Tag Archives: Technology

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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Nov 20 2024
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Why digital shelf analysis is the key to Black Friday success

After another year of squeezed personal finances and lacklustre sales, retailers and brands are hoping for the biggest Black Friday ever to boost sales and profitability.

Last year, consumers spent £3.45bn over the Black Friday weekend, with 66% of purchases estimated to have taken place online. With fierce competition for a share of the Black Friday pie, brands need to ensure that their digital footprint is shipshape before the frenzy begins.

Getting your house in order

While pricing is important, it is not the only thing that brands need to consider – particularly if they have big-ticket items on offer. For brands that work with multiple third-party retailers, the chaos surrounding Black Friday means that ideal positioning, product descriptions and images can fall by the wayside – but this can lead to a disjointed experience for consumers.

When consumers are faced with multiple deals and a wide range of product options across multiple retailers, consistent presentation in digital merchandising is critical for avoiding confusion. Trying to compare different but similar products – or the same products across different websites – becomes much more challenging when descriptions, specifications and images are inconsistent, potentially losing sales to brands or products which are better aligned across platforms.

Certain elements, particularly description and images, are also critical for search, so it is important to ensure that your digital merchandising is on point so that potential customers find your product in the first place.

But, for brands working with multiple retailers, reviewing and tracking how products are presented manually can be a huge – arguably impossible – undertaking, so finding a digital shelf analysis or web-scraping service that can automate part of the process can significantly help when it comes to getting your house in order.

By tracking, collating and analysing data on your products, brands can identify where standards may have slipped or information vital for consistency and searchability is missing, and approach their account managers in good time – before the Black Friday chaos begins in earnest.

Thinking beyond the self to the wider shelf

During this discounting period, competition is fierce. When it comes to analysing your brand’s digital merchandising performance, it is critical that you think beyond consistency, stock levels and presentation, and consider the whole shelf.

If you are already undertaking analysis of your brand’s positioning, consider the value of analysing the whole shelf. How do your products stack up against your competitors? Maintaining your own marketing strategy is critical, but at a time when prices are constantly changing, it is important to know where you stand.

This is where digital shelf analysis that tracks not only your own products, but the competitors can really come into its own, helping you to create a real-time competitor strategy. Combining data from web-scraping with retail expertise will enable you to respond to competitors’ activity with your own at the right time and across the right platforms.

Staying one step ahead

Third-party retailers are juggling data from all their brands, and relying on their feedback could leave you behind the pack. Everyone wants a piece of the Black Friday pie and when the chaos hits, you’ll want to be armed with real-time and past data that can help you stay consistent and searchable and reactive to competitors.

Based on an analysis of data from GWS, our proprietary analysis tool, retailers started discounting from mid-November last year – and some of the biggest deals for consumers hit before the Black Friday weekend started. Equipping yourself with actionable information will allow you to be competitive when it counts, allowing you to cut through in an increasingly fragmented and challenging environment. 

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

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Nov 18 2024
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Digital shelf analysis: The secret weapon for brands this golden quarter

In Britain, 67% of consumers plan to spend the same or more than last year during the 2024 golden quarter1 so brands will need to pull out all the stops to get their slice of the pie, particularly when it comes to sales and marketing strategies.

With huge retail events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday on the horizon, plus the flurry of activity surrounding Christmas gifting, having clear visibility of online activities and transaction success has never been more crucial for brands and retailers.

Smart shelf analysis with Gekko’s GWS

Maintaining a clear overview of inventory online has become harder due to capacity and sheer volume of points of sale. Online, data analytics is transforming the ways brands monitor data about both their own products and the others on the shelf, providing insights that help improve performance and the overall customer experience.

Digital shelf analysis is a secret weapon in helping brands understand what’s working, and what’s not. New tools and enhancements like GWS from retail experts Gekko provides brands with clearer visibility of metrics from retailers such as share of voice, pricing, stock availability plus ratings and reviews, providing visual and actionable insights to enable brands to maintain market share and execute strategic marketing objectives.

GWS helps brands to monitor, manage and review e-commerce performance across selected retail platforms, gathering digital shelf data from specific retailers and presenting it back in an easy to digest dashboard. In turn, this data helps brands to understand their performance against the competition, including monitoring and reporting on sponsored positions to understand which brands are investing with which retail partners, providing crucial information to better manage strategies, partners and product listings.

By monitoring how products are presented, these tools also help to enhance the customer purchasing experience online, as it allows brands to ensure that descriptions, images and positioning is consistent across third-party retail sites. Additionally, with customer reviews and star ratings of products being some of the biggest factors in converting sales online, web-scraping assists in constantly checking and maintaining the display of this information to enhance the purchase experience, and ultimately help to gain market share over competitors.

Maintaining the competitive edge

Despite Black Friday maintaining its position as the most anticipated retail event of the year, it is becoming more diluted than ever before. Coupled with high inflation and the continuing cost-of-living crisis, brands need to secure a competitive edge.

As many consumers are now making split-second purchasing decisions based on price rather than brand preference, retailers also need to consider how they respond. Unlike other web-scraping tools, GWS offers analysis of the full digital shelf, allowing brands to track real-time competitor activity and establish a strategy to maintain competitiveness, particularly at this time of year, when costs fluctuate so frequently.

