You may have noticed that we’ve changed our format slightly for 2014! This week, we have some great articles from the thought leaders on our retail and travel consulting team, including some outlooks as to what to expect for the new year as well as some summaries from the National Retail Federation.
- “Personalized E-Mails Drive Shoppers to Buy—and Buy More—in Stores and Online” [InternetRetailer] : A high percentage of Web shoppers cite a higher likelihood in purchasing, either online or offline, if the company sends them personalized emails based on their browsing behavior.
- “Six Key Digital Marketing Resolutions for 2014” [MarketingProfs]: Here are six key areas to focus on within digital marketing for 2014. The first one is something I couldn’t agree with more: data activism, or making sure you are acting on your data.
- “What Will Drive Consumers to Shop Online in 2014” [MarketingProfs]: From a survey of 1,000+ US consumers, Walker Sands shares some of its findings in this infographic about the future of retail.
- “Our 10 Boldest Predictions for the Digital Payments Industry in 2014” [Business Insider]: Ten predictions about what could be coming on the digital payment front in 2014.
- “Making the Case for a Great Tablet App” [InternetRetailer]: With the rise of tablets, here are some reasons to ensure a tablet-optimized experience for consumers.
- “Why Marketers Need to Care About Social Search” [MarketingProfs]: Read about how social media behavior is influencing search and why companies should care.
- “Why E-Retailers Might See More Consumer Spending in 2014” [InternetRetailer]: A high percentage of people feeling optimistic about their future incomes may look to increase spending in 2014.
- “How Can Stores Compete with Amazon?” [RetailWire]: With added pressure from online sites, brick-and-mortar stores need to continue to evolve and incorporate some of the online channel’s strengths into the offline experience.
- “Big Data: Cat-and-Mouse Escalates On Privacy Concerns” [International Business Times]: As companies look for more opportunities to leverage growing data, there are some concerns as to how to best protect individual privacy.
- “Showrooming Left in the Dust as Shoppers Go Online” [CNBC]: Stores made some progress in combatting showrooming, in some cases, by embracing it and integrating online and in-store offerings.
- “Overstock.com Is Now Accepting Bitcoins” [Wired]: Overstock becomes the first major online retailer to start accepting payment in bitcoins. Is this the start of a new digital payment revolution?
