Retail

Retailers in 2022 face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Increased competition from DTC brands has driven up customer acquisition costs. Consumers with more choices and higher expectations are quicker to move to the other brands. This has forced retailers to think differently about how they can make every shopper’s experience personalized and provide a seamless transition […]

Retailers are beginning the reopening process, but the landscape has changed dramatically in a few months. Consumers are uncertain about how they want to interact with brands, and a patchwork of guidelines across states impacts how and when national retailers can open their doors regionally. Engageware created the Retail Experience Package to help address these […]

Retailers across the country are actively planning how to safely reopen their doors or welcome customers virtually as COVID-19 social distancing orders are rolled back across the country. While experts don’t know exactly how customers will feel about shopping in stores, they are all in agreement that retail will be different in the months, and […]

As states begin to gradually reopen their economies, retailers are preparing for what’s next. Brands are now re-imagining the world of physical shopping, factoring in new operational and hygiene processes, redesigned store layouts, and social distancing practices to ensure employee and customer safety. One trend that analysts expect to remain long after the pandemic subsides […]

The retail world, like everything else, is different than it was a month ago. Thousands of retailers have been forced to close brick-and-mortar operations as social distancing orders to combat COVID-19 took effect. Consumers, shut indoors across the country, have changed the way they shop and interact with retail brands. As stay at home orders […]

Women drive the significant majority of consumer spending in the US, however, they only represent about five percent of CEO positions and 29 percent of executive or senior management positions at retail organizations. This year ShopTalk pledged to have an all-women speaker lineup, addressing many of the mission-critical issues required to continue pushing the industry […]

According to McKinsey & Company, when it comes to retail personalization, the next digital frontier is in the physical world. That should not come as a surprise. While e-commerce growth is real, more than 90% of retail sales take place in a physical store. Even Amazon is opening more brick-and-mortar stores, a telling sign  that […]

Here’s how to create a retail environment that prioritizes people and meaningful experiences for a demographic with serious purchasing power. While Gen Z’s preference for online shopping steals most of the headlines, what this influential consumer demographic say they really want is more personalized and in-person retail interactions. The most recent research on Gen Z, […]

At National Retail Federation 2020 in New York City, the trend continues towards automation and harnessing AI to make it easier for customers. One could say that it’s “The Rise of the Machines”, but in fact, the Machines are increasingly being used to connect customers with the right employees – not just a bot. My […]

As consumers, each time we interact with a company, it leaves an impression. Whether we’re placing an order, chatting with a live agent, visiting a physical store or branch, or browsing a website, these encounters have a major impact on how we perceive that brand. In an age when customers have more choices than ever […]

Consumers continue to favor in-store shopping at locations where they can have conversations with knowledgeable employees and interact with physical products. The findings, according to the 2019 Future Stores Consumer Report, comes even as online shopping hits record revenues. While that seems like contradictory information, a deeper dive into consumer preferences show that shoppers of […]

Providing powerful alerts for customers and staff to increase on-site appointments while creating better customer experiences Text notifications are one of the best ways to engage with people. Not just consumers, or staff… People! With everyone inundated with email marketing and other notifications, it’s easy for your opt-in notices to go…well unnoticed!   According to a […]

The benefits of online appointment scheduling for consumer retail, banks, and credit unions are well documented and include higher sales, loyal customers and members, and more engaged employees. But with most locations, there is a constant mix of pre-scheduled customers and walk-in traffic that must be engaged. This inconsistent visitor traffic can often lead to crowded lobbies and waiting areas, consumer confusion, and frazzled employees who need to balance a full calendar of scheduled meetings […]

In today’s always-on world, consumers are in the driver’s seat and the expectation is that brands will deliver what customers need when and where they need it, whether that’s online via mobile, or in-person. To best reach consumers in the moments that influence their decisions, leading brands have turned to intelligent appointment scheduling and communication tools to […]

Given the dramatic increases in customer expectations as well as the ever-growing number of options consumers can choose from today, brands ranging from national retailers to regional credit unions are overwhelmingly adopting new customer engagement strategies to drive high-value interactions, inspire repeat visits, and grow their business. One of the best ways to deliver more […]

