Consumers want to touch before they buy, and they want to talk when they purchase. Those promise to stand as two main traits of the 2018 holiday shopping season, and retailers that gain an edge and increase revenue during the all-important fourth quarter will likely have exploited such tactics during this period, at least according to new data that strives…
Industry Insights Blog
The EU is revising its rules on the governance of the .eu top-level domain, which is the internet domain name for the European Union and its citizens. Today’s meeting of member states’ ambassadors in the Permanent Representatives Committee agreed the Council’s position on the proposed revision, which reflects the significant changes in the online environment since the first .eu regulation…
Consumers are now more interested in clean label ingredients instead of product descriptions or the brand name itself, when shopping for new foods and drinks, according to a new global survey – highlighting the ongoing importance of clean label products. Natural and clean label ingredients have become an absolute expectation for consumers, but what they consider to be natural varies widely….
Mobile-friendly tech, augmented reality and virtual reality, automation, chatbots, delivery options, easy fast check-out, payment options, these are just a few of the trends shaping the e-commerce logistics landscape and the innovative ways of trading online.
Changing E-Commerce Landscape
The e-commerce landscape is changing and presenting online retailers with new and innovative ways of trading online. …
Inside the cavernous walls of The Home Depot, customers wander the aisles in search of a store employee wearing a signature orange apron. They’re trying to replace a specific part — maybe a gasket, or a flange. It can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
In 2016, in an effort to aid customers with this exact problem, the retailer…
Retailers, wireless carriers and others crunch data to determine what shoppers are worth for the long term—and how well to treat them.
Two people call customer service at the same time to complain about the same thing. One waits a few seconds before a representative gets on the line. The other stays on hold. Why the difference?
There’s a good chance it has…
Marriott recently teamed up with Amazon to offer a hospitality version of the e-commerce giant’s Echo devices in select hotel rooms. Now, when guests want to order room service or housekeeping, they can simply ask Alexa, the voice of their disembodied personal concierge. Travelers with an Alexa device at home can book a car rental or hotel through Expedia and…
On 4 October 2018, the Dutch Data Protection Authority published extensive information about the rules on direct marketing on its website. In this way, the Dutch Data Protection Authority provides clarity about the consequences of the GDPR on approaching (potential) customers. The Dutch Data Protection Authority distinguishes between the following types of direct marketing, each with its own rules: digital…
To date there are no specific legal rules in Belgium aimed at protecting consumers against misleading influencer marketing practices. That is why the Belgian Advertising Council recently created some guidelines after close consultation with stakeholders in the advertising sector.
These new guidelines only apply if your online influencer marketing meets the following cumulative conditions: The online influencer receives a consideration in…
Enabling COD in Southeast Asia allows access to over 73% of unbanked population Specifically for sellers in China and Australia, the new service enables cash collection from consumers in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam upon delivery Secure COD transactions with tracking visibility and fortnightly remittance to sellers
Cash is still king in Southeast Asia, with over 73% of the population still unbanked and…
Times have changed. In the past, brand promises and marketing campaigns provided companies the first point of contact with potential customers and prospects. But in an age ruled by social media and instant communication, those same prospects are turning to peers for help in forming their first impression. This leaves marketers no choice but to adjust their strategy and let their…
When competing with top digital retailers like Amazon, innovation, differentiation and providing personalised experiences are key factors to knowing and understanding how the less tangible data points, like quality customer service and overall brand messaging, can work in their favour.
Only a truly personalised, consumer-centric business model will succeed in making a dent in the competition against the online retail giants. Consider…
As of 29 September, the EU-wide legislation on the electronic identification (eIDAS Regulation) will enter into force enabling cross-border recognition of the electronic ID and allowing citizens and business to share their identity data when necessary. People will be able to use their electronic ID (eID) such as ID cards, driver licenses, bank cards and fill tax returns online, access medical…
Judging by the number of calls and the intensity of the discussions about how to comply with the cookie consent requirement in a post-GDPR world, this issue has become a top worry for organisations and data protection officers. Partly due to the visibility of the mechanisms used to collect this consent, and partly due to the potential implications of operating…
Of the $206 billion spent on advertising in the U.S., Fashion and Retail is the largest-spending industry at 22% or $43 billion per year. A large portion of this spend is allocated towards celebrity partnerships and campaigns. An immense opportunity presents itself alongside this massive spend, as research from the Journal of Advertising indicates that sales can increase by 4% through…
In 2014, shoppers in the U.S. spent over $320 billion on clothing, shoes, and accessories. By 2021, it’s estimated more than $96 billion of the total retail industry will be spent online.
We surveyed 1,000 men and women about their spending habits. We asked them how often they buy in-store versus online, which they prefer, and why. We even polled them…
Consumers are willing to pay more for choice in their interactions, yet most companies remain perplexed about which ones their customers really want—and how much to charge for them. How can companies best engage with their customers to offer them new experiences, along with add-ons to existing products or services they have already paid for?
The quality of these interactions has become…
This year has been a hotly anticipated revolution for digital payments, with both the General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR) and the revised Payments Services Directive ( PSD2) coming into effect.
The potential of PSD2 is already under investigation from industries across the board since coming into effect in January 2018. From aviation to retail, the ability to change the customer…
The Christmas shopping season will be here before you know it. Shoppers begin making holiday purchases as soon as October. Those earlier purchases could help drive online sales to a new record in 2018. For the past five years, I have made a few holiday sales predictions. For 2018, I am betting on early shopping, mobile commerce, voice shopping, and free…
There’s little doubt that the youngest generations of consumers are transforming the shopping experience. As millennials move into the mainstream and Gen Z enters adulthood, these digital and social natives are not only exhibiting new shopping behavior, but they’re also shifting how brands interact with their consumers. And this is apparent in the way top brands are changing their approach…