Retail

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 a recent drizzly morning, I pulled out my chewed-up leather hiking boots to get primed for autumn […]

Yesterday Engageware released data from our survey on the state of the B2C buying experience, and respondents made it overwhelmingly clear that B2B brands should consider appointment scheduling to deliver the personalized buying experiences preferred by today’s consumers. The Engageware-sponsored survey, “What Buyers Want: The State of the B2C Buyer Experience,” complements our recent data […]

Whether or not you think Amazon Prime Day was worth the hype, the entire retail industry was ready for it to kick-off on Monday at 3:00 pm. Prime Day is now cemented in the pantheon of shopping holidays – right up there with Cyber Monday and other leading e-commerce events. In true Amazon fashion, the […]

There’s a big difference between omnichannel and multi-channel approaches to retail in 2018. While the multi-channel paradigm requires retailers to leverage many different channels for communicating with customers and driving sales, a successful omnichannel strategy comes to life when retailers can effectively integrate the channels they use to reach their customers, creating a continuous interaction […]

Google Duplex not only represents the tech giant’s newest capability – it turns the page on how customers and businesses will interact going forward. Artificial intelligence (AI) has officially gone to the next level, and the relevant use case is directed towards a task that’s seminally indispensable to both businesses and consumers: appointment scheduling. In […]

Brick-and-mortar retail, we’re happy to say, is far from dead. Indeed, in-store shopping remains a mainstay, with 87 percent of US retail customers still buying in the store, according to Forrester Research. The nature of that in‑store shopping experience, however, is changing dramatically. Today’s brands are competing more on customer experience than any other element […]

Since the day Robert Stephens founded Geek Squad in 1993, he has been thinking about selling time. Robert formed Geek Squad with $200, a bicycle, and a vision. In 2002, Geek Squad entered into joint operation with Best Buy and opened “precincts” in all of Best Buy’s U.S. and Canadian stores. Robert left Best Buy […]

Among the many cool technologies and solutions we saw at NRF 2018 Retail’s Big Show & EXPO, one over-arching theme stood out: artificial intelligence (AI) can help retailers achieve their ultimate goal of intelligent customer engagement. This is true no matter what the interaction – mobile, online, or IRL (“in real life”). All the buzz […]

Create remarkable retail experiences that motivate shoppers to walk through the door and linger In case you haven’t noticed, it’s that time of year again. The big day is almost here! No, not Thanksgiving, although that’s coming too and it’s a pretty big deal for those of us who love turkey and all the trimmings. […]

If you’re reading this post, you’re probably familiar with Engageware and what we do. We’re in the business of helping all types of companies schedule meetings with their customers and prospects. And we strive to let them do this important task smoothly, quickly and easily. We proudly promote our omnichannel scheduling capabilities, as well as […]

Getting the attention of consumers and, more importantly, keeping them engaged is challenging. Unfortunately, consumers have grown accustomed to not being engaged because poor experiences when interacting with brands are typically the norm, whether it’s inconsistent information across channels, the wrong offer at the wrong time, or lack of product availability. While this represents a […]

Key Findings from the Engageware State of Retail 2017 Survey Report Consumers said they plan to shop in stores in 2017 as much (70 percent) if not more (14 percent) than they did last year, according to the new Engageware State of Retail 2017 survey report. But that figure is down 8 percentage points from […]

Once again, the world of retail has taken over the Javits Center in New York City for the annual NRF BIG Show. Engageware is there, of course, ready to demonstrate our unique approach to appointment-driven personalization. You’ll find us—with a crowd—in booth #2235. As the team here was preparing for the show, I started thinking […]

Let me be the first to wish you a Happy National Returns Day (it’s coming up on Thursday, Jan. 5—hope you’re ready). According to a recent article from Forbes written by customer service and experience expert Shep Hyken, this Thursday is expected to be the biggest day for consumers to return unwanted holiday gifts. UPS says […]

It’s that festive time of year once again. A time for families to gather for Thanksgiving dinner, followed by rich desserts, conversation, watching football and… at least some members of the clan racing away from the table to get in line for Black Friday sales. Ah, tradition. With some retailers opening Thanksgiving night and others […]

