Forrester Research, Inc.

Mobile and omnichannel are the top priorities for retailers this year, according to the 2015 Shop.org/Forrester Research Inc. State of Retailing Online report.

About 58% of the retailers by surveyed Shop.org and Forrester Research Inc. place mobile at the top of their list, up from 53% last year. 

By Jim Crawford

In the 1990s, when the Internet and e-commerce created a tangible link between modes of shopping that had previously been isolated (stores and catalogs), retailers struggled with how to understand, measure, and connect with shoppers in multiple ways.

It was out of this confusion that the concept of “multichannel” was heralded as retail’s saving grace, and soon, retailers were all abuzz with cross-channel shoppers.

New York -- E-commerce in the United States in 2015 will top the $300 billion mark for the first-time ever, according to Forrester Research’s principal analyst Sucharita Mulpuru.

“This is big news,” Mulpuru said during a presentation at the National Retail Federation’s annual “Big Show” conference.  

 

By Ryan Gilchrist

Walmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s and select other retailers already rank among the nation’s leading producers of solar energy, with huge investments that are growing every year. But the industry’s strong position in renewable energy still has room for improvement — literally — with millions of unutilized roof space, prime real estate for solar panels and wind turbines.

By Molly Glover Gallatin, Gigwalk   According to Forrester Research, U.S. e-retail sales are expected to grow from $263 billion in 2013 to $414 billion in 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 9.5%. While a fuss has been made about the increase in online spending, statistics show that more than three quarters of retail transactions are still made in-store.    

By Jeff Seabloom, Alsbridge   At one time, IT service providers could demonstrate their retail industry expertise by showing a PowerPoint slide of customer logos. That’s no longer sufficient.   

High expectations are the key to everything. Take mobile for example. Apps from Starbucks, Uber, Netflix, and Apple have all made outstanding digital experiences expected and commonplace. Finally, customers have a taste of products and services that work the way they should, effectively reprogramming consumer expectations for all digital experiences.  

By: David Kidd,  Peak 10
 
Data privacy and security remain top concerns for retailers. There is good reason for that.  The Target breach compromised approximately 70 million records. The Home Depot breach potentially impacted another 60 million consumers. As I write this article, reports are being made public about a breach involving the office supply retailer Staples. We can no longer deny that cybercrime is a real and growing threat to the retail sector.

By Greg Smith, president & CEO of Accudata Technologies

The holiday season is right around the corner, and you know what that means — shopping, upon shopping, upon shopping! This is a great time for any e-retail business, but are you ready?

By Graeme Grant, president & COO, CQuotient

Technology and the proliferation of communications channels have significantly altered the way brands and retailers approach customer engagement. What was a “nice-to-have” strategy of coordinating messages across shopping channels only three years ago is now a “sink-or-swim” requirement for merchants. Consumers engage across every touch-point and demand that retailers have an omnichannel communication approach to complement their always-connected behaviors.