Adobe Analytics predicts how voice will change in 2019

Consumers are using their voice much more frequently to engage with devices and the [...]

Instagram wants to be your mall

Instagram has introduced a tool designed to shore up its hold on shopping. The [...]

5 Things to consider when accepting cross-border payments

We live in a global economy where increasingly businesses are expanding internationally to drive [...]

Why are retailers shunning celebrities for the ‘micro influencer’?

Research from Rakuten Marketing has found the amount celebrities get for promoting brands on social [...]

Unlocking the mysteries of the connected shopping journey

Whereas a problematic data gap existed between shoppers’ digital and physical shopping journeys, RetailNext’s new [...]

FedEx to help retailers compete with Amazon with next-day delivery option

Rather than boosting its revenue from Amazon, FedEx sees better prospects in helping customers [...]

The PSD2-GDPR balancing act

September approaches, of course (as it always does) – but this time, with a [...]

Top 500 Cross-Border Retail Europe

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Cross-Border Commerce Europe launches the first edition of the “Top 500 Cross-Border Retail Europe”: [...]

What’s the next big thing for voice assistants in 2019?

Voice assistants continue to gain momentum, but there’s still little clarity around how this new [...]

In the face of Amazon, omnichannel retailers can prevail

Nonstop innovations including expanded shipping capabilities, faster delivery times and cashierless stores make Amazon [...]

Online retailers and their customers appreciate versatile delivery types

Those times are long gone when we simply filled in the address at an online [...]

How direct-to-consumer brands see the purpose of stores

For three digitally native brands, brick-and-mortar locations are for consumer education — and more. [...]

Hey Alexa, 95% of consumers don’t want to talk to a robot when shopping

People do not want to speak with robots while shopping in-store or online according [...]

Amazon seeks a better way to do loyalty rewards with new Moments program

The cross-platform feature, which is self-service and runs on a CPA model, had test partners [...]

How e-commerce is changing packaging

Manufacturers are developing two packaging designs for the same product: those destined for the retail [...]

5 tips to avoid frauds and chargebacks

Today e-commerce websites and in general online merchants are facing a big challenge on a [...]

Data storytelling: Using consumer insight to strike a chord

Data storytelling bridges two worlds: the creative and the formulaic; emotive communication and hard [...]

Instagram’s e-commerce success is building with Stories

In addition to the big digital money makers like Amazon, Shopify, eBay and Alibaba, social [...]

How retail changes when algorithms curate everything we buy

Giant travel search engines such as TripAdvisor, Expedia, Kayak, and Google Flights have all [...]

Strategizing cross-channel shopping features

In the world of retail innovations, merchants are looking to reach shoppers by interacting [...]

The status of the GDPR as the one-year mark gets closer

In honor of Data Privacy Day (Data Protection Day in Europe), the European Commission [...]

Netherlands finally implements PSD2

As announced in our earlier newsletter ‘Netherlands finally implements PSD2’, the Dutch Senate approved [...]

The retail industry is struggling to understand tech

Savvy and subtle innovation — not robots, drones and flashy screens — are what’s needed most. Tens of [...]

4 Ways to keep customer data secure on social media

Customer care through Facebook, Twitter and other channels has changed the way consumers interact [...]

The future of open data in Europe

Data’s very concept is changing. It has become a commodity: its ownership can be [...]

Consumers more confident in how brands handle their data post-GDPR

Two in five consumers (41%) say they are more comfortable and confident that brands [...]

Why customer experience is key for loyalty programs

Research shows that monetary rewards are not the only driver for customer loyalty programs and [...]

New European rules to improve fairness of online platforms’ trading practices

On February 13, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the [...]

B2B Customer journey mapping: Examples from b2b markets

This paper introduces customer journey mapping (CJM) in the context of customer experience management. It [...]

4 keys to retail success from Target CEO Brian Cornell

Brian Cornell’s presentation at NRF 2019: Retail’s Big Show had a resonating message: Every decision [...]

NRF study says more online shoppers want free shipping

Consumers increasingly expect free delivery of items they buy online and are also embracing [...]

How will delivery, returns and the supply chain change in the coming year?

How will retail change and develop in 2019? We hear from industry insiders and [...]

Influencer tiers for the influencer marketing industry

The influencer marketing industry is rapidly growing and evolving. Latest estimates predict influencer marketing spend [...]

Last-minute shoppers increasingly trust only Amazon to deliver

Olivia Zimmermann started her holiday shopping early this year, buying a Bluetooth speaker from Best [...]

Carrier mapping

Retailers and brands who are invested in providing a great customer delivery experience must [...]

Trends and takeaways from retail’s NRF BIG Show 2019

From AI to VR to IoT, these buzzword acronyms were featured at this year’s NRF [...]

Omnichannel retail trends brands can’t afford to miss in 2019

As consumers grow and change, so do online retail trends — and with more and [...]

Here’s how the Google Assistant became more helpful in 2018

In 2018, the Google Assistant learned to speak new languages (Nǐ hǎo!), expanded to [...]

Fewer consumers celebrating Valentine’s Day but those who do are spending more

Americans are expected to spend a record amount on Valentine’s Day this year despite a [...]

In 2019, people say they’ll spend the most (and least) time on these social networks

Around here, much of 2018 was spent discussing and writing about social media. The [...]

Retail is broken. Angela Ahrendts has a plan

Retail is broken. Apple’s Angela Ahrendts has a plan After turning round the fortunes of Burberry, [...]

The return of retail and 5 other direct-to-consumer trends to watch in 2019

In 2018, it looked like there was no end in sight when it came [...]

2019 Predictions: What to take and what to leave

This is the year that everyone takes a critical look at the innovations they’ve [...]

Six retail experts predict 2019

Will even more fashion chains go bankrupt? Is Amazon really tackling the Benelux? Will [...]

Everything is e-commerce: Big takeaways from CES

CES is not what it used to be. Attracting positive consumer attention, with consent-driven data, [...]

Improving data quality is the top goal for marketers in 2019

First-party is now more valuable than ever, as online giants Amazon, Facebook and Google have demonstrated [...]

AI, automation and analytics: 3 critical strategies for CMOs in 2019, and beyond

The digital revolution has triggered tidal waves of innovation and change that show no sign [...]

BOPIS, retail’s latest acronym, makes the case for delayed gratification

One of the biggest themes at this year’s National Retail Federation show (NRF) didn’t [...]

6 trends that will shape mobile marketing in 2019

As the impact of innovations and disruptions of years’ past come into focus, leading [...]

5 trends that will define retail marketing in 2019

From loyalty programs to bolder ad campaigns, here’s what’s in store for the coming [...]

6 Top digital marketing trends & tactics for 2019

It’s time to change things up. As you put together your digital marketing plan [...]

Digital marketing trends for 2019

At Content First Marketing, we’ve been looking at the latest digital marketing innovations and [...]

5 Instagram marketing trends we will see in 2019

Instagram is one of the most important and most powerful marketing channels of our [...]

15 Content marketing tools for success you need in 2019

Do you want to revise your content marketing strategy? Here are 15 Useful Content marketing [...]

6 YouTube trends in 2019 for influencer marketing

YouTube, the ultimate destination for online video, is dominated by YouTube Creators who produce hours [...]

2019 will be the year mobile changes retail out in the real world

You could argue that 2018 was (again) the year of the mobile: it came [...]

NRF 2019 – Reviving retail’s roots in relationship: A Fortune 500 exec’s perspective

Heather Larabee, a former Whole Foods Market executive and current VP of Marketing at [...]

Google’s new marketplace to compete with Amazon in France

Google Shopping will soon be more than just a simple price comparison engine. Early [...]

All change for retail

Customers expect retailers and brands to adapt to their evolving shopping behaviour. Making a [...]

Top social media trends for 2019

How will the social media landscape change in 2019? Here are the key trends you [...]

Influencer brand partnerships: What influencers look for in brand partners

As many influencers try to understand what brands look for in influencer partnerships, it’s just [...]

5 Reasons your brand should build its own customer data & identity

Marketers are now waking up to the harsh realities of giving their customer data [...]

How to create your social media content strategy for 2019

2018 is almost behind us and we are ready to step into the next [...]

The Top 10 e-commerce metrics every marketer should track

Are you collecting the right information? How are you using it? Are you getting actionable [...]

Here’s how messaging is positioned to dominate in 2019

Messaging is the most frequent digital activity that a person does, period. In 2018 [...]

The year retailers evolved with mobile apps

It has been a busy year in the world of mobile commerce, particularly with [...]

Most Google search results now come from mobile index

More than 50 percent of Google’s global search results are served from its mobile-first [...]