Price monitoring via e-commerce platforms can provide last minute insights for brands to track prices and share of shelf against competitors to ensure they are offering the most compelling deals and packages; a clear advantage amid the deals battles of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and across the omnichannel strategy.

Analysing the full spectrum of shelf availability provides a great overview of stock requirements in line with demand. Additionally, it provides clear and precise predictions many months in advance of seasonal discount days, like Amazon Prime Days, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the Christmas gifting season.

Stamping out the competition for success

With this in mind, the best way to get ahead is to plan ahead. Having a full view of a product’s retail landscape and that of its competition provides brands with the information needed to negotiate with retailers for better pricing and placement throughout the year – but it is vital during the golden quarter.

Competition from other retailers and brands limits how successful traditional calendar events like Black Friday can be. So, brands need to get a leg up on the competition by taking a holistic view of the entire shelf, and adjusting their activity and pricing accordingly. This way, they can secure a higher return on investment, along with a wider understanding of consumer behaviours and the ever-changing market.

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

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Oct 25 2024
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Reaching the Peak

The Golden Quarter for retail is upon us and hopefully, by the end of the year, the figures will be reporting a successful Christmas period for retailers and pointing towards an even rosier outlook for 2025. Since the last retail peak season we have had a change in government and there is noise that the intention is to introduce economic policies designed to boost disposable income, including raising the minimum wage and public sector salaries. The potential increase in spending power for some is offset by the worry for many that increased taxation will mean the cost of living crisis will continue to leave its unwelcome mark.

Alongside this Labour has also pledged to reform the business rates system, which is a major burden for physical retailers. Their proposed new system of business property taxation aims to reduce costs for high-street shops, levelling the playing field between brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers. This is expected to reduce operational costs, allowing businesses to invest more in customer experience and competitive pricing.​

Focus on revitalising the High Streets will be very much welcomed, whether through the aforementioned reduced taxation for brick-and-mortar stores or measures like introducing banking hubs and cracking down on shoplifting by increasing police presence. These efforts are designed to create safer, more vibrant shopping environments, which could attract more foot traffic and increase sales for local businesses​.

The reality though is that it’s too early to say what impact the new government will have on the fortunes of the retail sector in the UK, so retailers need to focus on maximising the opportunities that the peak season presents, seeking wherever possible to boost sales and leave a positive lasting impression with customers. The challenge is tough. While high inflation is perhaps not the worry of 12 months ago, rising living costs are still very much having an impact and then there are factors such as staffing challenges and store closures. To ensure a successful golden quarter, retailers must take a strategic approach. By prioritising adaptability, customer engagement and operational efficiency, retailers can stand out and remain competitive, even as consumers potentially cut back on spending.

Success during this time also demands careful planning, strategic insight, and perfect execution. Without proper preparation, retailers risk missed opportunities and unhappy customers. To make the most of the peak season, it’s essential to start planning early. This involves setting pricing strategies, organising promotions, staffing, launching marketing campaigns, and making any necessary operational adjustments, such as embracing digital transformations or strengthening supply chain resilience.

First and foremost, adopting an omni-channel approach that seamlessly blends online and offline shopping experiences is essential. Offering customers the flexibility to research, purchase and receive products across multiple channels ensures a smooth and convenient shopping experience. This should be viewed as a long-term strategy, not a short-term solution, as it creates a strong foundation for attracting, converting, and retaining customers. 

Another overlooked strategy which has caused a lot of customer irritation for many retailers and online stores during a Black Friday or an event is website load capacity. We’ve seen it countless times where websites have crashed on the customer due to an overwhelming amount of traffic to the site, this in turn can cause a spiral of negatives, ranging from loss of sales, loss of customers and negative reviews. It’s 2024, there shouldn’t be a situation where the website is overloaded and subsequently crashes due to traffic load, this is a recurring theme for many businesses and sites and needs to be taken seriously in the planning stage. 

Investing in technology is key to enhancing the online shopping experience for your customers and it can also provide a significant advantage for retailers. Improved website functionality and optimised mobile responsiveness can help create the seamless omni-channel experience retailers aim for. This combined with the website reliability/stability that comes from investment, will set your website apart from the crowd. Additionally, emerging technologies like AI-powered assistance, virtual try-ons, and AR options can further elevate the experience by allowing consumers to visualise products in their own homes.

Offering targeted promotions and discounts to drive sales during the golden quarter is a proven strategy, but it’s crucial to know when and when not to discount. Retailers might consider bundling products, offering exclusive deals, and leveraging loyalty programmes to encourage repeat business, these promotions are by far the most common ones implemented, however, there’s been a rise in alternative promotional discount incentives such as tiered discounts, which are seen more and more with the basic concept being progressive discounts to entice customers to spend more, e.g. 10% off for £50 spent, 20% off for £100 spent. Another seemingly popular promotion is the flash sale. These limited-time discounts create a sense of urgency, which can generate excitement and increase traffic. You’ll see a lot of these flash sales with Amazon and their Prime Day, where offers can last up to an hour or until stock runs out. However, as much as these promotions can boost demand, it is essential to plan ahead and ensure a strong, stable supply chain to avoid disruptions. