Campaign scoop
Saving up. Prices have gone up on almost everything, including gas. Carpooling, choosing public transportation, or biking to work seem like good alternatives, right? In a funny and relatable ad, Walmart wanted to showcase the benefits of its membership.
The missing chapter. The winner of the Grand Prix in sustainable development goals Lions was a campaign made created by Leo Burnett Mumbai for the well-known brand P&G. A truly inspirational campaign that shows the power of knowledge and education.
Technology for retail
AR for the win. While AR has been available for a few years, there seems to be a growing interest in it lately. After many well-known brands started creating AR tools to allow their customers to “try out” different products, Walmart decided to acquire AR optical firm Memomi. Walmart mentioned that this purchase will enhance its eye care services.
Self-checkout. All shoppers are different, but they all want a convenient experience when shopping in-store. This is why self-checkout is definitely the future. The global market for self-checkout terminals grew 11% in 2021. This technology is useful and very convenient for on-the-run shoppers.
Autonomous robot. Robots are great solutions (we, at Tokinomo, can definitely agree). Amazon seems to believe that too since they just unveiled their first fully autonomous mobile robot. Proteus, the robot, will first be deployed in outbound handling areas for GoCarts, non-automated, wheeled transports used to move packages. This way, it will help workers avoid lifting heavy objects.
Ask the experts
Customers’ frugality. No matter where you look, you are going to see two extremes nowadays: people who try to save up as much as possible due to the rising inflation and people who are splurging on vacations and spending more money after not being able to enjoy themselves during the COVID-19 Pandemic. In this discussion on Retail Wire, Bob Phibbs made an interesting argument regarding consumers’ frugality.
Keep your returns. Returns have been an ongoing operational challenge for retailers that are already seeing margins squeezed as a result of delivering online orders to customers’ homes. Are retailers telling customers to keep products instead of returning them? In this discussion on Retail Wire, Mark Ryski shared his opinion about returns and their impact.
Shopper experience
Shoppers’ preferences. Super-fast delivery doesn’t seem to be among the top preferences of customers. Instead, the younger generation puts more emphasis on convenience, personal touch, and predictability. Fast is not always best, right?
Digital in-store experience. Omnichannel retail is not just about connecting the online and the offline experience. It’s much more than that. For an omnichannel strategy to be successful, retailers need to focus more on creating a digital in-store experience.
Customer-centricity. Is 2022 the year of customer-centricity? We sure hope so. Putting the customer in the center of all decisions. This type of approach can help companies grow and stay competitive, while increasing customer satisfaction.
