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[ointel636-blog]

Target plans bar in Chicago location

Our Summary

According to the Chicago Tribune, Target has applied for a license to serve alcohol on the premises of its new store at Navy Pier, slated to open at the beginning of October. The location will be a smaller format, the first of its kind in Chicago.

It will be a fifth of the size of a standard Target, and product selection will be geared towards neighborhood shoppers, emphasizing men’s and women’s apparel. This comes at a time when Target’s CEO is planning to focus on four core ares: style, baby, kids’ clothes and toys, and wellness.

The Key Takeaway

What once seemed like a violation of liquor ordinances is becoming increasingly popular. On the wave of consumer craft beer and cocktail connoisseurship, retailers are installing in-store bars. This offering not only imbues a cosmopolitan flare, but lowers inhibitions (meaning more impulse purchases). Target is not the only retailer to open a bar in-store: Kroger, Wegmens, and Urban Outfitters have select urban stores that feature a bar.

Read the entire article here.

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

Inspired by the British Museum’s History of the World in 100 Objects, Intel set out to define the 100 key objects that have a had a profound impact on the development of retail. The report moves from the age of the cave man through to the 21st century and beyond, providing an overview of critical objects like the creation of markets, paper money, refrigeration and even display windows.

The rework also looks to the future, exploring key developments through futuristic objects.

Here’s a list of the top futuristic objects, according to the report.

1) Holo-stores.

Think digital shopping that becomes 3D, creating virtual environments for customers. It’s integrating big data to ask customers the right questions, and then using technology to serve up whatever product is best for them.

2) Intelligent shelves.

Digital shelving, meant to inform customers about promotions, gather anonymous data (lag times by a particular product, demographics, etc.), and to help companies better gauge stock level.

3) Smart Clothing.

The idea is that the clothing would have trackers in it to monitor well-being (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, blood sugar, and sleep patterns.

I am slightly skeptical about this (would be keen to understand what your shirt can monitor that your smart-watch can’t…).

4. Personal Flexible Augmented Viewer (Screens)

These are flexible, foldable displays that are the size of a pen and can be used to display information. They would be personal devices (unclear if they are separate from your smartphone, or if the technology is integrated into the smartphone) and customers could essentially surf the web/access brand’s content on a bigger screen.

5) Drones.

Drones will help to automate supply lines, monitor stock levels in warehouses, and deliver last minute packages to customers. Unclear what the limitations from Congress will be…

6. Personal 3D printing

3D printing will allow the end user to design unique product, potentially causing shifts in the amount of product a retailer needs to carry or provide. Consumers will be able to produce custom product from anywhere—really delivering on creating personal, relevant and timely experiences.

Read the entire report here.

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

Distinction between online, offline blurs for shoppers, but not retailers, Luxury Daily

Our Summary

Mobile’s influence on brick-and-mortar sales rose to 28% in 2014, up from 19% the prior year. However, the divide is growing between the digital functionality retailers provide, and the experiences c

Mobile use is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with shoppers using mobile for inspiration in addition to price checking. However, retailers continue to focus on mobile conversions at the expense of enhancing the mobile experience.

We’ve moved to a point where there is really no ‘online’ or ‘offline’ as consumers are connected all the time. Yet there remains a divide between the digital functionality retailers provide and the experience consumers want.

The Key Takeaway

The mobile experience should aim to influence the entire path to purchase, rather than simply try to point the consumer to purchase when they are looking for inspiration or information.

Read the entire article here.

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

The History & Future of Retail in 100 Objects

Inspired by the British Museum’s History of the World in 100 Objects, Intel set out to define the 100 key objects that have a had a profound impact on the development of retail. The report moves from the age of the cave man through to the 21st century and beyond, providing an overview of critical objects like the creation of markets, paper money, refrigeration and even display windows. 

The rework also looks to the future, exploring key developments through futuristic objects. 

Here’s a list of the top futuristic objects, according to the report.

1) Holo-stores.

Think digital shopping that becomes 3D, creating virtual environments for customers. It’s integrating big data to ask customers the right questions, and then using technology to serve up whatever product is best for them.

2) Intelligent shelves.

Digital shelving, meant to inform customers about promotions, gather anonymous data (lag times by a particular product, demographics, etc.), and to help companies better gauge stock level.

3) Smart Clothing.

The idea is that the clothing would have trackers in it to monitor well-being (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, blood sugar, and sleep patterns.

I am slightly skeptical about this (would be keen to understand what your shirt can monitor that your smart-watch can’t…). 

4. Personal Flexible Augmented Viewer (Screens)

These are flexible, foldable displays that are the size of a pen and can be used to display information. They would be personal devices (unclear if they are separate from your smartphone, or if the technology is integrated into the smartphone) and customers could essentially surf the web/access brand’s content on a bigger screen.

5) Drones.

Drones will help to automate supply lines, monitor stock levels in warehouses, and deliver last minute packages to customers. Unclear what the limitations from Congress will be…

6. Personal 3D printing

3D printing will allow the end user to design unique product, potentially causing shifts in the amount of product a retailer needs to carry or provide. Consumers will be able to produce custom product from anywhere—really delivering on creating personal, relevant and timely experiences.

Read the entire report here. 

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

Projecting Manhattan Life Onto a Tiffany’s Store... in London

Our Summary

Tiffany & Co. will mark the opening of a new luxury boutique on the ground floor of Selfridges in London with an immersive installation that lets visitors walk through a projected cityscape. Fifth and 57th is a recreation of the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in New York, the corner of where Tiffany’s flagship store is located.

The installation is free and offers a complimentary coffee and pretzel from a vendor’s sidewalk cart. 

Tiffany’s wanted to give customers a true New York experience, with Tiffany at the center of the city’s glamour and sophistication.

Read the entire article here. 

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

Startup of the week: ByeBuy

Our Summary

Increasingly, we are turning away from ownership of things. Instead, we pay for their use on a limited basis. We use services like Netflix, Spotify, Uber. 

A new service called ByeBuy intends to extend this model to the very devices we use and carry with us every day, offering unlimited rentals of things like iPhones, gaming consoles and wearable tech. 

ByeBuy customers will send requests for the devices they want and pay a flexible subscription fee that costs dramatically less than the purchase price. The customer keeps the device as long as they care to, returning it when they no longer want it. Should they wish to purchase the item, part of the subscription fee is applied to that payment. 

The Key Takeaway

Innovation cycles are expediting every year--while it took Nintendo seven years to upgrade, new iPhones are released yearly. Amazing new tech is released all the time, and to keep up with that innovation, a user would need to be constantly engaged in buying and selling, taking into account large time investments, uneven cash swings, and a lot of risk and unsustainability in the consumption pattern. Consumers want access, not ownership. We want to enjoy all the cool tech, but we don’t necessarily need to own it to enjoy it.

We are observing a shift in behavioral change. People tend to lean towards accessing things more than owning them. We want the service, not the object. We want what we want, and we want to get it now for as long as we enjoy it. If we don't want it anymore, we just want to end the service. 

Read the entire article here.

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

SOLS allows customers to create custom 3D-printed soles

Insole height, width, length and general topography of the foot aren’t often accounted for in the footwear designs brought to the market today. Without properly taking into account the unique quality of each wearer’s foot, poor fit is often the outcome. 

SOLS is seeking to solve this problem. SOLS, a startup based in New York, specializes in personalized 3D-printed corrective insoles for footwear. They’ve recently received an $11.1 million funding from Serie B to prepare for a direct consumer launch and further develop a robust portfolio of products, focusing on smart technology and responsive real-time products.

SOLS is working with EOS, a German 3D printing firm, to build a large-scale printing factory in Temple, Texas that will be able to produce all of it’s products in the near future. 

The ultimate goal is to let consumers send their orders via their smartphones to the factory, where SOLS will custom build the features selected. Materials could move beyond plastic to leather, or even mood-sensing color-changing LED lights. 

As 3D printing continues to disrupt the manufacturing industry, it’s companies like SOLS that will clearly come out as leaders in apparel production space with smart design and limited-to-no-waste models of production. 

Read the entire article here.

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

Instagram Ads: What, Why & How, social@Ogilvy Blog

Instagram is rolling out advertising to everyone--no longer just a select few brands. 

What’s new?

• Instagram carousel ads with “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” and “Sign Up” buttons that link outside the app

• Ads can be targeted based on demographics (age, gender and interest pulled from Facebook profiles)

• Sophisticated API targeted for automated managing, tracking and measuring of Instagram advertising

Why should a brand use Instagram ads?

Instagram ads allow brands to reach a highly engaged (and younger) audience with content that facilitates a deeper engagement. Instagram has a run rate of 475 campaigns to-date with ad recall 2.9x higher than Nielson’s Brand Effect’s norms for online advertising.

How should brands use Instagram ads?

Focus on quality content that integrates seamlessly with Instagram experience. Always try to drive one of the following actions: Shop Now, Book Now, Download, Learn More or Sign up. 

Learn more on Instagram’s blog. 

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

Distinction between online, offline blurs for shoppers, but not retailers, Luxury Daily

Our Summary

Mobile’s influence on brick-and-mortar sales rose to 28% in 2014, up from 19% the prior year. However, the divide is growing between the digital functionality retailers provide, and the experiences c

Mobile use is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with shoppers using mobile for inspiration in addition to price checking. However, retailers continue to focus on mobile conversions at the expense of enhancing the mobile experience.

We’ve moved to a point where there is really no ‘online’ or ‘offline’ as consumers are connected all the time. Yet there remains a divide between the digital functionality retailers provide and the experience consumers want.

The Key Takeaway

The mobile experience should aim to influence the entire path to purchase, rather than simply try to point the consumer to purchase when they are looking for inspiration or information. 

Read the entire article here.

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

LOYALTY INTELLIGENCE: MASS TO DIRECT COMPETITIVE

Audit of four brands from a mass to direct perspective.

Download the audit here.

[ointel636-blog]

Will virtual reality lead to virtual shopping, retailwire.com

Our Summary

Shopping on Facebook hasn't exactly taken off, but that could change, considering the surprising $2 billion deal Facebook made recently to acquire VR headset maker Oculus. Many have been asking how such simulated in-person connections might revolutionize communications with immersive 3D social experiences.

Zuckerberg hopes to make Oculus a platform for many experiences--imagine court-side seats at a game, consulting with a doctor face-to-face, or going shopping in a virtual store. 

The Key Takeaway

Critics say VR doesn't hold any meaningful application behind gaming, but with component pricing coming down and advanced technologies, some see Facebook's Oculus deal as a sign that VR may be ready to break out in the years ahead. TopShop recently used VR to transport in-store shoppers to London's Fashion Week. Though the technology may have more potential for e-commerce, it is a platform to keep an eye on. This type of immersive, augmented reality could have seriously interesting implications for the retail industry.

Read the entire article here.

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

10 Email Best-Practices [Infographic], Marketing Profs

Some 122,500,453,020 emails are sent every hour, so marketers must master the art of getting their email seen in a crowded inbox. 

The first tip is to craft a subject line that sings. Madison logic has found that punctuation isn't necessary and that capital letters product a lift in engagement. Personalization is key in subject lines--users are 22% more likely to open an email if they are addressed by their first name.

Find out more about best-practices regrading email calls to action, testing and mobile design.

Read the entire article here.

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

LOYALTY INTELLIGENCE: KELLOGG'S FAMILY REWARDS AUDIT

Assessment of the essential components of the Kohl's Rewards program.

To download the audit, click here.

[ointel636-blog]

Sephora Relaunched App - Push Database to Download With Mobile Exclusive Offers

Sephora Relaunched App – Push Database to Download With Mobile Exclusive Offers

Sephora has re-launched its mobile app (version 3) and named it “Sephora-to-Go.”  On September X, Sephora Beauty Insiders received a promotional email driving members to download. Included in this is an exclusive mobile offer to drive download. It’s really a GWP, but relevant, no less to the subject matter at hand (the mobile app). “Buy $25 worth of product and receive free headphones.

What’s Cool/Mobile Exclusive: Sephora Shares

Like most retailers who are realizing that in order for the app to stay relevant and to drive continued engagement, it has to include mobile exclusive offers. Sephora has its own “Mobile Exclusives” section but the transactional/GWP offers are not truly exclusive.  However, the mobile exclusives feature free monthly content called Sephora Shares. Users have access to music, apps, books and more—this month, a playlist personally curated by Marc Jacobs is available. Sephora seems to have struck a partnership with the brands it carries in stores that delivers licensed content – ingenious idea for their mobile device, in this case, music!

  Marc Jacobs Partnership

It seems the partnership doesn’t end with giving Beauty Insiders Marc Jacobs’ playlist and songs on their mobile device.  There is a call in the email for members to take photos of how they get ready with Marc Jacobs beauty and to tag their photo with #MARCTHEMOMENT.  The prize? A moment of fame – to be featured on Sephora’s Pinterest board.

Animation with a purpose

The use of animation within the content block illustrates the different screens of the app. Often animation is for aesthetics only, and in turn takes the email longer to download and view. This animation is subtle, but does a good job of displaying the app features and offerings.

  The Key Takeaway

Reasons to download and re-engage is critical.

Mobile exclusive offers is fantastic with partnerships and go beyond the rational benefits of discounts.

Free but useful content is just as valuable: information, entertainment etc. Famous Footwear may want to consider aligning with footwear brands that have lifestyle extension into content and provide a quid pro quo in using its owned media spaces to promote/merchandise the patron brands. .

To drive more migration to digital, consider giving exclusive Famous.com GWP offer through mobile app (driving download) – headphones are absolutely apropro

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

L'Oréal Launches its First True ‘E-Commerce Brand’

Our Summary

Booz Allen & Co believes eCommerce accounted for 8% of beauty sales last year - amounting to more than $5 billion in total revenue. Accordingly, L'Oreal is making significant investments in e-Commerce, launching two new brands and introducing a new online replenishment service.

The first new brand is Em, a prestige cosmetics brand from YouTube beauty blogger Michelle Phan. Em will be sold direct to consumers via emcosmetics.com, though it will have a standalone flagship store in Manhattan. L'Oréal calls Em the company’s first true “e-commerce brand,” inspired by and developed in consultation with Ms. Phan’s followers.

The second new brand is, Baxter of California, a new acquisition for which the company is redesigning the brand's website in an effort to get US men to spend more on grooming products. The payback is potentially huge for L'Oréal. The consulting firm Booz & Co. said it believes 8% of beauty sales last year—more than $5 billion—came from e-commerce. L'Oréal’s website overhaul for Baxter of California is another effort to boost e-commerce efforts, meant to drive sales of men’s grooming products. US men are actively shopping online, especially for products they don’t want to buy over-the-counter or at the department store.

Meanwhile, a host of L'Oréal brands (including Kiehl’s, Lancome, Clarisonic, Armani and YSL) have worked with a subscription-commerce software provider Order Groove to increase their auto-replenishment business. The company is looking to lock in loyalty by tapping into the subscription craze started by Birchbox.

The Takeaway

L'Oréal has been boosting their digital media spend for years, but these e-commerce efforts are meant to improve sales while nurturing loyalty and gathering data. It’s an important step when considering today’s consumer shopping behaviors, and considering online-marketing trends, a smart move as well. It’s become essential for marketers to understand that the consumer is thinking much more deeply about e-commerce, regardless of the product they’re looking for.

Read the entire article here.

- Paige Warmus

[ointel636-blog]

Americans prove to be the biggest, proudest coupon clippers, Forbes.com

The U.S. is a nation of coupon addicts, according to the findings of the Shoppers Trend Report, which measured consumer couponing and shopping behavior in 11 counties by RetailMeNot, America’s largest digital coupon website.

The survey interviewed more than 10,000 respondents in the U.S., Canada, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden India, Australia and China.

A few of the key findings:

• Fifty three percent of Americans say they value brands that offer coupons because they help them buy both necessities and discretionary purchases.

• Nearly half—48 percent—of the U.S. consumers surveyed “said they use coupons proudly as a symbol of their savvy shopping skills,” according to a press statement on the survey.

• In the U.S., deal seekers seem to predominate in the Northeast (60 percent), compared to 49 percent in the South and 48 percent in the West

The Takeaway

Coupons have been ingrained in our culture for over 100 years; Coca-Cola issued the first coupon in 1887. It’s a tradition to partake in while we shop, and is a source of pride for many Americans. Coupons have become a testament of the savvy shopper, and consequently American consumers are likely to look for and value coupons for some time to come.

Read the entire article here. 

- Paige Warmus