Marketing Tactics

eMarketer: Led by mobile, digital sales growth set for another record year
A record 68% of the U.S. population will make at least one purchase via a digital channel in 2017. That’s according to eMarketer’s 2017 Retail Outlook, which projects another strong year for digital growth. The report forecasts that e-commerce sales will increase 16.0% in 2017 to $462.17 billion, while total retail sales will grow 3.5% to $5.01 trillion.
Starbucks to use new upscale format to make Italian debut
Starbucks Coffee Company will open for business in Italy for the first time in late 2018. The coffee giant plans to open a 25,500-sq.-ft. Reserve Roastery outpost in late 2018 in Milan, in the historic, turn-of-the-century post office building in the city’s center. The Milan Reserve Roastery will be the first Starbucks Roastery to open in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, and the fifth, globally. It is the first of additional Starbucks stores the company plans to open in Italy.

NRF takes its case against border adjustment tax to the public
Breakout Retailers

CSA’s annual award program honors five growing brands
Innovation in retail means breaking down barriers, navigating a fiercely competitive marketplace and making connections with increasingly demanding customers. In this section, Chain Store Age profiles five retailers that are succeeding in both. They are the winners of CSA’s Breakout Retailers Awards.
Open-Air, Three Ways

Three different centers, three different owner/managers, three different recipes for shaping open-air centers to local tastes
Chris Ressa does not put a lot of stock in the word “experiential.” Though it’s become a companion to the word “retail” in the real estate industry, DLC Management Corp.’s senior VP of leasing finds it not up to the task of describing what’s too often missing at shopping venues.
Robots Set to Revolutionize Store Experience

Steve Carlin, VP and general manager of SoftBank Robotics, spoke with Chain Store Age about how robots are helping to reinvent the in-store shopping experience.
What trends are advancing interest in robot technology at the store level?
A few trends have helped set the stage for in-store robotics.
Spotlight on New Formats

Two big retail names, Dollar General and Abercrombie & Fitch, recently unveiled new store formats that differ dramatically from their traditional concepts. Here’s a look at their new initiatives:

Dollar General
One of the nation’s fastest-growing retailers is putting the focus on convenience, targeting a new demographic with a smaller-store concept called DGX.
Dollar General debuted the new format, which has 3,400 sq. ft. of selling space, in Nashville, Tenn. A second location is set to open in Raleigh, N.C.
Spotlight on Sign Management Management

Retail signs have undergone a major evolution in recent years fueled by the adoption of digital technologies. Marilyn Brennan, business development manager at Egan Sign, spoke with Chain Store Age about the status of sign management in retail.
What trends are you seeing with regard to retail sign programs?
Market is tough, but this teen retailer is thriving

As teen retailers deal with competition from online as well as off-price and fast-fashion brands, one teen retailer is flourishing — with aggressive store expansion plans.
Beauty retailer expands in U.S. with flagship

A 33-year-old make-up brand is looking to make inroads in the U.S. market with a jazzy-looking that is big on interactivity.
Study: Mobile to grab majority of online display profits in 2020

Mobile display advertising continues to surge, and it’s on pace to claim a significant portion of online advertising revenue. In fact, more than three-quarters of all online display advertising income will stem from mobile by 2020, according to data from analytics provider by IHS Markit.
Study: Marketers still rely heavily on email promotions to drive revenue

Email remains the go-to strategy for retailers to grab their piece of the digital pie — yet efforts don’t always meet their shoppers’ needs. Three-fourths (76%) of marketers said they rely heavily on email promotions to drive revenue, and one-third said more than half of all emails sent include a promotion or discount, according to a new survey from Coherent Path.