Loyalty Marketing

Starbucks Corp. reported first quarter earnings and same-store sales that topped expectations. But the coffee giant gave a soft earnings outlook for its current quarter.

Starbucks reported better-than-expected earnings of $687.6 million for the period ended Dec. 27, 2015, down from $983.1 billion a year earlier. The prior-year period was boosted by a hefty $391 million gain related to a joint venture.

Revenue rose 12% to $5.37 billion. Analysts had forecast $5.39 billion in revenue.

Abandoned carts get plenty of attention. Retailers run reports on lost revenue from abandons. Email campaigns start hitting customers as soon as an hour after they abandon. A day later, another email comes.

Targeting cart abandoners is definitely effective. Statistics show that as much as 25% of lost revenue can be regained via abandoned cart emails. But what if you didn't lose that revenue in the first place?

We'll never live in a zero abandonment world. But we can definitely limit the chances of abandonment.

Abandoned carts get plenty of attention. Retailers run reports on lost revenue from abandons. Email campaigns start hitting customers as soon as an hour after they abandon. A day later, another email comes.

Targeting cart abandoners is definitely effective. Statistics show that as much as 25% of lost revenue can be regained via abandoned cart emails. But what if you didn't lose that revenue in the first place?

We'll never live in a zero abandonment world. But we can definitely limit the chances of abandonment.

2016 will be a year when many niche innovations in customer experience will become mainstream as consumers expect more out of their shopping experiences, forcing traditional retailers to step up or risk becoming irrelevant. Marketplace buzzwords and emerging trends, such as personalization and seamless mobile access, will become table-stake elements of the customer experience.

Here are ways retailers will take their customer experience to the next level:

Personalization

Kmart on Wednesday announced the launch of its new Pharmacy Savings Plus program, an initiative aimed at saving underinsured or uninsured patients money on their prescriptions and other pharmacy services.

Rite Aid has rolled out proximity beacons in more than 4,500 stores across the U.S., which, according to tech news website ZDNet, is the largest rollout of beacon technology ever in a retail setting.

A new study shows that consumer demand for mobile technology has reached a fever pitch, with most shoppers trending toward mobile-friendly retailers.

According to a study by SOTI, differentiating with mobile technology is proving successful among retailers, with 73% of survey respondents stating the availability of in-store mobile technology signaled better customer service and loyalty, an increase of 26% from the previous year.

Massage Envy on Monday named Joseph Magnacca CEO. Former CEO Dave Crisalli will continue to serve the business as a member of its board.