10 Industry Gurus Talk Biggest Challenges and Opportunities for Retail in 2016
Boston, MA (PRWEB) February 12, 2016 -- QuickPivot, provider of award-winning, real-time cross-channel marketing automation software and services powering lifecycle marketing for retailers, announced today the release of a new best practices industry report, “2016 Retail Predictions, Insights from Industry Gurus”, developed in partnership with B2B research and technology marketing firm Scratch M+M. The report focuses on seven key areas of retail challenges and opportunities in 2016, including how retailers leverage technology, data and agile marketing to meet the customer at their own terms – across channels and in real time. Digital marketing innovators from New Balance, Sur La Table, Allen Edmonds, Potpourri Group and Kurt Salmon Digital tell it like will be: digital takes over physical, digital content is the engagement king, and the top inspirations will come from the least expected places – niche or new brands who are breaking the traditional retail mode.
Key takeaways from “2016 Retail Predictions, Insights from Industry Gurus” include:
- Online is taking over the in-store tech investments: Although everyone agrees that investment in technology should be based on the specific needs and niche each retailer occupies, industry experts point to 2016 as the first year when digital tech investments would overpower in-store ones. Investments in cross-channel, personalized experiences, digital content, digital channel and content integration are forming as best practices among retailers of all sizes.
“In the past is was more about online being in-sync with the store. Now, it’s more about the stores being in-sync with online.” - Mari Corella, Global Beauty Brand
- Customer data integration moves beyond aggregation and is flexed to address specific use cases: The experts concede that we are entering a maturity stage with customer data. Savvy retailers in 2016 will be asking more practical questions such as how to act on customer data, not just simply how to analyze it, what specific insights they can glean from their data across channels so they can orchestrate seamless journeys and experiences, and how they can solve the attribution questions so commerce – online and offline, can move closer to servicing the “market of one”.
“Retailers need the ability to see what’s working quickly and scale it - take a strategy that’s working and put it on steroids.” - Colin Hall, Allen Edmonds
- The “Amazonization” of everything: Amazon created a new breed of empowered customer - the customer who cannot wait to get what they want, when they want. This expectation is now ubiquitous and goes beyond responding to customer inquiries across social channels – translating into heighten expectations of having the latest product information and availability – online and in the store. Frictionless convenience will bode omnichannel success from retailer failure in 2016.
- Omnichannel woes: Experts agree that omnichannel is the most overused and the least understood aspect of retail marketing. Some say mobile rules the channel, others advise to approach omnichannel with the same vigor and consistency as web and email. Some point to the entire experience, others call for the connected experience. You be the judge.
“The channel is mobile and everything else simply surrounds it like a hub and spoke model.” Pat Cassidy, New Balance
“Mobile applications are the fulcrum for enabling the customer to shop. Their stores are facilities to fulfill the shopping.” - Dom Armano, Potpourri Group
- The biggest inspirations for 2016? They come from places you may not expect– from authentic hustlers who innovative such as Shinola, young and niche brands such as Supreme and Leather Head Sports, to disruptors such as NastyGal.
“We tapped into some of the top minds in retail for inspiration in 2016,” notes Paul Mandeville, Chief Product Officer of QuickPivot. “Retail is evolving at breakneck speed, so it’s important to continuously have the conversation on what’s working, what’s not working and what might be next. We learned a lot, and we wanted to share the collective wisdom of these retailer leaders to help all retail brands learn from the best.”
“2016 Retail Predictions, Insights from Industry Gurus” reflects the insights and experiences from 10 retail industry experts, including:
- Pat Cassidy, Director Digital at New Balance
- Kevin Ertell, Director Digital at Sur La Table
- Colin Hall, SVP Marketing at Allen Edmonds
- Mari Corella, Director of Digital Marketing, (Global Beauty Brand)
- Wayne Best, SVP Marketing at 47 Brand
- Candice Galek, Founder of Bikiniluxe.com
- Domenic Armano, e-commerce and Analytics Mgr at Potpourri Group
- Sanford (Sandy) Stein, Author of Retail SCHMETAIL and two time NRF speaker
- Abbott de Rham, Consultant and founder of de Rham & Co.
- Andy Wong Founder of Kurt Salmon Digital
To get access to the “2016 Retail Predictions, Insights from Industry Gurus” report, please click here.
ABOUT QUICKPIVOT
QuickPivot provides fast, powerful, easy to use software for smart marketers with big ideas, but small teams and tight budgets. We amplify the value of our software with our crew of artistic but analytical marketers who make short work out of the data, integration, strategy and production bottlenecks that hurt so many brands. Winner of the most innovative marketing automation solution by the 2014 MITX What’s Next Awards, as well as the Silver and People’s Choice Stevie Award for Best New Product or Service of the Year in Software for Marketing or Public Relations, the new QuickPivot platform enables marketers, in any industry, to dynamically derive customer insight, listen to brand interactions and adapt campaigns to create seamless buying experiences. QuickPivot helps companies like Bank of America, HP and over 30 channel partners, including Harte-Hanks, Digitas and Fulcrum Analytics.
Karen Norris, QuickPivot, http://www.quickpivot.com, +1 (617) 880-4041, [email protected]
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