Customer loyalty programs and memberships have been around for decades. Consumers love the idea of saving money, receiving exclusive offers, and getting priority service from their favorite retailers, banks and service providers. But are these programs causing businesses to actually miss out on key opportunities that truly build customer loyalty? There is a misalignment between […]

Millennials, those between the ages of 20 and 35, are fast becoming the most prominent and desirable demographic group for retailers and other businesses. As millennials mature, they are gaining more buying power and entering the stage of their lives where big-ticket items—including home mortgages and financial planning for retirement—are increasingly important to them. This […]

What is customer engagement and why does it matter? Creating a personalized, repeatable customer experience–every time you engage–is the key to long-term success. This infographic presents insightful statistics on what customers want, what frustrates them (and what happens when they’re not happy), why they buy, and how important customer experience is to generating brand loyalty. […]

Appointment scheduling can benefit any retailer by making it easy for their customers to connect with them for personalized conversations. This technology not only lets retailers provide a service guarantee to customers and prospects, it also presents upselling and cross-selling opportunities. Let’s take a look at how a leading regional wireless service provider is generating […]

Apple recently announced it will be renaming its stores by location (e.g., Apple Fifth Avenue) and that the purpose of its stores will undergo a massive shift. In other words, Apple stores will be redesigned so they are places where consumers hang out with others, seek expertise, attend classes, go to events, and oh, also […]

I recently hosted the webinar “Trends in Retail and the Personalized Experience,” during which I discussed research on the latest trends in retail with expert panelists Scott Duby, director of Global Consumer Industry for IBM, and Kim Garretson, principal of Realizing Innovation and BrainTrust panel commentator for RetailWire.com. The key takeaway from the webinar was […]

Even though 93 percent of retail decision makers say service personalization is a strategic focus, only one-quarter of consumers feel they receive a consistent, personal experience across channels. In 2016, Engageware surveyed 100 C-level decision makers and more than 5,000 consumers about plans and perceptions around customer experience and personalization in retail. These surveys highlight […]

Pokémon Go—the free-to-play location-based augmented reality game—has been sweeping the globe, and savvy retailers are capitalizing on its popularity. A collaboration of Google spinoff Niantic and Nintendo, the game was released July 6th for iOS and Android devices. Since then, it has set unprecedented records for a mobile game. It currently has 26 million daily […]

This week marked Amazon’s second annual Prime Day, a day when the retailer promises “amazing” deals to its most loyal customers (i.e., those who pay $99 annually for Prime membership). Last year’s inaugural Prime Day shattered Amazon’s Black Friday sales record by 18 percent. Customers ordered 34 million items across Prime-eligible countries at a rate […]

Engageware’s appointment-driven personalization solutions were a big hit at the Future Stores 2016 trade show in Seattle this month. At a show that reimagines the future of retail, Engageware was a natural fit for retailers who are looking for new, more effective ways to engage with their customers and drive more sales. Great topics from […]

Though personalization has been a buzzword for many years, the need for it in retail is more crucial than ever in a world where consumers are inundated with the “digitization” of everything. How do you we know this? Because consumers say so, and there is a stark contrast between the level of personalization that retailers […]

It’s time to reimagine retail in today’s society, and explore what’s next. With just five weeks until show time, the Engageware team is gearing up to head to Seattle, the Coffee Capital of the World, for Future Stores 2016. This past quarter, Engageware was excited to share our State of Retail 2016 report, which surveyed […]

Consumers now want on-demand help, whether it be for car service or making a purchasing decision, and today’s leading companies are shaping this expectation by providing this help immediately, no matter what channel. These organizations are setting the bar very high for customer experience as they provide affordable help in real-time. This concierge-like service model […]

Last Friday, Engageware had the privilege of having Rackspace Futurist, Robert Scoble and Crowd Companies Founder, Jeremiah Owyang, join Engageware’s CEO for a webinar on the On-Demand (Concierge) Economy. The webinar panelists discussed drivers for the on-demand economy and how consumers today expect services and goods at their fingertips. Per the discussion, leading companies are […]

For many in the retail world, the months leading up to NRF’s Big Show last week were exciting, action packed, and consumed by show prep. The hard work paid off: the event was a great success, with many informative sessions to attend and interesting booths to visit. But now, as NRF excitement finally wanes, it’s […]