I love it when a month starts so close to a Monday, the combination makes it just perfect to plan tons of new intentions and targets for the month ahead. I’ll start this week and month buying a monthly planner. Any recommendation? I know it’s weird I’ve never had one, but being always on the go I’ve been always relying on my Google Calendar and a pen notes on my arm. Professional, I know.
But let’s stop talking about me, this week’s ICYMI is full of inspo: from Amazon latest moves to digital tech implementation in retail, beauty and e-commerce.
We wish you all a good start of the week!
Hope you enjoy it!
1.Loyalty programs renovation was one of the big trends of 2018 already, but looks like it still going: an analysis of the reasons why.
“The goal isn’t really to get shoppers to come back once. The goal is to create a connection so strong that customers want to keep giving up their business. As a result, loyalty programs are being used more and more to build connections with retailers beyond data collection.”
https://www.retaildive.com/news/whats-behind-the-rise-in-retailer-loyalty-program-revamps/549039/
2.Implementation of digital technologies into the beauty sector, the L’Oréal case.
“With the acquisition of ModiFace, we have started a second phase of L’Oréal’s digital transformation, focused on reinventing the beauty experience through technologies such as voice, AR and AI.”
https://www.wgsn.com/blogs/loreal-ai-tool-vichy/
3.Amazon and Tesla are exchanging their business model:
“Apparently, Amazon thinks that stores are an asset, while Tesla thinks that they are a liability. One of the two must be wrong. Which one?”
4. The sale “season” is now going on 12 months a year, which are the consequences for retailers?
“The issue of endless discounting is a big one for brands. It cost them some $300 billion last year, according to one estimate. It squeezes their margins, and over time, chips away at their cachet. […] in doing so, they’ve led shoppers to expect regular sales. Many people now buy only when a product is discounted, cornering brands into offering earlier and bigger deals to keep them interested.”
https://qz.com/1559218/how-fashion-got-trapped-in-a-cycle-of-overstock-and-discounts/
5. We’ve been hearing a lot of talking about the role of women in the retail industry, here an interesting article on the situation in the sector and a few suggestions to retailers to reduce the gender gap.
“Research has found that across industries, companies tend to promote female workers at much lower ratesthan their male counterparts.”
https://hbr.org/2019/02/12-ways-to-help-women-in-retail-advance-into-management
6. In-depth analysis behind the secrets of Amazon super disrupting powers
“If you are a brick-and-mortar retailer, you either embrace a digital strategy to become omnichannel or do nothing and become irrelevant. […] They say the “devil’s in the details,” and I would add the “details are in the supply chain.”
7. Bodyscan looks like one of the main candidates to solve the high rates of returns online, one of the main problem of fashion e-commerce today
“The idea is that you can then dress the virtual model of yourself in various outfits online and see how they look from all angles. The retailer can also send you fashion ideas as new designs come in, as modelled by your digital avatar. If people want the most accurate way of capturing their body shape this is a great way of doing it.”
Blonde Problems 