The AI path to conversational commerce

A couple of years ago at the Techonomy conference, Ray Kurzweil—inventor, futurist, and director [...]

3 AI-driven strategies for retailers in 2019

Artificial intelligence is reinventing the retail industry as we know it. From personalized customer [...]

3 Digital marketing technology trends that will define 2019

Fresh phones, home gadgets, and entertainment devices all fly off digital shelves from Black Friday [...]

Five questions brands need to answer to be customer first in the digital age

Having a consistent brand voice in the digital age is not easy. Here’s how [...]

10 Global supply chain predictions for 2019

The electronics supply chain, for the past year, has been marked by component shortages, [...]

GDPR offers a challenge in designing better customer experiences to garner data

According to Chiefmartec, there are currently nearly 7,000 marketing technology platforms, a 100 percent increase [...]

10 retail trends to watch in 2019

Between historic bankruptcies, amazing advancements in technology, devastating consumer data breaches and a blockbuster end-of-year [...]

What 2019 will mean for Millennial commerce and payments

What 2019 Will Mean for Millennial Commerce and Payments The new year will bring a [...]

What will it take to get consumers to transact via voice?

Voice commerce holds promise. But at the moment, more consumers are turning to voice [...]

How Zalando is fighting off Amazon and building the Spotify of fashion

Ten years ago, Robert Gentz and David Schneider founded what has become Europe’s biggest [...]

Study reveals Millennials expect fast refunds, older consumers are thrifty but tolerant

There is no doubt that the bar has been raised high by ecommerce giants [...]

12 Tips for a customer-centric e-commerce experience

E-commerce is as much about the experience customers have to interact with your brand’s site [...]

Four mobile payment trends to watch for in 2019

Mobile payments have been thought to be on the cusp of widespread adoption for several [...]

GDPR & PSD2: Squaring the circle

GDPR and PSD2 are two legal initialisms that have both generated a great deal [...]

Germany’s first GDPR fine offers lesson for companies planning a data breach policy

In November 2018, Germany’s first fine under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was [...]

Beyond VR and tariffs: 4 Trends that will reshape retail in 2019

As retailers have been making last-ditch efforts to get consumers to open their wallets for [...]

Seven months post GDPR: What about fines?

Since the GDPR came into force in May 2018, all European data protection authorities [...]

EU approves ruling to chop charges for cross-border Euro transactions

The European Parliament has approved plans to make banks slash fees on cross-border euro [...]

Influencer marketing strategy: A 10-step guide for marketers

1. Know Your Audience And Their Interests Know your audience and the social media channels where [...]

A tale of two wannabe commerce platforms

The days when brands used social platforms only for top-of-funnel hype are long gone. With [...]

Pareto principle (80-20 rule) and loyalty rewards

Chances are, you may have heard about the 80-20 rule, or the Pareto Principle. [...]

Three ways to use Instagram’s IGTV for your brand strategy

Instagram announced two significant milestones: the social channel reached 1 billion monthly users and it rolled out [...]

Zara betting on AI, big data to outflank competitors

Inditex, the world’s largest clothing retailer and owner of the Zara chain, faces growing [...]

Influencer marketing trends and challenges into 2020 and beyond

Influencer marketing is one of today’s most powerful branding and sales tools, but you [...]

What makes consumers loyal to brands?

Well, it really depends on the consumer. When a consumer finds a product they like—the perfect [...]

‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies

The influence of Gen Z—the first generation of true digital natives—is expanding. Long before the term [...]

6 Ways to optimise your checkout for cross-border shoppers

International shoppers abandon carts for different reasons than local customers. In this article, we [...]

bpost and Zalando test in-house delivery service in Belgium

Bpost and Zalando have been experimenting with with in-home delivery and in-home pickup in [...]

Unbreakable trust: 5 retailers exploring Blockchain

Blockchain is poised to disrupt retail. It’s not just a buzzword. Blockchain technology may have [...]

Mastercard and Microsoft forge digital identity partnership

Mastercard and Microsoft are joining forces to tackle the messy business of digital identity [...]

Christmas ads fall from grace

Christmas season is in full swing and all the major retailers have released their highly [...]

Retail strategy for last-minute shoppers

We’re in the homestretch of the holiday shopping season. Three out of four holiday shopper [...]

Millennials and loyalty

Ever since Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff declared that “Loyalty is dead,” in a November [...]