The Power of Yelp

Posted on July 7, 2013 by bermanevansretail
Yelp “is the best way to find great local businesses. People use Yelp to search for everything from the city’s tastiest burger to the most renowned cardiologist. What will you uncover in your neighborhood?” Yelpers have posted over 39 million local reviews. And in 2013, Yelp has been averaging about 102 million unique monthly visitors. 
A recent Nielsen study examined Yelp users’ habits: “Not only have Yelp users — who tend to be younger, female, affluent, and educated — grown accustomed to searching online for local business, but they readily offer their own opinions about the service providers listed on the site as well. These user reviews have helped drive foot traffic into everything from dentists to day spas, and the study found that over 96 percent of Yelp users across devices like computers, tablets, and smartphones visit the site specifically for the ratings and reviews. In a separate study, Nielsen found that online reviews are among the most trusted sources for information for consumers, with 70 percent of them finding online opinions somewhat or completely trustworthy.”
Take a look at this chart and click on it to learn more.

 


 

Posted in Online Retailing, Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Social Media and Retailing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

bebe’s Omni-Channel Approach

Posted on July 6, 2013 by bermanevansretail
bebe is “the go-to destination for chic, contemporary fashion. The brand evokes a mindset — an attitude, not an age. It’s a true original, always defining fashion’s next stride forward. Designed for the confident, sexy, modern woman, bebe is a global label that embodies a sensual, sophisticated lifestyle.” It operates 250 retail stores and has more than 100 international-licensee operated stores.
The chain is a big believer  in multichannel (omni-channel) retailing. According to  Matt Pillar, editor-in-chief for Integrated Solutions For Retailers:
“Hamid Mashouf has served as head of technology at bebe for more than 10 years. During his tenure there, Hamid and his IT teams have replaced and revamped the entire spectrum of the company’s technology assets, from telecom to infrastructure to security. They’ve also upgraded the enterprise applications at bebe from the supply chain to the stores, enabling the business to grow internationally and expand the borders of digital and mobile.” 
“According to Mashouf, “the omni-channel journey” takes retailers down two parallel roads: One leads to the external optimization of the customer experience at all touchpoints along the path to purchase, while the other leads to the internal optimization of systems and core platforms to accurately manage orders, promotions, inventory, style/product, and customer data in a channel-agnostic manner. Both, he says, are dependent on the centralization of data.”
Click the image to read more.

 

Posted in Global Retailing, Online Retailing, Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 4: Store Location Planning, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Technology in Retailing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A QR Code Infographic

Posted on July 5, 2013 by bermanevansretail
According to research conducted by ScanLife: QR (quick response) “codes are a familiar sight in stores, restaurants, and museums; and they often appear on magazine ads and product packaging – even on cars and clothing. Each code is aimed at effectively delivering relevant consumer experiences that engage, educate, inform, or entertain. As marketers around the globe continue to integrate QR Codes into their marketing strategies, scanning volumes are growing at exponential rates.”
This is shown in the infographic below. 


 

Posted in Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Technology in Retailing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments