It’s no secret that a strong frontline boosts the bottom line. Under this new paradigm, it’s not the artists and designers who power the power stores, it’s the retail associates who make the experiences come to life, who solve problems, who connect one on one with their neighbors in the community, who know their products and brands inside-out and backward. They’re less cashier-behind-the-counter and more community ambassadors living and breathing the brand. They’re the reason customers come to hang out or make their next purchase again and again. In other words, those associates-turned-ambassadors? They’re a retailer’s most valuable asset. And enabling them with the right training and tools is key to unlocking success in a new world of experience-driven shopping.

FORBES | Read More →

High-profile bankruptcies and store closures have gutted some of the nation’s biggest retailers — and that’s during good economic times. Now, amid fears that the United States is headed toward recession, analysts say another reckoning might be in store as a slowing global economy, volatile stock market and new tariffs are likely to take their toll on American consumers in coming months. There is little middle ground left in the retail industry: Companies are either doing brisk business or struggling to hang on, analysts say — a trend that is likely to become even more pronounced if the economy sours. Analysts expect the gulf between winners and losers to widen.

THE WASHINGTON POST | Read More →

Rekognition has been assessing emotions in faces along a sliding scale for seven categories: “happy,” “sad,” “angry,” “surprised,” “disgusted,” “calm,” and “confused.” Fear, added Monday, is the eighth. However the online documentation for the service warns that it “is not a determination of the person’s internal emotional state and should not be used in such a way.” And as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft charge ahead with algorithms that intuit feelings, psychologists warn that trying to read emotions from facial expressions is fundamentally misguided.

WIRED | Read More →

Following Gymboree’s liquidation, parents are presented with a fragmented landscape to shop for kids clothing. Children’s Place is closing dozens of stores but is also trying hard to fill Gymboree’s void. There’s Carter’s, which also owns OshKosh B’gosh and sells a line of clothes exclusive to Amazon. Gap and Old Navy are two other popular back-to-school destinations. Beyond that, parents are scanning the aisles in places like Target, Walmart and Kohl’s. And department stores are expected to be the most-frequented stop this back-to-school season.

CNBC | Read More →

It used to be considered the retailer's crown jewel — a large format store on a swank corridor that showed off the best of what a brand had to offer. But now the so-called flagship store is disappearing from high-profile shopping thoroughfares like Manhattan's Madison Avenue and Chicago's Magnificent Mile because of skyrocketing rents and the shift to online shopping. Over the last year or so, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Lord & Taylor and Polo Ralph Lauren have closed their flagship stores on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. Abercrombie announced in May that it was closing three more of its big locations Still, flagship stores aren't dead. Many retailers like Nike and Levi are embracing new versions that beckon shoppers with less merchandise and more high-tech experiences.

USA TODAY | Read More →

Nobody cares about Generation X. Squeezed between baby boomers and millennials, those born between 1965 and 1980 are an “unsung generation,” Time magazine once sneered, “hardly recognized as a social force or even noticed much at all.” That’s changing, though: the latchkey kids of the 80s are now moms and dads to another cohort of practical, penny-pinching pessimists—with $143 billion in spending power. Turns out those skeptical slackers have created something that today’s companies now see as key to their success: Generation Z.

BLOOMBERG | Read More →

Customer loyalty at brands like Pampers, Ikea, and Shell are driven by well-thought out loyalty schemes. What are the loyalty mechanics behind their success? Open Loyalty’s team has recently analyzed the top 100 loyalty programs from all around the world to learn proven strategies that guarantee company growth and a good customer experience. Taking inspiration from various brands and industries while creating your loyalty strategy might bring you lots of innovative ideas as well as proven practices. Loyalty programs may have various mechanics, but the most important thing is to focus on your business goals and on improving your customers’ experience and satisfaction. Let’s dive into seven examples of great loyalty mechanics and learn from their example.

THE WISE MARKETER | Read More →

When you think of Prime Day, you might be thinking about deals on Instant Pots and Amazon Echo devices — not half-off dresses and designer heels. But the market for apparel and accessories globally is worth more than $1 trillion, so Amazon clearly sees there’s a lot at stake here. It’s using Prime Day to tout fashion deals. And it’s also had a slew of recent initiatives and tie-ups with fashion influencers to show it’s trying to establish the site as a place to shop for more than just the basics.

CNBC | Read More →

The more digital the world becomes, the more importance consumers place on personal connections. Social selling, where consumers sell directly to other people within their circles, is rapidly becoming one of the most effective sales channels in retail. Buyers not only get to see and touch the products, but they also can make their purchases confident in the expertise of the friends who sell them. Consider the following retail trends and how brands can add a touch of humanity, both online and in the real world.

INC | Read More →

Online shopping sales have surpassed that of brick-and-mortar stores for the first time in US history, so it's unsurprising that discussions of how to keep customers walking through the doors of stores are at the forefront of the retail industry. However, some stores have bucked the trend, and survived changing consumer habits for hundreds of years. Take a look at the oldest stores in America and how much, or how little, they have changed. 

LOVE MONEY | Read More →