Tag Archives: Innovation

Nov 28 2025
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Rethinking Smart Living

For years, the smart home market has been in a state of flux, promising a future of seamless usability but often delivering a confusing array of hardware and rising costs. Early adopters often became frustrated troubleshooters, grappling with incompatible devices and a confusing array of apps. Now, thanks to the latest developments at IFA 2025 in Berlin, this narrative is taking a turn for the better. There is a renewed sense of promise that this sector can take positive steps forward to become the seamless part of our lives we imagined it would be when we first uttered the words “Hey Google”.

This year’s event provided us with a real insight into the direction some of the biggest players in the sector are heading and the consumer trends they are tapping into. The focus has shifted from novelty to genuine utility, addressing the friction points that held back mass adoption. The market is moving from a collection of gadgets to a cohesive ecosystem.

The UK Market and Key Trends

UK interest in the sector has remained strong, even though initial momentum has plateaued. Ownership of smart products has doubled in the past five years. Knowledge of products is a key factor in the market, and around 80% of UK households have at least one smart home product.

A big part of further adoption is devices that are able to operate with other products, be it other device categories or brands. Matter, the open-source protocol that enables devices from different brands to seamlessly interact, has been a slow burner since its 2022 release. However, its growing importance is as critical to the category’s future as ever. It operates over Wi-Fi and, crucially, Thread, a low-power mesh network where each new device strengthens the entire system’s reliability and speed. Virtually all major brands, including smart lighting partners like Philips, revealed enhanced Matter support in their products at IFA 2025. This move reaffirms their commitment to the protocol and highlights its benefits.

Alongside this element, new AI features are also expected to drive a new wave of smart home interest, as Google has scheduled a Gemini for Home rollout for later this year. The era of the simple, reactive voice assistant is ending, replaced by proactive partners that can handle complex requests like, “Plan a dinner menu based on my smart fridge’s inventory and start a cooking playlist.” At IFA, brands like Aqara showcased AI capabilities for their security cameras, enabling them to better detect people or motion, delivering those insights to the user. The new generation of smart assistants aims to enhance task completion and responsiveness. They are also designed to be more conversational and interactive.

Smart Home Security

The trend in security is about being Proactive and AI-powered. Instead of just passively recording events, modern systems use on-device AI to actively identify specific threats and take deterrent action. This intelligence transforms security from a reactive tool to a preventative one. 

The smart home security market is valued at £31.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to over £114 billion by 2034, showing a strong CAGR of 15.31%.

The Google Nest ecosystem serves as a prime example of this intelligent security. The Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell use sophisticated on-device AI to differentiate between people, packages, animals, and vehicles, ensuring users only receive important alerts. This on-device processing also means faster notifications and enhanced privacy. A key feature is Familiar Face detection, allowing the system to learn who belongs at your home, so it can specifically announce on a Nest Hub or speaker when a family member arrives, or if an unfamiliar face is at the door. This deep integration is key; a motion alert from a Nest Cam in the garden can automatically display its live feed on the Nest Hub in your kitchen, providing immediate context without you needing to reach for your phone.

Smart Lighting

The market has moved beyond simple colour changes to focus on Human-Centric Lighting. This trend is all about wellness, with systems automatically adjusting the colour temperature of light to support the body’s natural circadian rhythm. 

The global smart lighting market is valued at approximately £27.2 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach over £100 billion by 2032. Affordability was also a focus at IFA, with 35% of UK consumers saying that their smart home adoption is hampered by higher costs.

Trending Products:

Philips Hue: Remains the market leader. Its popularity is currently being boosted by wellness-focused products like the Philips Hue Twilight sleep lamp. In a move to address costs, the brand also brought in a new range of lower-priced bulbs starting at £25, which importantly support Matter over Thread connectivity to drive new user adoption.

Nanoleaf: Very popular for its aesthetic, modular light panels like Nanoleaf Shapes. The brand has gained ground by being an early adopter of the Matter and Thread protocols, making its products exceptionally fast and reliable.

Govee: A fast-growing competitor, especially popular with gamers, driven by vibrant, customisable products like the Govee Curtain Lights at an accessible price.

Wearables In Focus

The trend for personal tech has also evolved significantly. Wearables have transformed from fitness trackers into Personal Health Hubs. The focus is on advanced health monitoring and providing actionable insights for sleep and recovery. 

The global wearables market is valued at an estimated £165.7 billion in 2025. While smartwatches are the biggest segment, smart rings are the fastest-growing category.

Trending Products:

Pixel Watch: The Pixel Watch’s Wear OS platform is the intelligent software powering a range of smartwatches. The flagship example is the Google Pixel Watch, which combines helpful Google features like Maps, Wallet, and Calendar on your wrist with deep health integration from Fitbit. It excels at providing a holistic view of your wellness, tracking everything from daily steps and heart rate to advanced sleep analysis with a daily Sleep Score.

Oura Ring: The leader in the smart ring category. The Oura Ring is popular with users focused on sleep quality, using metrics like HRV and body temperature to generate a daily “Readiness Score.” It syncs with Google’s Health Connect, allowing its data to contribute to a user’s overall wellness picture.

