TECHNOLOGY

To stand out in a highly saturated digital marketplace, retailers’ must deliver fast speeds that drive top-notch experiences.    This is according to “E-commerce Performance: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next?” The report, from Retail Systems Research (RSR), evaluates 80 major retail websites on page speed performance, as well as end user experience.   

Affluence is out. So are the days of the mass market.    A new report projects 10 years out and reveals three fundamental principles that are shaping tomorrow's consumer packaged goods and retail industries: trust, influence and personalization. In a preview of its 2017 Global Future Consumer study, A.T. Kearney predicts the death of the scale economy that focuses on catering to affluence in favor of one driven by the influence of industry stakeholders, particularly by the hyper-connectivity of the younger generations.

Lamps Plus is making it easier for Canadian shoppers to make a purchase.   The specialty lamps retailer debuted lampsplus.ca, an e-commerce website designed to provide a localized experience in Canada. Canadian shoppers have been purchasing from Lamps Plus ever since the retailer debuted online in 1998. However, the new site specifically targets the Canadian market with prices displayed in CAD dollars.   

While Amazon expands its physical presence, Walmart Canada is taking its own swipe at the online giant — by moving in on its turf.   

Best Buy is looking to grab share in one of the hottest categories of the "smart" home market: voice-activated devices.   The retailer is adding Amazon Alexa and Google Home "experiences" to about 700 Best Buy stores nationwide. The new interactive displays will start arriving in stores in July, with the rollout complete by the end of the year.  In addition, there will be an enhanced online presence for the devices on Best Buy's e-commerce site.  

To step up customer-centricity efforts, retailers must use channels in tandem if they want to deliver personalized experiences.  

While Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods Market signifies a staggering boost in its physical store breadth, the deal is much more valuable than that.   This is according to “LandMark Insights,” a report from PlaceIQ. The study analyzed more than 165 million anonymous and opted-in mobile device signals nationwide to determine visitation patterns and audience affinities, among other metrics. These transactions were compiled over a 90-day period.   

Target Corp. has entered the fast-growing next-day grocery delivery market.    The discounter on Tuesday launched a pilot for Target Restock, a next-day delivery service for household essentials and dry grocery items ordered online, in its hometown market of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The service, available only to Target REDcard holders, comes with a flat fee of $4.99 per box.