Comments on: Digital Retail in 2009 http://blog.shop.org/2009/01/02/digital-retail-in-2009/ This blog is for the members of Shop.org Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:59:32 +0000 hourly 1 By: Daio http://blog.shop.org/2009/01/02/digital-retail-in-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-161456 Daio Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:29:00 +0000 http://blog.shop.org/?p=885#comment-161456 I think that lean retailers will outperform others, in this context anything that can be digitally sold should, movies, music - UnBox, CinemaNow, iTunes etc. This saves a lot of WC and carrying costs per store and moves WC into perhaps providing a richer mix or better promotions. Perhaps a downloading kiosk or a virtual download kiosk or the ability to watch online ala UnBox or Netflix. I think that lean retailers will outperform others, in this context anything that can be digitally sold should, movies, music – UnBox, CinemaNow, iTunes etc. This saves a lot of WC and carrying costs per store and moves WC into perhaps providing a richer mix or better promotions. Perhaps a downloading kiosk or a virtual download kiosk or the ability to watch online ala UnBox or Netflix.

]]> By: glenn lombino http://blog.shop.org/2009/01/02/digital-retail-in-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-159823 glenn lombino Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:50:53 +0000 http://blog.shop.org/?p=885#comment-159823 Excellent points and I happen to agree with all of them however as is always the case, there is never any mention of international expansion, why is this? With all the tools available that now allow domestic US based retailers/etailers to begin selling to the rest of the world from their existing US based brick and mortar locations, why are so few exploring this option? Why do so few offer the same product to the 300+million people who live in the UK and Europe that live here? These are the same people who think nothing of buying a roundtrip air ticket for $600.00 to shop in Manhattan! lets hope they never figure out that there are no bargins in Manhattan or we are all sunk...the bargins are on-line as is all the information to make an educated purchase. Couple this with the fully cost landed engines that are available and domesitc etailers could double their target audience overnight....think about it.... Excellent points and I happen to agree with all of them however as is always the case, there is never any mention of international expansion, why is this? With all the tools available that now allow domestic US based retailers/etailers to begin selling to the rest of the world from their existing US based brick and mortar locations, why are so few exploring this option? Why do so few offer the same product to the 300+million people who live in the UK and Europe that live here? These are the same people who think nothing of buying a roundtrip air ticket for $600.00 to shop in Manhattan! lets hope they never figure out that there are no bargins in Manhattan or we are all sunk…the bargins are on-line as is all the information to make an educated purchase. Couple this with the fully cost landed engines that are available and domesitc etailers could double their target audience overnight….think about it….

]]> By: david fishman http://blog.shop.org/2009/01/02/digital-retail-in-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-159817 david fishman Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:18:26 +0000 http://blog.shop.org/?p=885#comment-159817 I agree with Troy. It's important that retailers develop effective multi-channel marketing strategies. As the web matures there will need to be more technologies that create a symbiotic relationship between online and brick and mortar. I venture to say more useful social commerce applications will find there rightful place in the ecommerce world as a result of the shifting retail landscape. I agree with Troy. It’s important that retailers develop effective multi-channel marketing strategies. As the web matures there will need to be more technologies that create a symbiotic relationship between online and brick and mortar. I venture to say more useful social commerce applications will find there rightful place in the ecommerce world as a result of the shifting retail landscape.

]]> By: scobb http://blog.shop.org/2009/01/02/digital-retail-in-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-159633 scobb Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:43:06 +0000 http://blog.shop.org/?p=885#comment-159633 The focus on optimization is definitely timely. Now is a good time to look for traffic that is under-performing, such as visitors who are just looking or not completing the buying process. Optimizing the site experience for these visitors can yield significant gains in conversion and revenue, without incurring any added costs for customer acquisition. The focus on optimization is definitely timely. Now is a good time to look for traffic that is under-performing, such as visitors who are just looking or not completing the buying process. Optimizing the site experience for these visitors can yield significant gains in conversion and revenue, without incurring any added costs for customer acquisition.

]]> By: Troy Sheen http://blog.shop.org/2009/01/02/digital-retail-in-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-159498 Troy Sheen Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:38:58 +0000 http://blog.shop.org/?p=885#comment-159498 brick-and-mortar shopping will be with consumers for the long term. It's really a question of how the two assets (in-store and online) will work together to return value to the business. Clearly e-retailers have improved the capability of consumers to gain a better feel for products with 3D imagery, video and other rich internet applications. I see retailers looking for means to broaden their appeal to consumers; in this day and age it requires retailers to craft a multi-channel approach. We will see 100 year old businesses go away/change and new ones emerge overnight ie Kmart, Mervyns zappos.com, newegg.com. In summary things are changing fast... brick-and-mortar shopping will be with consumers for the long term. It’s really a question of how the two assets (in-store and online) will work together to return value to the business. Clearly e-retailers have improved the capability of consumers to gain a better feel for products with 3D imagery, video and other rich internet applications. I see retailers looking for means to broaden their appeal to consumers; in this day and age it requires retailers to craft a multi-channel approach. We will see 100 year old businesses go away/change and new ones emerge overnight ie Kmart, Mervyns zappos.com, newegg.com.

In summary things are changing fast…

]]> By: Rob Schmults http://blog.shop.org/2009/01/02/digital-retail-in-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-159497 Rob Schmults Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:23:49 +0000 http://blog.shop.org/?p=885#comment-159497 2 comments. First, love the point on optimization -- it could be the silver lining for retailers and their customers in 2009. Economic adversity slowing down the constant launch of new features will hopefully force online teams to go back through their sites and focus on cleaning them up and streamlining the path to purchase for their customers. This was exactly what Eddie Bauer did a few year's back when their parent was ailing so they had to make due with less. I remember Sally MacKenzie outlining how they were able to improve conversion rates by optimizing rather than working on launching more bells and whistles. Second, the "newspapers were the most popular place (48%) for shoppers to research merchants and special offers in stores on Black Friday" is an interesting stat. Mainly because it seems counter to ever newspaper stat I've seen that shows declining readership since the 60's or earlier! Don't see how the two can jibe. 2 comments. First, love the point on optimization — it could be the silver lining for retailers and their customers in 2009. Economic adversity slowing down the constant launch of new features will hopefully force online teams to go back through their sites and focus on cleaning them up and streamlining the path to purchase for their customers. This was exactly what Eddie Bauer did a few year’s back when their parent was ailing so they had to make due with less. I remember Sally MacKenzie outlining how they were able to improve conversion rates by optimizing rather than working on launching more bells and whistles.

Second, the “newspapers were the most popular place (48%) for shoppers to research merchants and special offers in stores on Black Friday” is an interesting stat. Mainly because it seems counter to ever newspaper stat I’ve seen that shows declining readership since the 60′s or earlier! Don’t see how the two can jibe.

]]> By: Colin Shaw http://blog.shop.org/2009/01/02/digital-retail-in-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-158557 Colin Shaw Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:34:56 +0000 http://blog.shop.org/?p=885#comment-158557 I agree with your overall assement that the web channel should be Embraced more, however, in my view this will never replace physical shops as people want to see and hold what they are purchasing. Colin Shaw I agree with your overall assement that the web channel should be Embraced more, however, in my view this will never replace physical shops as people want to see and hold what they are purchasing.

Colin Shaw

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