ECOMMERCE

The nation's supermarket retailers are positioning themselves to capture a significant majority of online grocery sales over the next decade or so.   That's according to Joe McKeska, president of Elkhorn Real Estate Partners. He made his remarks during a panel discussion at Marquette University’s annual commercial real estate conference.  

Walmart is about to debut a new initiative to bolster its defenses against its biggest rival.   The discounter's Jet.com site is launching a higher-end private-label brand of household and grocery essentials. The new brand, called Uniquely J, will launch in the coming months with a curated selection of products that include such essentials as coffee, olive oil, laundry detergent, paper towels, and more. Additional items will be added.    

Consumers are growing increasingly comfortable using connected devices for daily tasks — and shopping is not far behind.    As more devices connect to chatbots and virtual assistants, an increasing number of consumers are ready to embrace the automation and convenience delivered by IoT technologies. Nearly half of consumers (48%) said they would feel comfortable with a connected device, such as a refrigerator, ordering items on their behalf.  

A new Alexa skill is helping Perry Ellis’ customers dress for any occasion.   The menswear brand is assisting its shoppers with the “Ask Perry Ellis” Amazon Alexa skill. Called the first-of-its-kind, voice-activated skill, the technology supports a modern, frictionless shopping experience that enables customers to use their voice to find the right look, and shop for merchandise.   

Tailored Brands has taken steps to identify shoppers and drive customer satisfaction.   The menswear company operates more than 1,400 locations in the U.S. and Canada, as well as digital channels, across a variety of brands. By partnering with ForeSee, Tailored Brands now has a solution that manages all customer experience (CX) intelligence from one centralized location.  

Private-label introductions are increasing on a seemingly daily basis, but Amazon-owned products are transforming the marketplace.   This was according to “AmazonBasics Spearheads Amazon Private Brands,” research from One Click Retail.   

More unauthorized product ads are hijacking the consumer experience — an issue that will cost retailers precious revenue this holiday season.    As unauthorized product ads are injected into consumer browsers — and appear on retailer sites — consumers are distracted from the retailer’s offerings. This disruption – known as online journey hijacking – cuts directly into retailers’ revenue, an issue that could cost companies $2.1 billion this holiday season.

Walmart could be making another bold move in the online delivery game.   Speaking at an advertising industry event in New York City on Wednesday, Marc Lore, president and CEO of Walmart eCommerce U.S., said that he expects the chain to offer free, same-day delivery  in New York City “very soon,” Bloomberg reported.