Convenience, Savings, and Privacy

One of the biggest draws of smart home technology is the convenience it offers. This sentiment is echoed by industry leaders, who state that “The AI Home isn’t about building a sci-fi house of the future, it’s about those simple wins that make life easier”

This ability to centralise management of devices allows for greater energy efficiency, allowing for utility cost savings which touch upon strong customer sentiment. Since heating accounts for about 55% of household energy use, smart thermostats can learn user habits and adjust heating schedules, potentially saving owners hundreds of pounds a year. This extends to smart plugs, cutting power to standby devices and appliances running during cheaper, off-peak hours.

As these systems integrate into our lives, privacy has become paramount. In response, the industry is shifting to on-device processing, where powerful chips inside devices like a Google Nest Cam analyse data locally instead of sending it to the cloud. This keeps personal data within the home, enhancing privacy and response speed. Brands now compete not just on features, but on their commitment to transparent security policies, a key factor in purchasing decisions.

With the UK smart home market set for an annual growth rate of 10% through to 2029, up to around £14bn, there is a huge market for brands to get involved with if they can marry up their products and ecosystems to the key consumer trends. The real promise is a convenient smart home that works seamlessly, saves money, and respects user privacy.

To read the published article by Rupert Cook, Marketing Director, please visit ERT

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Nov 26 2025
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Five expert Black Friday tips and warnings around finding the best deals

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes the chance for consumers to land a bargain. But along with so many reductions in product prices come just as many warnings that all is not necessarily what it seems.

Increasingly, buyers are being urged to double check before they buy – both for their own needs and their own security.

There’s also a wider conversation around affordability and people spending what they can reasonably pay back, if they are using credit cards or buy now pay later deals, to ensure they don’t get trapped in a new year cycle of debt.

With that in mind, here are five tips and warnings from experts around what to do – and not do – as Black Friday deals crop up.

Make sure you really want that deal

Buyer’s remorse: when you regret that impulse purchase soon after the money has left your account.

Research from TrustPilot suggests around £5bn in unplanned impulse purchases will be made by British buyers this Black Friday weekend, after one in three did so last year with an average spend of more than £250 each.

And yet, a quarter of those are predicted to cause buyer’s regret – totalling £1.27bn wasted.

That includes items buyers didn’t need, which didn’t match their expectations or was deemed to be a waste of money. Make sure you know what you want beforehand and stick to that list where possible.

Extensions are your friend for an added bonus

It’s not just about not spending when you don’t need to – it’s about using tools to maximise the purchases you do make.

Using cashback sites like TopCashback and Quidco is an underrated way to make your money go further during Black Friday and beyond, says The Independent’s consumer writer Molly Greeves.

“These websites essentially pay you to buy products through them – for example, when you shop on Boots by clicking through the TopCashback website, you can currently get 20 per cent of what you spend credited back to you,” she explains.

“Once you’ve signed up to TopCashback or Quidco, you can download their browser extensions, which makes the process of earning cashback virtually effortless. Then, when you shop online, you’ll see a pop-up letting you know when you can earn cashback. Click through and the cashback should be credited to your account – easy as that.”

But should is the key word here, Greeves cautions.

“Try to think of cashback as a bonus rather than a guarantee, as sometimes tracking problems can prevent your money from being credited.”

Beware the ‘fake deal’

Most online shoppers will know by now: what says “reduced” isn’t necessarily the case.

Websites have to abide by rules on what most recent prices were but if the higher price was only there for a couple of months before being reduced back down to the previous level, it’s not a particularly great deal.

To get around that, shoppers can use Google’s price history function to show what are effectively fake deals, says search specialist Andrew Witts from Studio 36 Digital.

The hidden Price History tool is one of the easiest ways to spot fake Black Friday deals. You search for a product, click on the Shopping tab, select the item and look down the page at Price History. It can instantly show whether a price has genuinely dropped, or if the retailer did the aforementioned prior increase.

“Fake sales are everywhere. The price history tool is the fastest way to expose them,” says Witts.

You can also see similar features in the Microsoft Edge browser – click the three dots in the top right corner when you’re on a product page, go to ‘more tools’ and hit the ‘shopping’ option.

Double check emails for scams

One now which is easy to get caught out with if you’re doing lots of shopping, or if multiple people shop on the same account.

Fraudsters are “using AI to spin thousands of hyper-personalised phishing scams,” says Jonathan Frost, of banking safety firm BioCatch.

These can include “fake ads, extreme discounts, shipping alerts and refund notices that look indistinguishable from the real thing” he adds.

Take an extra minute to ensure anything you’re about to click on is from a legitimate site, is something you know you’ve ordered and paid for and isn’t just a blind sell to point you to something you wouldn’t previously have been looking for.

Last-minute shopping could see you miss out

Now the other side of the “don’t act too quickly” argument – it’s well established that some prices do indeed go up after Black Friday.

Last-minute Christmas shopping can see buyers pay prices up to 18 per cent higher, suggests recent research by customer agency Gekko – at least when it comes to some electronics.

However, the same research showed that discounts for things like air fryers were actually cheaper before Black Friday – which simply highlights the importance of having your list pre-prepared, keeping an eye on the products you’re keen on and getting them when you’re happy with the price, rather than reacting to highlighted discounts and making your purchases based on them.

