Better Using In-Store Data

What often separates high-performing retailers from low-performance retailers is the quality of the customer and other data that they collect, analyze, and use to guide their strategy.
As recently reported by RetailNext:
“In a challenging time for retail, many brick-and-mortar merchants are seeking to transform themselves into more effective selling and customer service organizations – with technology playing a central role in this process. A key component of this transformation is collecting and acting on the best possible data regarding how shoppers behave inside their stores. At the annual RetailNext Executive Forum, which gathered nearly 100 retail executives and thought leaders, in-store analytics leader RetailNext surveyed attendees to understand their opinions about how these critical technology trends will affect them in the next few years. The survey findings revealed great interest in collecting the factual information retailers need to improve their stores to drive more sales and profit.”
Click the image to read more from RetailNext.

 

 

Posted in 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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How the Music Industry Has Changed

As we know, the music industry has changed dramatically in recent years.
Check out this animated timeline from Digital Music News.
What does this timeline mean from the perspective of music retailers and their merchandising strategies?

 

 

Post suggested by KCJ

 

Posted in Online Retailing, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Technology in Retailing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

McDonald’s: Customer Service Issues

As we reported recently, McDonald’s has been working hard to stimulate sales growth. However, it has some serious customer service problems to address.
According to Martha C. White, writing for NBCNews.com: “When it comes to service, McDonald’s customers just aren’t lovin’ it. The burger behemoth is fielding an increasing number of gripes about its employees’ friendliness, professionalism, and speed of service, so much so that an executive warned, ‘service is broken,’ at a recent internal webcast. The company told franchisees that 20 percent of complaints were related to workers’ attitudes, ‘and it’s increasing,’ according to the Wall Street Journal. Gripes about ‘rude or unprofessional employees’ topped the list, and complaints that it took too long to get food increased ‘significantly,’ over the last six months. In a survey of the 10 largest fast-food chains it conducted earlier this year, research firm Technomic found that McDonald’s came in last in the ‘friendly, pleasant service’ category.”
Click the image for a Wall Street Journal video.

Photo by Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

 

Posted in Global Retailing, 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 7: Communicating with the Customer, Part 8: Putting It All Together, Social Media and Retailing, Video Clips (non-career) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment