They embrace…