Amidst shifting consumer demand and a move toward true omnichannel, retailers’ ability to leverage their physical presence is vitally important. Options such as deliver from store, buy online pickup in store (BOPIS), buy online return in store (BORIS) and delivery drop-offs in lockers are a major advantage over online retailers.
Stein Mart has become the latest retailer to partner with Amazon, betting that increased traffic to the ecommerce giant’s lockers in the back of its stores for order pickup and returns will translate to sales for the struggling discount chain. The lockers will be located in about 200 of Stein Mart’s 283 stores by early June.
A year and a half after first testing the program in Los Angeles and Chicago, Kohl’s will start accepting Amazon returns in July for free at its 1,150 stores in the 48 continental U.S. states, even without a box or label. Kohl’s says that “eligible Amazon items” can be returned free of charge.
Kohl’s has taken steps to improve the omnichannel customer experience using an innovative promotional model, personalization and its marketing efforts, attendees were told at eTail West. CMO Greg Revelle said the company’s core mission is to serve families with great products, savings and easy experiences.
A survey by JDA Software found that more than half of U.S. consumers – 52% – ran into technical difficulties during Prime Day. Of that group, 27% either gave up without making a purchase or bought less than they had planned. Amazon is also facing allegations of raising prices on some products, with the FTC looking into it.
Kohl’s launched a newly revamped loyalty program called Kohl’s Rewards, with plans to pilot it across 100 stores in eight markets. See which markets the program will be implemented in and how Kohl’s sees it as a traffic driver and revenue booster.
As merchants search for ways to contend with the behemoth of Amazon – which accounted for about half of ecommerce sales in 2017 – many are focusing on the last mile, returns and outsourcing to battle back. This MCM Outlook report, based on our annual survey of Multichannel Merchant readers, looks at trends and stats in all three areas.
A record $5.03 billion was spent online this Black Friday, up 16.9% from $4.3 billion in 2016, according to data from Adobe. It’s also been a very mobile holiday thus far, with more than half of ecommerce traffic coming through smartphones or tablets for the first time, Adobe reported.
The Halloween candy is probably still sitting in children’s bags and jack-o-lanterns are still aglow on people’s front porches, but the holiday shopping season has arrived. Here is a sample of what some of the major retailers are doing to push holiday season deals.
While things look dire in physical retail, investments in omnichannel are paying off for some traditional retailers. There are similarities in the playbook across a diverse group of companies, including aligning physical stores with the ecommerce channel, investing in private brands, and aggressively expanding product assortment. See how some of the leaders are staying ahead of the curve.