Digital Marketing

Brick-and-mortar retailers such as Walmart and Best Buy are not only surviving online, but are thriving due to their sizable physical assets and digital investments.   That’s one of the main findings of a new report by Moody's Investors Service, which says that while Amazon keeps raising the stakes online and has a decade-plus advantage over other retailers in e-commerce, it still faces intense competition from the likes of Walmart and Best Buy, who are raising the bar online for other physical merchants.   

Inspired by Pokemon Go!, Bloomingdale’s found a way to run with the idea of scavenger hunts.   The department store retailer ran an in-store scavenger hunt based on Snapchat and geofilters, according to an article in Luxury Daily.  

The first generation to grow up online — Gen Z— is also poised to rank as the most demanding consumer group in history.

That’s according to a new report from Fung Global Retail & Technology, which warns that retailers, restaurants and leisure companies will have to adapt to the wants and needs of Gen Zers (refers to those born in 2001 and later.

Despite an increase in digitally-influenced retail spending, a gap still remains between retailers and digital shoppers.

Digital interactions influence 56 cents of every dollar spent in retail stores, totaling $2.1 trillion by the end of the year – up from 14 cents of every dollar in 2013, according to Deloitte's new study, “The New Digital Divide: The Future of Digital Influence in Retail.”

The holiday shopping frenzy has begun, and it is shaping up to be more digital than ever.

Summer has barely said goodbye, but consumers nationwide have already turned their attention to the holidays. In fact, nearly one third of consumers, and nearly half of parents, began holiday shopping before Labor Day.

Target shoppers will be doing real cartwheels next time they launch their discount app.

The mass merchandiser quietly launched an experimental customer loyalty program that allows shoppers to rack up points during store visits. Called “redperks” on the company’s Website, the program rewards Target shoppers with 10 points for every dollar spent in stores. Once shoppers hit 5,000 points, they can choose their reward.

The real retailer winners are those that truly “listen” to their customers, and then use learned details to motivate consumers to shop.   By perfecting this practice, Amazon.com has earned the highest amount of mentions and awareness across social networks, and Tiffany & Co. was the most passionately and positively discussed brand.  

The fuel pump is becoming an increasingly critical customer touch point.

Often overlooked in the omnichannel experience, convenience store fuel pumps are a prime way to reach on-the-go shoppers. Extending their partnership with NCR, Rutter’s Farm is adding a new outdoor payment terminal to reach this time-pressed customer segment.

Coming to the local mall — Amazon?
 
Amazon plans to open dozens of pop-up stores in malls across the nation, according to Business Insider.
 
The temporary stores, whose total could reach 100 next year, will showcase and sell the company's devices, particularly its Echo home speaker, the report said.
   

Out with the old, in with the new at Macerich’s Santa Monica Place, in Santa Monica, California.      WithMe, an interactive brick-and-mortar shopping experience that features limited runs of traditional and pure-play retail brands, has opened three new fashion pop-ups in its flagship space at the mall.