To read the full published article by The Independent, click here

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Nov 20 2025
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How to add festive sparkle to the in-store experience

As the nation starts getting out the decorations and ‘All I Want for Christmas’ takes over the airwaves, one thing is certain, the festive shopping season is well and truly underway. But for retailers, this isn’t just the season to be jolly, it’s a time of great angst. After months of planning and perfecting the strategy, and execution now underway, the question looming is will Christmas make or break me?

The Christmas TV ads have already landed, glittering with the hope they’ll capture hearts and wallets early. Consumers are being bombarded by online ads and influencer recommendations, but as they hit the high street in search of the perfect gift, amid tighter budgets and endless options, how can retailers use physical estates to reel shoppers in?

Looking at last year’s trends, it’s clear that those who’ve nailed the mix of smart pricing, irresistible promotions, memorable in-store moments, dazzling displays and well trained staff will top the tree this Christmas.

Fantastic festive promotion strategies

Festive promotion strategies must deliver, sustaining every crucial week of the Golden Quarter, and most importantly, offer clever promotions that reward shoppers loyalty. Retailers that communicate savings and product exclusivity in creative ways will resonate most with shoppers who want to maximise their spending.

“Beyond the sparkle, snowflakes and spectacle, the retail basics have never mattered more.“
Daniel Todaro, CEO UK&I, Gekko Group Marketing

For years, Black Friday and Cyber Monday were the pinnacle of the festive shopping period,  with brands starting promotions well in advance. For consumers, there’s nothing more annoying than seeing a great deal advertised, to find out it doesn’t exist in-store. Integrated on and offline strategies are vital, not only driving sales, but keeping customers happy and returning footfall.

With limited budgets, shoppers are seeking value without compromise. Many now spread gift purchases out across many months, so it’s vital for brands and retailers to act smart in thinking beyond single day discounts. We help brands track product performance online, highlighting RRP, SKUs and even marketing compliance. Retailers planning for a profitable peak period, and not just key dates, see the most success.

Merchandising matters

Beyond the sparkle, snowflakes and spectacle, the retail basics have never mattered more. Just like the Grinch, retailers are feeling the pinch, rising national insurance contributions are tightening budgets, leading to dwindling staff numbers on shop floors when they’re most needed. But with footfall about to hit its annual high, this isn’t the time to scrimp on staff.

Lack of staff often results in poorly displayed and empty shelves, leading to inevitable shopper frustration, and they’ll simply spend their money elsewhere. Retailers must work closely with brands to forecast accurately, manage deliveries seamlessly and keep the shelves stacked with festive favourites all season long.

And let’s not forget the people who make the magic happen. Store staff are the vital link between product and customer. Equipping them with the right knowledge ensures they can offer an exceptional in-store experience for customers. By creating positive, informed interactions at the point of purchase, this builds trust and encourages action, making the experience not only easier but more rewarding on both sides of the transaction.

We’ve seen success with brands and retailers that run tailored peak incentives, motivating staff to hit and surpass targets. There’s no better way to do this than a bit of healthy competition, with bonus and training campaigns offering fun rewards. The trick for festive fun is to make it engaging by gamifying targets or learning, whether in-store or through an online platform.

Spectacular in-store activations

Retailers are going to new extremes to draw in shoppers, transforming the high street into a playground of wonder in a bid to maximise footfall. One example in London is John Lewis Oxford Street, launching a ‘Member Lounge’ where shoppers can grab a glass of fizz and have a massage between gift hunts, turning retail therapy into something far more literal!

But magic doesn’t always need a big budget. Even small, thoughtful touches can spark joy, a festive photo booth for capturing memories, a ‘try before you buy’ tasting station, or a gift wrapping service that turns purchases into presents, and shopping from a task into an experience.

Technology is adding its own dazzle. Augmented reality displays, virtual try-on mirrors, and smart lighting are blurring the lines between digital and physical, creating those wow moments you simply can’t get from a screen. And with mobile apps offering tailored rewards that can be redeemed in-store, retailers are making every visit feel personal.

Sustaining festive high-street sparkle

There has never been a more crucial Christmas for the high street. With tightening margins, rising costs and pressure from online retail, physical stores are working hard to draw shoppers in. That said, ‘tis the season of opportunities for retailers, and when done right, in-store experiences remind us of what digital shopping can’t replicate, giving customers reasons to return long after the decorations come down.

To read the published comment by Dan Todaro, Gekko Group CEO, please visit Creative Brief

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Sep 30 2025
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Hey Google, play ‘Deck the Halls’

The magic of Christmas is getting a high-tech makeover. This year, holiday wish lists are moving beyond the typical gadgets and into the realm of the truly smart home. While a new television is still a coveted gift, modern shoppers are seeking next-generation devices that do more than just entertain. They want technology that simplifies daily life, saves energy, and offers peace of mind. This holiday season is all about bringing the future home, with gifts that make every room in the home a little smarter.

