Campaign corner
Only the best. In Farmer’s Dog’s commercial a woman shares the tale of how her family welcomed a golden retriever named Sam into their lives through adoption. She encourages fresh dog owners to cherish their time with their furry friends by engaging in playtime, offering love and care, embarking on lengthy walks, and allowing them to explore their surroundings. Our furry friends deserve the best and that’s why Farmer’s Dog offers 50% off to new customers.
Open Carbonara. Food shouldn’t divide people and it should be more inclusive. This is what Barilla’s short movie named Open Carbonara wanted to highlight. In this emotional video, you’ll see how a few changes in a recipe can make people happier and unite them. Yes, we all love an emotional and meaningful short film.
Retail technology
Mail-in recycling. Best Buy, a US electronics retailer, has launched a mail-in recycling program for its customers to dispose of their unwanted tech devices responsibly. The program will accept items such as mobile phones, tablets, printers, and wearables. Customers can print a prepaid label from the Best Buy website and send their devices through the mail for free. Best Buy aims to recycle 2 billion pounds of e-waste by 2030 through this program and other initiatives. The retailer also offers an in-store recycling program for larger items like TVs and refrigerators.
Virtual store builder. Obsess, a virtual reality (VR) platform for retailers, has launched a new product called Ava, a metaverse-enabled virtual store builder. The platform allows retailers to create customizable 3D virtual stores with interactive features and real-time shopping capabilities. Customers can navigate the virtual store using their smartphones, tablets, or VR headsets, making the shopping experience more immersive and convenient. Ava also offers analytics tools to help retailers track customer behavior and optimize their virtual stores for higher engagement and sales. Obsess aims to provide a solution for retailers looking to tap into the growing demand for online shopping and virtual experiences.
Expert opinion
AI in retail. What role will conversational artificial intelligence play in retail customer service? Will the technology result in more customers being satisfied with the customer service they receive from retailers? Various retail experts answered these questions in one of Retail Wire’s discussions. Here’s what Dave Bruno shared:
Angry customers. What are the primary reasons customer anger at companies is climbing? Do retailers and brands have a financial incentive to address the causes of this customer dissatisfaction? These were the questions debated by retail experts in one of Retail Wire’s discussions. Gary Sankary shared his thoughts:
Online grocery retailers and omnichannel commerce
Online groceries. Large grocery retailers are dominating online grocery sales in the US, according to a new report by Brick Meets Click and Mercatus. The report found that large retailers with more than $1 billion in annual sales, including Walmart, Amazon, and Kroger, accounted for 70% of all online grocery sales in February 2021. Smaller regional and local retailers saw a decline in online grocery sales as consumers preferred to shop with established brands with reliable delivery services. The report suggests that smaller retailers may need to invest in their online platforms and delivery capabilities to compete with larger retailers in the growing online grocery market.
Omnichannel success. The success of omnichannel commerce relies on creating a seamless customer experience across multiple channels, such as mobile, in-store, and online. This requires real-time inventory visibility, flexible shipping, and delivery options, personalized marketing messages, data analytics, and a strong technology infrastructure. Collaboration and communication between different departments and stakeholders are also important to ensure a successful omnichannel strategy.
