Insights

At NRF's 2018 Big Show, technology like facial recognition and ‘Scan & Go’ shopping capabilities were at the forefront of the retail conversation. But consumer perception of this tech is mixed. Nearly half (49%) of shoppers do not think facial recognition will improve their shopping experience, but, conversely, nearly half (48%) of shoppers agree that ‘Scan & Go’ will make shopping easier.

GPShopper's latest consumer research uncovered not only consumer receptiveness of retail personalization trends, but also how they want these tactics employed during their shopping experiences.

Although consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the technology integrated into their shopping experiences, they are not embracing all of it. When discussing facial recognition, 45 percent of shoppers said they would be concerned about their privacy should it be used. Consumers are more positive toward ‘Scan & Go’ technology – nearly half (44%) would rather use ‘Scan & Go’ than wait in a check-out line. 

Topics: eCommerce, Lifestyle Retail, Beauty Retail, Apparel Retail, Grocery Retail, Mobile Payments, Best Practices, Case Studies, Market Research

Whether you're launching a new app or trying to grow your user base, highlighting your app’s best features is crucial in convincing customers to download it.

Communicating the launch of your app to your current email database is a good first step in leveraging your loyal consumers across channels. You can also leverage social channels, in-store signage and associates, and your mobile web presence to best market your app.

Topics: eCommerce, In-Store Mobile, Mobile Apps, Apparel Retail, Beauty Retail, Lifestyle Retail, Best Practices, Push Notifications

Excerpt from Glossy article
Written by Jessica Schiffer

Like everyone else hoping to maintain relevance with today’s consumers, Barneys New York has caught the wellness bug. This week, it introduced its new Conscious Beauty category in stores and online, comprised of “clean beauty” products and ingestible beauty supplements.

“The wellness trend has evolved and grown, and everybody’s talking about it,” said Jennifer Miles, Barneys’ vice president of cosmetics.

Indeed, the market is expected to be worth $13 billion by 2023, according to a recent report from Research and Markets.

“Customers are so savvy about ingredients, and very aware of what they’re putting in and on their bodies, so we really wanted to tap into that,” she said.

At this point, Barneys is playing catch-up to department store competitors. The news is reminiscent of similar endeavors launched last year by retailers like Neiman Marcus, with its Wellness Shop, and Goop’s pop-in shop at Nordstrom.

That doesn’t really matter, said Maya Mikhailov, the co-founder and CMO of retail app developer GPShopper.

“Late or not, they’re recognizing that wellness is the new luxury,” she said. “Gucci- and Prada-heeled consumers are snapping up health and wellness experiences with the same enthusiasm as this season’s latest fashions, so it’s no surprise that Barneys is getting more aggressive with this strategy.”

Topics: Press, Lifestyle Retail, Beauty Retail, Omnichannel Retail

In Summer 2017, Tillys teamed up with GPShopper to relaunch its mobile app. The buzz surrounding the relaunch was massive thanks to a scavenger hunt that utilized augmented reality (AR) to encourage consumers — particularly young ones — to engage with the brand. 

The retailer joined forces with YouTube influencer Shonduras on a back-to-school campaign. The goal? To boost in-store traffic by combining AR, social media, influencer marketing and gamification through digital elements. Shonduras, who has more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube, hosted the contest and provided in-app hints to participants about where they could find and collect virtual coins in-store.

The campaign demonstrated how retailers can use smartphone technology to draw consumers into stores, motivating offline behavior with an online initiative and bridging the digital and physical shopping experience.

Learn how Tillys achieved omnichannel success.

Topics: GPShopper Clients, Lifestyle Retail, Case Studies, Omnichannel Retail, In-Store Mobile, Mobile Apps

Holiday shopping is stressful. So much so, that shoppers are avoiding the season by getting their shopping done early. We released our “Reality of Holiday Retail: Keeping Up With the Consumer” report today, which found nearly one in three U.S. holiday shoppers (32%) would begin their shopping in October to avoid Holiday Crush during the season.

The study (conducted online with third party research firm YouGov) looks at how consumers are approaching holiday shopping this year and what retailers can do to best serve their customers. However, in order for retailers to meet the needs of their customers, they must understand their pain points and how to fix them.

FIXING THE BIGGEST PAIN POINTS

Nearly half (48%) of shoppers have had problems with retailers during the holiday season. Those problems start with shipping and inventory management. One in three (33%) of these shoppers reported paying extra for shipping on a gift that did not arrive on time, which is likely why more than one in four (28%) consumers are still start their holiday shopping in-store. Thirty-five percent of shoppers noted their gifts arrived late, despite having ordered by the last “ship by” date, while 22 percent missed the last “ship by” date and couldn’t get their gift in time.

Topics: Holiday Season, Mobile Apps, Omnichannel Retail, Apparel Retail, Beauty Retail, Benchmarks & Statistics, Lifestyle Retail, Market Research