A New Era of Home Entertainment

While smart homes are all about efficiency and function, they’re also revolutionising our leisure time. The UK’s television market is set to grow significantly, with consumers always choosing smart TVs because it’s the only option available. However, the latest models from brands like Hisense and Samsung are, as we know, more than just screens to watch and stream to; they are increasingly becoming the central hub of the connected home. The push towards the most advanced display technologies, like brighter OLEDs and more sophisticated Mini-LED backlighting, is a key driver in the purchasing decisions consumers make on their customer journey. These innovations not only deliver incredible picture quality, making everything from blockbuster films to immersive visual feasts, but also create a hub for movie nights, sporting event parties, gaming and casting your treasured photos. Some could argue that with such a powerful TV, why do I need a soundbar? Doesn’t it already have the best possible sound I could get in any TV? Yes, but think of it like the difference between that watch, the one with or without diamonds; it’s the same watch, but it makes a bigger impact. Soundbars, like the Hisense HT Saturn or the Sonos Arc Ultra, are hugely popular for their ability to deliver cinematic audio without the clutter of a full surround sound system. Smart home projectors are also gaining traction, offering the ultimate in-home movie experience. Brands like Hisense and Nebula are making high-quality projection more accessible, turning any living room wall into a gigantic screen for gaming or film nights.

Automated Cleanliness & Comfort: The Rise of Smart Living

The convenience of an automated home is no longer a luxury but a growing expectation; it’s standard for many. The UK’s smart home market continues to grow, with a value estimated at £8.07 billion in 2025 and over 80 per cent of consumers already owning at least one smart product. This trend is driving demand for a new generation of household essentials that span multiple categories in the home. Leading the charge are devices like robot vacuums and mops from brands like Dreame, equipped with advanced navigation and self-emptying docks, which have become highly desirable for maintaining a tidy home with minimal effort. This desire for automated cleanliness extends to smart laundry appliances and even smart lawnmowers, creating a truly effortless living environment. Beyond cleaning, the desire for comfort and health is increasing the popularity of a range of gadgets. Sales of air purifiers and adaptive lighting systems are on the rise, creating the perfect atmosphere and mood with the touch of a button, while smart fragrance diffusers add another layer of sensory comfort. Furthermore, the market for smart health devices is booming, with products like smart scales that track a variety of metrics and air quality monitors that help users understand and improve their home environment. These devices are all part of a larger ecosystem of connectivity and integration, making every aspect of home life smarter and more intuitive than ever before.

Smart Savings for a Sustainable Season

With energy costs still a key concern, especiallyas we approach those months when the heating is switched back on, consumers this Christmas will be very much thinking about smart, cost-saving investments. Thanks to the ongoing smart meter rollout and a growing push for sustainability, energy-efficient appliances are a must-have. The UK’s smart thermostat market is a prime example, with significant growth projected as consumers look for ways to manage utility bills and reduce their carbon footprint. Smart thermostats, such as the Nest, go beyond simple scheduling. They learn your routine, use geofencing to detect when the house is empty, and can even sense an open window, automatically adjusting the temperature to prevent wasted energy. Giving a gift that helps someone save money and reduce their carbon footprint is a present that keeps on giving all year long. This sentiment also extends to other energy-conscious gifts, from smart plugs that let you remotely switch off power-hungry devices to smart lighting systems

that allow for precise control and scheduling, reducing electricity consumption for lighting by up to 80 per cent. These thoughtful gifts empower people to take control of their energy usage, making their homes more comfortable and their wallets a little fatter in the long run.

Peace of Mind Under the Tree

The desire for a secure home to protect those things you hold dear is a year-round priority, making smart security a prime gift category. The smart home security market is a powerhouse, valued at GBP 30.07 billion and continues to grow with innovations like AI-powered video analytics. For the holidays, popular gifts like the Google Nest Doorbell offer more than just technology—they offer peace of mind, allowing people to monitor their homes and feel safe, no matter where they are. This security-focused trend extends beyond simple doorbells to a wide range of devices. Sophisticated smart locks that allow keyless entry and track access are becoming increasingly popular, as are wireless outdoor cameras with must-have features like infrared night vision and customisable motion zones.

Small Gifts, Big Impact

While some gifts aim to transform a whole room, others are designed to elevate a single moment. This holiday season, thoughtful, smaller gifts are making a huge impact byenhancing daily life without a large footprint or a significant price tag. For those looking to introduce a touch of smart living, devices like smart plugs and individual smart bulbs such as LIFX are a perfect choice, offering the ability to automate appliances and control lighting from a phone. In the kitchen, the trend is all about efficiency and convenience, with compact appliances like personal blenders, e.g. from Ninja or Nutribullet, and smaller air fryers proving to be highly sought-after gifts that make cooking healthier and easier. For a more personal touch, a smart mug, such as the Ember Mug, that keeps a drink at the perfect temperature, or a portable Bluetooth speaker with more functionality than just playing music, such as the Robert’s Radio Petite which lets you play music, listen to the radio and even has a built-in alarm clock feature which makes it an excellent small gift option.

This year’s most sought-after gifts are practical, innovative, and designed for a better quality of life. From smart entertainment systems to automated chores, the perfect present for tech lovers is those that make every day feel a little more effortless, providing satisfaction in the process. The subtle integration of AI is a key trend. Devices are not just responding to commands but learning routines and anticipating needs. This creates a smarter, more intuitive home experience. Whether it’s a gift that automates daily tasks or one that provides a sense of security and well-being, the best presents this Christmas are those that seamlessly enhance the modern home and the life within it.

To read the published article by Dan Todaro, Gekko Group CEO, please visit ERT

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Aug 28 2025
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Articles

Listen Up!

