Some Retailers Step Back From Black Friday Frenzy
REI decided to close its 143 stores on Black Friday, taking the backlash against the day of deep discounts to a new level. Other chains, like GameStop and Staples, will open later on Friday but plan to remain closed on Thanksgiving. Store executives say the moves are in response to employees’ requests to have the holiday off, as well as to customers who are fed up with the shoppingmayhem and shop online instead. But the decision also spares retailers from competition, profit-sapping door-buster deals and overtime pay for holiday staffing.
Shoppers will skip Thanksgiving dinner for a deal
More than half (55 percent) of Americans plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day—more than those who plan to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Forty-eight percent of Americans plan to shop on Black Friday and 42 percent of Americans plan on shopping on Cyber Monday.
Retailers Can’t Rely on Holiday-Season Gimmicks Like They Used To
This holiday shopping season, the keys to winning for retailers will not be having the “toy of the season,” free shipping, or huge Black Friday sales. Retailers will win this holiday season by creating advantages in other ways, among them: brand strength, distribution, service, and customer experience. All of these require year-round dedication to management and marketing, rather than once-a-year sales gimmicks.
Checking product inventory goes mobile this holiday season: report
54 percent of mobile shoppers plan to research products from their phone this holiday season. However, some may be surprised to learn that 35 percent plan to create shopping lists and 24 percent plan to check product inventory from their phones. 55 percent of mobile shoppers planning to use their favorite retailer’s mobile app to track deals and prices.
It Turns Out Shopping-Center Santas Actually Do Bring People in the Door
50 percent of parents with kids aged 13 or younger plan to make a trip to a shopping center for the express purpose of visiting Santa Claus. The motivation isn’t so much kids who want to sit on a stranger’s lap as it is parents hell-bent on getting a photo of it. Having an attractive Santa concession today seems to have more to do with a high-tech Santa’s Village than old St. Nick himself.
Wi-Fi is better than beacons for in-store analytics: report
At the moment, Wi-Fi is in a very precarious position as Apple continues to create roadblocks and beacons take mindshare and budgets, per Mr. Connolly. However, Wi-Fi still offers important advantages, namely that it is ubiquitous on smartphones and is available in more than 50 percent of major retail stores in the United States. This gives Wi-Fi a level of reach that cannot be matched by other indoor technologies.
Macy’s peps up Black Friday shopping via beacon-triggered mobile game
Macy’s is offering in-store shoppers multiple chances to win prizes by playing the mobile enabled Macy’s Black Friday Walk In and Win game, which is triggered by beacons. Additionally, shoppers can get a sneak peak at Black Friday specials on the Macy’s Pinterest page and build a shopping list from their mobile phones on Macys.com that they can shop from directly on Thanksgiving Day.
Sears trying to blur lines between online, in-store shopping
Some recent omnichannel initiatives from Sears include free curbside pickup of items you ordered online, allowing you to reserve clothes online for trying on in-store and seamlessly interacting with salespeople online or in-store, regardless of where you started your shopping experience. A service to be announced Wednesday allows you to start your appliance search online and then set up a time to meet with an in-store expert to pick up where you left off.
Walmart refreshes omnichannel push in anticipation of 210M+ holiday app visits
Walmart is sprucing up its application in anticipation of more than 210 million app visits during November and December by unveiling new shopping list capabilities and a check-in service for picking up online orders. In addition to being able to check in upon arrival at a store to facilitate pickup of an online order, the app will also enable users to scan items in the store to add them to a shopping list.
Struggling retailer Kmart turns the blue light back on
The struggling discount chain is bringing back the “Bluelight Special” in the hopes the iconic marketing approach it pioneered decades ago will breathe life into its stores and online sales. The decision to revive the sales tactic was the result of months of research that showed Kmart customers remembered the experience fondly.
The post In-Store Retail and Mobile News for the Week of 11.5.15 appeared first on Point Inside.