Omnichannel

Food Lion is launching an omnichannel coupon initiative that combines fun with savings.

Now through Jan. 1, customers can access digital coupons through the Shazam smartphone app while shopping in Food Lion stores. Food Lion has partnered with interactive marketing firm Mood Media Corp. on the campaign.

Home Depot, Amazon.com and Safeway are tops when it comes to offering the best mobile commerce experience according to a new study that benchmarks 20 top U.S. retailers against one another.

Kohl's is pulling out all the stops in the hopes of increasing holiday sales this season by staying open through Christmas Eve.

Kohl's plans to keep its doors open for more than 170 hours straight from 7 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17 through 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24 as an added convenience to holiday shoppers. In addition to extended store hours for last-minute shopping, customers will find special savings opportunities on Super Saturday, Dec. 19, and time-saving conveniences such as buy online, pick up in store for last minute gifts.

With the financial picture improving modestly at Toys “R” Us, CEO David Brandon said the company is ready to build on third quarter successes during the final days of the holiday season.

I remember something a retailer once said to me more than 25 years ago, long before digital mattered. It’s still true today: if the product’s not right, nothing matters. If the product is right, everything matters. That everything now includes staying ahead of the consumer digitally. We’ve gone from a generation that saw technology as a skill, to one that doesn’t see it at all – it’s so natural it's become instinct. This shopper lives in a world where digital doesn’t just define shopping habits - it defines the way they live.

The next five years will see continued consumer adoption of advanced technology drastically alter how retail is conducted.

According to a new study from Fujitsu Americas, 50% of retail will be automated by 2020. Advancements in enterprise technology, supported by Big Data playing a larger behind-the-scenes role, will allow retailers to offer enhanced front-end experiences using mobile platforms, smart sensors and social media.

Mallgoers who need to see what’s happening at the North Pole before they believe in Santa Claus will have their doubts erased, thanks to J.C. Penney. According to Advertising Age, Penney is using Oculus virtual reality headsets in an immersive holiday promotional experience called “Twas the Flight before Christmas” at four select malls. Customers will be able to interact with a virtual “Santa’s Workshop” environment.

Before you declare your personalized marketing efforts a success, check with your customers.

That is the overriding message from a global study of 1,200 consumers and 200 marketing professionals conducted in October 2015 by Forrester Consulting for hybris. The study, “The Contextual Marketing Imperative,” finds that while 66% of marketers rate their efforts at personalization as “very good” or “excellent,” just 31% of consumers report companies are consistently delivering personalized, cross-channel experiences