One of the most common traps we see is treating the entire audio market as a single entity. It’s not. In reality, it’s split into two categories. The first is the hypervolatile world of personal audio. Here, trends in wireless earbuds and portable speakers move like fast fashion; a feature like AI-powered noise cancellation or spatial audio can go from a differentiator to a baseline expectation in a single generation of product releases.

The second is the considered purchase, high-investment world of hi-fi. This is a marathon, not a sprint. The customer journey is longer, driven by a deep appreciation for craftsmanship, acoustic heritage, and demonstrable performance. Here, trust is the primary currency. A retailer’s authority is built over years, not months, and a single misguided product choice can damage a carefully curated reputation. Trying to apply the same strategy to both is a recipe for failure — you’ll either exhaust your hi-fi customers with fleeting trends or appear ancient to the earbud crowd.

First up is the Headphone (1), Nothing’s first-ever pair of over-ear headphones. It’s a significant move for the brand, taking them into the premium audio space to compete with established giants. True to their style, the headphones feature a distinctive transparent design but also add practical, tactile controls
(a roller and paddle) instead of relying only on touch. To ensure high-quality sound. Nothing entered into a major Partnership with KEF, the highly respected British brand, co-engineering the acoustics for the Headphone (1).

Amp up

Next up, the resurgence of vinyl. It is no longer just a trend; it’s a significant, mainstream
movement backed by hard numbers. In the UK, vinyl sales have now seen an incredible 17 consecutive years of growth, with music fans purchasing 6.7 million LPs in 2024 alone (BPI/Official Charts Company).
But here’s the modern dilemma: the very people driving this revival have built their home lives around the convenience of wireless, multiroom speaker systems. So, how do you bridge that gap?
That’s precisely the problem the Victrola Stream Onyx was built to solve. The Victrola Stream Onyx taps directly into this by offering a simple, elegant solution. In non-technical terms it’s a high-quality record player officially certified to work wirelessly with any Sonos speaker in your home.

Meanwhile, the hi-fi audio category continues to hold its ground and even grow, despite the fast shifts in other areas of personal audio. In 2025, the global hi-fi market is projected to grow from £12.4 billion to over £13.1 billion, with long-term forecasts estimating a rise to more than £22.2 billion by 2033 (DataHorizzon Research, 2025; The Business Research Company, 2025). Wired systems, prized for their clarity and fidelity, still account for roughly 68% of global revenue (GlobeNewswire, April 2025), but wireless hi-fi is gaining ground fast, particularly in residential and automotive segments.

Tune in

The UK’s own hi-fi market is expected to hit £1.1 billion by the end of the decade (Future Market Insights, 2025). This growth isn’t just being driven by longtime audiophiles; there’s a new wave of listeners who value audio quality but also want the simplicity of smart home integration, wireless setups, and even AI-enhanced tuning. Beyond the established worlds of headphones, earbuds, and even high-end hi-fi, a new form factor for portable music is quietly emerging: smart audio glasses.

The leading example of this trend are Meta’s range AI glasses. While they are known for their hands-free camera, a core feature is their ability to play music and take calls. This is achieved through discreet “open ear” speakers built into the arms of the glasses.

This isn’t about replacing headphones; it’s about creating a new category of use. The customer for audio glasses is someone who prioritises convenience and safety over critical listening. They are buying into a lifestyle where music and information are seamlessly layered onto their daily activities.

Understanding your customer’s intent is everything. Personal audio, home audio, and hi-fi are no longer just product categories; they’re expressions of identity, taste, and lifestyle. Treat them that way, and the strategy will follow. Ignore the nuance, and you’ll miss the mark entirely.

To read the published article by Rupert Cook, Marketing Director, please visit ERT

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Jul 15 2025
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Creating strategic friction through experiential to harness sales

The in-store shopping experience has emerged as a critical differentiator for physical retail, where shoppers have increasingly high expectations. Creating an enhanced in-store experience is standard practice within many retailers, in particular with the considered purchase sector.

Exceptional customer service remains high on the list for customers, with knowledgeable, friendly, and proactive staff playing a crucial role in guiding and assisting shoppers. Our own research has shown what matters to shoppers with 60 per cent wanting a pleasant retail environment, while 42 per cent of people want to speak to knowledgeable staff. However, it may come as a surprise to many of you that consider your store to be the best customer experience for your customers; whilst 75 per cent of us prefer to shop in person, it’s shocking to realise that only 9 per cent are usually happy with their in-store experience. 

Audiences today are demanding more from their in-store experience, and for good reason, because 73 per cent of consumers consider experience as an important factor in their purchasing decisions, behind price and product quality. It’s not just the experience in-store that counts either, because getting your brands involved to support you to help enhance the shopper journey could help you tap into the 91 per cent of consumers who confirmed they would feel more optimistic about a brand’s product or service after actively participating in a brand activation or experience.

When you consider that your opportunity to grab the attention of shoppers is between 5-180 seconds, your displays and how visitors are greeted and served is essential in converting browsers into shoppers. 

Retailers that offer immersive experiences can see a significant increase in dwell time and average basket size, particularly in consumer electronics and home appliances. So creating strategic friction to not make the customer feel rushed, is becoming increasingly welcomed, as is personalisation, as two-thirds of shoppers are more likely to spend with brands that offer personalised in-store experiences, using data and relevant content that relates to them. 

