In-Store Media

Big screen actors and television personalities made smoking cool for generations of Americans. Now produce marketers and retailers hope a new deal with Hollywood can have the same effect on fruits and vegetables.

For most retailers, one store in Manhattan's Times Square is good enough. But not for Skechers.

Skechers USA has opened its second location in Times Square. The new outlet is located in the heart of the busy area, on what's known as the Bow Tie.

Consumers who live active lifestyles often document their adventures on Instagram.

Poler Outdoor Stuff, a Portland, Oregon-based specialty outdoor retailer that operates an e-commerce site, as well as a flagship store, has been using Instagram for online promotions since launching four years ago. More recently, Poler has also been leveraging the promotional power of Instagram in its store.

It won’t impact retailers’ bottom line as much as the new Buy Now button, but Twitter is continuing its evolution into more of a sales-oriented digital platform.

Twitter is testing a new feature called “Promoted Moments,” which builds on its Moments offering that was launched at the beginning of October. Twitter Moments allows users to click on a special tab and view a curated list of stories considered to be the “best” on Twitter.

A new holiday shopping survey reveals major disruptions in holiday shopping traditions, largely due to digital engagement.

Deloitte’s 30th annual holiday survey of consumer spending intentions and trends finds that some shopping traditions are losing their luster.

Key findings from the survey of more than 4,000 U.S. consumers include:

Moms are now much more likely than ever to complete a purchase via mobile, rather than simply using their devices to compare prices and find coupons.

According to a new infographic from pregnancy and parenting website BabyCenter, in just one year, there has been a 33% increase in moms using their smartphones for making actual purchases. Sixty-four percent of moms say they had completed a purchase via mobile in the last month, in comparison to 48% who said the same in 2014.

At the recent SAP Retail Forum held in Miami, I was part of a panel discussion titled, “Creating One Experience for the Digital Consumer.” Providing a consistent, integrated online and offline experience for digital shoppers is a multifaceted task that involves many platforms.

A lot of my commentary focused on how social media in particular can prove a crucial asset in creating a unified digital customer experience. Here are three specific thoughts on social retailing pulled from the panel discussion.