Data & Analytics

Specialty beauty retailer Sephora is getting a better look at the merchandise its stores will need.

In many ways, 2015 marked the year the customer truly took over. Retailers recognized that constant connectivity and increasingly sophisticated consumer devices have created an environment where customers decide what they want, when and how they want it, and then choose the retailer who can best meet their needs.

In this environment, retailers scrambled to engage customers in a more personalized and direct way than ever before. Here are the top three customer engagement trends of 2015.

On the Go

Regional supermarket co-op Hy-Vee Inc. is giving customers seamless access to their purchases just in time for the holidays.

Earlier this year, 240-unit, West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee launched Hy-Vee Aisles Online, a new service that allows customers to shop for their groceries, pay electronically and choose to pick up their order or have it delivered to their home. The rollout of the program began in select stores in the Des Moines metro area in April and was gradually launched across other markets throughout the summer.

According to analytics reports from Adobe and RetailNext, online sales trumped bricks-and-mortar over Black Friday weekend and the trend looks to continue throughout the 2015 holiday season.

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, especially during the season to be jolly, but I’m a realist. And though I wish happy holidays for all, I must tell mall retailers to steel themselves for another disappointing holiday season. Deloitte is expecting seasonal sales growth of 3.5% to 4% this year, ahead of inflation but below the 5.2% growth of last year — but don’t expect malls and department stores to see that growth. A disproportionate share of holiday sales will go to the humble discount stores, far away from the fancier shopping centers.

When your customer base is drivers who have had an accident or mishap with their vehicle, capturing consumers “in the moment” is crucial.

So with 6,500 mobile glass shops across the country, Columbus, Ohio-based Safelite Group Inc. runs a national business model that relies on capturing natural search traffic.

Jet.com customers waiting for Christmas deliveries may want to start setting their sites on Boxing Day or other post-Christmas holiday events.

In a brief statement on its website, Jet.com acknowledged that it cannot guarantee that deliveries for any item not eligible for two-day shipping will arrive by Dec. 25. The statement cites nationwide shipping delays that have affected its delivery partners and thanks customers for their patronage during the retailer’s first holiday season.

Regional supermarket co-op Hy-Vee Inc. is giving customers seamless access to their purchases just in time for the holidays.