Experiential marketing has a profound impact on consumer purchasing behaviour, with 85 per cent of consumers more inclined to buy after attending a live marketing event. It not only attracts new customers but also fosters loyalty, with 70 per cent of consumers becoming regular customers after an experiential marketing event. A significant 65 per cent of brands acknowledge that experiential marketing events are directly related to sales success, underscoring the strategy’s effectiveness in driving revenue. 

At the intersection of where retail meets experiential, the lines are often blurred and occasionally the term experiential is referenced when in reality there has been zero positive impact to the consumer based on their experience. The need to create retail theatre that is proportionate to your audience and outlets where you sell your products is critical to your experiential success. The online experience therefore needs to match the experience in-store and seamlessly connect, as this may be the customer’s starting point. At the point of purchase, the moment the consumer steps in, the experience begins, not merely when they begin to browse, look, touch, or listen. The customer journey should reflect you and the brand’s advertising and create a pleasurable experience, which reflects positively on both retailer and brand to create buyers and long-term advocates of your brands and repeat customers to your store.

The experience should include real-life user scenarios, not the dream glossy lifestyle magazine, because we don’t live that way. We inhabit homes that have clutter and move at the pace of a growing family and therefore the customer relates to the achievable and not the unobtainable. It’s great to instill aspiration and keeping up with the Joneses but keep it real and relatable so that it resonates with the customer. This creates an experience worthy of their hard-earned cash, because when it comes to the considered purchase sector, there is no greater enemy to a brand than a poor customer experience.

To read the published article by Dan Todaro, Gekko Group CEO, please visit ERT

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Jun 18 2025
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Why Forcing Loyalty Could Be a Terrible Long-Term Strategy

Nearly everyone in the UK is signed up to at least one loyalty scheme, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). But the shift from a points-based reward system to a membership that offers reduced pricing at the point of purchase strong-arms consumers into signing up, irrespective of want or need.

Following high inflation over the past two years that has seen prices rocket, many consumers are trying to cut their costs. The sizeable discounts on offer for those signed up to loyalty schemes are a welcome gesture for many consumers, but some may feel they do not have a choice.

Others may feel the exchange of data for discounts is justified, but this new approach is shifting loyalty from earned to transaction.

Mind the values gap

It could be argued that when brands offered rewards, they gained trust, goodwill and loyalty from consumers. But this transactional approach makes it almost impossible for brands to build authentic, two-way relationships that would perhaps keep consumers coming back regardless of the rewards or discounts on offer.

Granted, in crowded categories, rewards can create churn amongst consumers who decide to switch brands because products are on offer, and in the process they try something new that they prefer.

Strong relationships are typically built through high quality customer interactions and experiences, but given the current economy, where many consumers are trying to cut costs, brands are more often focusing on the quick wins by offering discounts.

Short-term approaches may deliver results, but long-term, focusing on customer experience (CX) will win out — and result in lower acquisition costs and a loyal customer base that won’t be lured by offers from competitors.

Not only does ‘forced loyalty’ impact a brand’s long term relationships with customers, it has the potential to create a divide between brand and consumer values. More than two in five (43%) shoppers consider it unfair that loyalty scheme members pay lower prices for some products, and while it does not put them off signing up, it does suggest dissatisfaction and frustration with the shopper experience, creating apathy towards retailers.

The risk of digital exclusion

This unfairness between customers is even more pronounced when it comes to vulnerable consumers. In the same way that older consumers and those with learning difficulties prefer to make payments via physical means — either cash or card — they also find it much easier and less confusing to use a loyalty card, rather than an app.

Yet, almost all retailers are opting to move to app-only loyalty schemes.

While operating a digital-only loyalty scheme is acceptable to many consumers, especially when AI and machine learning offer greater personalisation, it can result in digital exclusion of others.

Only two-thirds (67%) of consumers over 65 have access to a smartphone, which means a third of pensioners are unable to access the best deals from retailers despite being some of the most financially vulnerable consumers.

Even for brands whose audiences skew younger, there is still a risk of excluding those with learning disabilities – and while there is a drive to appear inclusive, the focus on app-delivered loyalty schemes brings the authenticity of those initiatives into question. Brands must consider who their app is for, and whether it delivers true value for all consumers.

The latest developments are even more concerning. Some brands are trialling systems by which consumers cannot even enter a store without having an app downloaded, which means that those who do not have a smartphone will be excluded from the store itself, as well as the best discounts.

Forcing loyalty may be counterintuitive

While companies are securing customer data by all but forcing consumers to sign up to their loyalty schemes, the loss of the reward experience is only increasing brand switching. If a competitor starts undercutting on price, many consumers will switch without a second thought. Why? Because they have been given no other reason to stay and irrespective of loyalty it’s the price that will always win through for them.

Customer experience should be at the heart of brands’ loyalty strategy. Consumers’ value choice, and yet the focus on transactional loyalty restricts their options. Instead, brands should focus on giving consumers’ a wider choice of how they interact with the brand, ensuring that those from vulnerable groups are not excluded — and then give them reasons to keep coming back, whether that is through exceptional customer service, rewards or shared values.

To read the published article by Dan Todaro, Gekko Group CEO, please visit CXM

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Jan 31 2025
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Elevate your personal wellness with smart tech

A new smart tech wellness brand is launching into the UK market with a new range of products to help on-the-go consumers mitigate muscle tension and stress.

