I have been researching what obstacles brands face when trying to succeed online and in-store through my contacts on LinkedIn. It has been very enlightening and has confirmed some of what I already suspected and opened my eyes to other barriers. Most of the conversations started out with my contact saying either, "how long do you have to talk" or "you sure have opened a can of … [Read more...]
BOPIS puts the customer is in control
My gut feeling about BOPIS (Buy Online, Pickup In Store) is that it is great for customers but not easy to execute for retailers. BOPIS is another omnichannel marketing process offering a frictionless purchase process for the consumer. Simply put, BOPIS puts the customer in control. This blog shows how this trend can challenge retailers and consumers as well as delight … [Read more...]
BOPIS puts the customer in control
My gut feeling about BOPIS (Buy Online, Pickup In Store) is that it is great for customers but not easy to execute for retailers. BOPIS is another omnichannel marketing process offering a frictionless purchase process for the consumer. Simply put, BOPIS puts the customer in control. This blog shows how this trend can challenge retailers and consumers as well as delight … [Read more...]
How Libratone Took an Unconventional Approach to Retail
In my quest to keep meeting consumer electronics (CE) marketers and understand the obstacles they face at retail, I was recently able to have an hour-long conversation with Mike Culver, president of Libratone. He is responsible for sales, marketing, customer service/support, operations and P&L for the company. When Mike was offered the position at Libratone, he … [Read more...]
B8TA: The Try-and-Buy Technology Retailer
"b8ta stores are designed for discovering, trying and buying the latest tech products." I finally visited a b8ta store in Santa Monica, California last week. It is exactly how I imagined it would be. For those of you who aren't familiar with the retail chain, it is a store that is designed to give customers hands-on access to all of the products they sell. They focus … [Read more...]
The Death of the Brand at Retail For CE Products
In a market where there are many similar products, such as in consumer electronics, how important is the brand? I want to say it is VERY important. However, it is difficult for any brand to stand out in-store or online in this ever-evolving retail world. This blog explores how online shopping has changed how brands present themselves and the retailer's role in downplaying the … [Read more...]
What is Hindering Your Product’s Success in Retail Outlets?
I asked many of my LinkedIn connections in the CE industry what is hurting the success of consumer technology products at retail outlets. I received several insights and I thought they are worth sharing to a larger audience. High Costs, Low Margins, Counterfeit Products, and Amazon are Major Obstacles at Retail Outlets An EVP of Sales & Marketing and Operations at a … [Read more...]