Insights

Retail is starting to play a larger role at SXSW. This year, we saw more brand executives emphasize the importance of the in-store experience and ensuring those experiences not only align with the brand, but meet customer expectations and demands. In-store activation wasn't just limited to speaker sessions or panel discussions. Retailers showcased their Austin-based physical locations with thoughtful and engaging programs. Here are a few examples we loved.

 

Aviator Nation

 

Aviator Nation first launched in 2006 by Paige Mycoskie. The clothing brand was born out Mycoskie's love of 70s-inspired clothing, live music and the arts. She launched her collection out of her garage in Venice, California where her friends could also come and play music. The brand grew in popularity and now all eight of her brick and mortar stores still embrace that same ethos. Every Aviator Nation location embraces live music and ongoing events that cater to the creative and musical desires of each market. Mycoskie credits the fact that the musical acts can still be viewed for free by customers as one of the keys to the success of her stores. She emphasizes that the in-store experience is authentic to her brand and therefore, resonates with her customers. True to form, during SXSW, Aviator Nation's Austin-based location hosted a mural painting party, sound bath sessions, yoga and live bands during the festival.

 

Photo Cred: @AviatorNationAustin

Kendra Scott

Kendra Scott is based in Austin, so it's no surprise that it would welcome SXSW with open arms. Kendra Scott specializes in jewelry and accessories, focusing especially on gemstones. Realizing the power of brick and mortar stores, Kendra Scott opened a new flagship location in Austin's popular 'SoCo' district (South Congress) and welcomed retailers with a Style & Retail Party at the start of SXSW.

Topics: In-Store Experience, Retail Tech News, Retail Industry Research, SXSW

The Best of GPShopper 2018

Our most read articles in 2018 covered topics and trends including emerging retailers, millennial shopping trends, in-store experiences, social media best practices and Crate and Barrel’s mobile app case study.

1. 2018 HOT LIST – Emerging Retailers to Watch in the Coming Year

This year, our top story highlighted emerging brands that deliver unique and authentic experiences to their customers. Be on the lookout for our 2019 list coming in January.

Topics: In-Store Experience, Mobile Retail Apps, Retail Industry Research, Omnichannel Retail

Last year, Adobe reported $108.2 billion in online sales generated between November and December, an increase of 14.7 percent year over year. In response, we’ve designed an in-depth mobile holiday checklist to help you achieve maximum success across all of your digital channels.

Learn the best timing for:

• Increasing your paid search ads
• Load and scale testing your app, and hardening your app code
• Introducing new video content
• Sending your customers shipping deadline reminders
• Shifting your marketing focus to the last-minute shopper 

Topics: In-Store Experience, Mobile Retail Apps, Retail Industry Research, Omnichannel Retail

Are you ready to hire 10,000 marketing managers to compete with AI?

For the better part of a decade, retail has looked to “personalization” as its primary marketing strategy in an effort to combat a rapidly deteriorating landscape. It’s time to admit it’s not working. True personalization, a 1:1 marketing experience between the brand and the consumer, is incredibly difficult, if not impossible with the current tools at a marketing team’s disposal. In fact, it would probably take upward of 10,000 marketing managers to pull such a strategy off. Artificial intelligence and machine learning, on the other hand, could handle it in mere minutes.

With a rising number of store closures this year, already up to at least 3,000, retailers can’t deny they’re struggling to find a strategy that works across the board to bring shoppers back into the fold and generate the loyalty they desperately need. AI, particularly as a marketing function, has the transformative power to cure some of these ills, but as it stands, only major companies like Amazon or Google are harnessing the technology in a way that impacts the bottom line. The challenge many brands face is how to catch up or even begin to compete.

Topics: In-Store Experience, Retail Tech News, Mobile Retail Apps, Omnichannel Retail

Shoppers are more receptive to 'scan and go' than facial recognition

Retailers often bank on new in-store features being transformative, only to be met with consumer resistance. So, what makes a shopper receptive to a retail innovation?

 

A new study from GPShopper found differing attitudes among US internet users when it asked about two forms of emerging retail technology: facial recognition and “scan-and-go” initiatives. Regarding facial recognition technology, 45% of respondents had privacy concerns. But more importantly, 49% simply don’t believe the technology will improve their shopping experience.

 

In contrast, 48% of respondents said scan-and-go technology, which allows shoppers to use a retailer-provided device or mobile app to scan items and pay by smartphone, would make shopping easier. And 43% would rather try this method than wait in a checkout line. Consumers showed the most interest for using this tech at grocery stores (50%), followed by retailers specializing in home goods (30%), apparel (27%) and beauty (25%).

Topics: In-Store Experience, Retail Tech News, Mobile Retail Apps, Retail Industry Research, Omnichannel Retail