SKG is a smart technology brand that specialises in wearable health and wellness devices. Using smart tech, each product is designed to help users decompress and easily elevate their wellness routine. The cleverly designed G7 Pro-Fold Neck Massager and E3 Pro Eye Massager can seamlessly integrate into your daily routine both at home and on the go.

Firstly, the SKG G7 Pro-Fold Neck Massager is a pulse massage machine that helps reduce stress-induced neck pain and strain. Its 180-degree foldable design ensures easy portability, making it the perfect option for both the gym and travel. Experience instant relief and ultimate relaxation anytime, anywhere with this must-have on-the-go massager.


Equipped with red light technology, the G7 can penetrate muscles to a depth of 10mm, providing a faster, quicker relief from pain and tightness.

The G7, which won an IF Design Award last year, can be controlled through your phone, providing instant release at your fingertips. With five different massage modes, six pulse levels and four levels of heating, the convenient app puts you in control for effortless, instant relief.

Then there’s the SKG E3 Pro Eye Massager – a relaxing massager that helps alleviate eye fatigue and sooth eye pressure. Its innovative 3D groove design ensures no direct pressure on the eyes, helping users to decompress and unwind with ease.

Featuring a see-through mask for added visibility, it seamlessly integrates into your daily routine. And with six separate pressure points, the eye massager provides a delicate and gentle pulse motion for a truly spa-like experience.

For those travelling overnight or looking to reduce eye inflammation, the E3 includes a heat compression functionality to help under eye bags and reduce dark circles, leaving you feeling refreshed and revitalised.

SKG strives to make wellness accessible to everyone by combining education, innovation, and over a decade of experience in the tech and wellness space. The brand aims to be a one-stop shop for people looking to improve their health and well-being through technology.

To read the published article, please visit ERT

Photo by ERT

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Jan 31 2025
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Why data is key to maximising potential for the customer experience in 2025

With a new year underway, brands are looking to enhance their digital marketing agility, with data use at the core of their strategies.

So here, Toby Stupples, Client Delivery Director at field marketing specialist, Gekko Group, takes us through some of the essential elements that brands need to bake into their digital plans to maximise customer experience online in 2025…

Retailers and brands invest millions on advertising and marketing support every year to encourage consumers to purchase products or services in a fiercely competitive landscape.

However, the efforts of marketing teams and the crucial spend can be negated in an instant if the customer has a negative experience when they go online. According to research, 78% of online shoppers abandon their carts due to a poor customer service experience.

According to recent reports from the BRC, two thirds of leading retailers in the UK claim that they will be forced to hike prices to cope with the increase to National Insurance costs brought in by the New Labour government this year.

Having worked hard to shield customers from higher costs, with slow market growth and margins already stretched thin, it’s inevitable that consumers will bear some of the burden, so effective sales that lead to ROI are more crucial than ever.

With that, it’s time for brands and retailers to take a more holistic overview to the omnichannel customer journey, particularly when it comes to considered purchase items.

As a new year starts, e-commerce plans for 2025 are seeing many brands seeking to enhance operational agility online to remain competitive to appeal to their desired audiences.

Laying a strong data foundation

With consumers bombarded with deals hourly across multiple platforms, presenting a functional, transactional website is not enough when it comes to the savvy consumer.

Underpinning it all, there needs to be a well-considered data stack as the solid foundation, providing customers with the experience they have come to expect, and to help identify their needs at every touchpoint.

Helping to shape the marketing activity accordingly, brands continue to harness the power of consented first party data, and work closely with third-party sites and stores to gain an in-depth understanding of their customers.

The current reality is that there is low metric transparency from third-party websites to the brands, as they, in turn, seek to monetise their proposition.

When it comes to digital merchandising performance, it’s critical to think beyond consistency, stock levels and presentation, and assess the success of the whole shelf, and how specific products compare to those of competitors.

As many brands find themselves working with more third-party retailers, data and insight models become a crucial part of the marketing mix in order to better serve their customers in a trustworthy way.

Digging deeper into shelf analysis

Everyone wants to get the best deal, but trying to compare products becomes more challenging when descriptions, specifications and images are inconsistent, leading to potential loss of sales to competitors that are better aligned on the finer details.

This is why consistent presentation in digital merchandising is critical for avoiding confusion.

For brands working with multiple retailers, reviewing and tracking how products are presented manually can be a monumental, and an arguably impossible undertaking.

Digital shelf analysis tracks both a brand’s own, and the competitors’ product lines, which can help to create an effective real-time competitor strategy, combining data from web-scraping with retail expertise to respond to activity from the competition with vigour at the optimum time and across the right platforms.

Rather than relying on shared data, an end-to-end web scraping solution could help to marry e-commerce intelligence with insights from bricks and mortar retail to provide visual and actionable trends.

This type of service provides a dashboard that consolidates insights from different websites, allowing brands to track other measurables, like share of voice, availability, pricing, promotion and reviews, and use the data to build more informed strategies.

Unlocking Retail Media Potential

Retail media is a colossal advertising medium, with global revenue from retailer e-commerce sites expected to exceed television revenue by 2028.

For brands, the potential of reaching target consumers while they are already browsing or shopping in the category cannot be ignored.

Combining this type of digital advertising with physical shopping environments ensures that brands are showing up in the right places and at the times across relevant channels.