Scheduling appointments has never been easier with Reserve with Google powered by Engageware. Reserve with Google is a direct way of enabling prospects and customers to gain access to immediate appointment bookings. It skips the hassle of scouring a website looking for the phone number to call. Automated phone answering services can be a labyrinth […]

From virtual try-ons to in-store classes and nap centers, leading brands are offering customers meaningful experiences and more personalized services. In an Amazon vs. everyone else world (where Amazon is the undisputed king of low prices and free shipping), retailers are investing in resources and technology that create memorable moments. The most innovative are adding […]

One of the biggest retail trends driving growth in 2019 and beyond is in-store experiences like classes and training sessions. By revamping your omnichannel strategy, you can provide a more seamless experience between online and in-store interactions. This is especially important for savvy millennials and Gen Z consumers who want the convenience and personalization of […]

Retailers know that personalization is the key to boosting sales and gaining loyalty among a fickle consumer base. But not all brands have been able to capture shopper attention in the moment of interest, especially during the in-store experience. Engageware research from 2018 found that nearly half of survey respondents found it “difficult to get […]

Maybe you’ve been chasing a sales lead for months and finally confirmed a meeting with a stakeholder who can make or break the deal. Alternatively, you may be a retailer offering one-on-one appointments with VIP customers for services that range between consultations to preview nights. Regardless of who your customer or prospect is, booking the […]

Automation has been suffering from a bad reputation problem lately. This is especially true in the retail sector where a recent survey indicated 2 out of 3 retail workers fear technology will overtake many of their job duties. But there’s a much more optimistic tone among industry insiders and analysts. The World Economic Forum, the […]

Retail trends move quickly, but one that has staying power, and for good reason, is a focus on customer experience (CX). One major pillar for CX in 2019 is the link between personalization and engagement rates. Industry groups including the National Retail Federation found that this year brands are prioritizing “both the online and in-store […]

The holiday shopping numbers from 2018, the strongest in six years, indicate retail sales are healthy. But as we slide into a quieter shopping period, as well as more uncertain economic times, the urgency to keep Millennials and Gen-Z engaged is top of mind for retailers of all types—from big box stores to beauty brands. […]

As we prepare for NRF2019 in New York, we wanted to share this fascinating interview from the CMO On-The-Go podcast on the emerging technologies that impact real-world business and consumer interactions. Are we experiencing the retail apocalypse? Are chatbots becoming the desired consumer experience? Are we still seeing e-commerce battling with in-store operations? Below is […]

With just days left to go in 2018, we thought it was the right time to take a look back at the blog posts and topics our readers loved most this year. In case you missed them, here’s a quick Top 10 list. Enjoy, and we look forward to bringing you more engaging content in […]

A better way to manage return season with personalization and intelligent appointments The 2018 holiday season holds a lot of promise for retailers. According to Deloitte’s annual holiday forecast, everyone from discount brands and big box stores to purveyors of luxury goods is expected to ring up more than $1.10 trillion sales, with about $134 […]

The good news is retail sales continue to rise month-over-month. With a strong economy and low unemployment, sales are forecasted to remain strong throughout 2019, though the rate of growth is expected to slow. However, there are grayer skies ahead in the long-term. Forrester and other research organizations predict that a slowing economy is inevitable, […]

The case for targeting the repeat customer — it’s good for revenues and loyalty building There’s no arguing retailers have gotten really successful at acquiring first-time customers through the tested marketing trio of search, online behavior tracking, and ad re-targeting. Retail’s real problem today is achieving the second sale, a much more profitable sale and […]

This blog is part of a short series called “The Events and Classes Diaries”, where we recount our own experiential marketing journeys to highlight the power of classes and branded events in creating an exceptional customer experience. On Fridays, my kids have swim team practice at the Needham YMCA on Great Plain Avenue. In theory, it’s great […]

This blog is part of a short series called “The Events and Classes Diaries”, where we recount our own experiential marketing journeys to highlight the power of classes and branded events in creating an exceptional customer experience. At Engageware, we work with some of the most innovative brands in the world. And we’re proud of […]