When this is done well, relying on insights from data and human expertise, this ensures continuity within the purchase journey alongside consistent brand messaging, which will ultimately bring the consumer closer to making a purchase.

However, brands should be careful that they do not de-prioritise data and insight in their rush to play in the retail media space.

As retail media supply increases brands will have to manage campaigns across multiple networks, and it will be those with campaign control and strong insight reporting that will unlock the potential of the data to truly drive innovation in the space.

Getting ahead of the competitor curve

Personalisation drives performance and better customer outcomes, which requires a strong data foundation. Although, brands still need to think about what their insights mean for the digital shelf.

Browsing the digital shelf is the equivalent of exploring products in-store, but they need to be discoverable quickly on listing pages and under relevant search terms.

Benchmarking against competitors for pricing, promotions and presence is critical and this data, along with on-site performance metrics, are incredibly valuable to brands.

This can be a complex and time-consuming process, but with an automated solution like web scraping, brands gain the same knowledge that can be used to form campaigns, and free up time for sales and marketing teams to focus on other priorities.

What’s to come in 2025 for brands and retail?

With the continued evolution of how we track and manage consumer data, brands should be prepared to optimise their own tracking data and work closer with third party retailers.

As retail media grows in years to come, keeping track of metrics across the board becomes vital for maintaining consistency, managing campaigns and influencing presence, and also performance on partner sites.

2025 provides opportunities for brands and retailers to equip their teams with the best actionable information that will influence change in the relevant e-commerce channels.

The unpredictability of pricing trends underscores the value of retail monitoring tools, helping provide smarter insights to understand shifting consumer demand, and adapting strategies to remain competitive in an increasingly fragmented and challenging environment.

To read the published article by Toby Stupples, Client Delivery Director please visit Mediashotz

Photo by Mediashotz

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Dec 04 2024
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Retail Roulette – Why Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts are a complete gamble for retailers and consumers alike

It’s official – long gone are the days of the standalone Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts. Now, securing sought after products at the best price is becoming increasingly chaotic for consumers, with prices fluctuating during a number of weeks across the Golden Quarter. Forget deal or no deal, it’s more like deal or disappointment for consumers, leaving much to be desired in terms of results for retailers.

Experts from retail marketing consultancy Gekko have utilised their GWS Price Analysis Tool to do the heavy lifting, crunching the numbers to analyse average prices in categories including consumer electronic products and household goods, across major retailers, including AO, Argos, Currys, Harvey Norman, and John Lewis. The results identify the true rollercoaster retail landscape during the busy discounting period.

The analysis, which spans the weeks before and after Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024, reveals that Black Friday and Cyber Monday is not always the best day to secure the best deals, with prices in some categories plummeting from the middle of November onwards.

In the wearable technology category, this year’s Black Friday sales at Currys saw a notable shift, with a reduction in product variety, but an increase in value for shoppers. Gekko’s analysis reveals a significant decrease in the number of SKUs, dropping from 456 in 2023 to 342 in 2024 – an overall reduction of 114 products.

Alongside this streamlined selection, prices have decreased in wearables. The average price of a wearable this year came in at £287.80, down by 8.55% compared to 2023’s average of £313.83. The approach of offering fewer products while increasing promotional impact reflects how a retailer like Currys is refining its strategy to balance consumer preferences with enticing deals to consumers.

In John Lewis, the LG 77-inch OLED TV serves as a perfect example. Initially sold at its full retail price of £4299 throughout October, the TV was heavily discounted in early November, dropping by 30.2% to a retail price of £2999. This product then sold out in mid November before returning to stock in time for Black Friday, back at the original full price of £4299. By monitoring price fluctuations, consumers may be able to cash in on early discounts, like the 30.2% savings on this LG TV, instead of waiting for Black Friday, when prices may climb back to full retail.

The hustle between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is enticing for consumers, but some products saw sharp increases compared to their Black Friday prices. For example, a Fridgemaster Compact Fridge on AO rose in price from £125 on Black Friday to £139 by Cyber Monday, representing an 11.20% increase, which may have frustrated shoppers holding out for better deals. Just a day after Cyber Monday, Gekko’s GWS Pricing Analysis Tool revealed new shifts in AO’s pricing. By 3rd December, the Fridgemaster Compact Fridge had dropped slightly to £134, still higher than its Black Friday price of £125, but lower than the Cyber Monday price of £139.

With the fluctuation in pricing, savvy shoppers may start employing various techniques to ensure they get the best deals on offer across the whole Black Friday discounting period. By buying early and then monitoring price movements, shoppers may well return and rebuy an item if the savings are too good to ignore.

Talking about the unpredictable retail discounting period across Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024, Daniel Todaro, CEO at Gekko Group, said: “It’s been a tough year for everyone, and making products even more affordable could help to boost sales in the face of the cost-of-living crisis. Timing is everything, and while retailers adjust their prices based on demand, consumers that have shopped around will likely walk away with the best rewards.”

Offering additional advice for bargain hunters, he added: “The unpredictability of these pricing trends underscores the value of retail monitoring tools like Gekko’s GWS Pricing Analysis service, helping provide smarter insights to understand shifting consumer demand, and adapting their strategies to remain competitive across the busy golden quarter.”

To read our published article, please visit Retail Focus

Photo by Max Fischer from Pexels

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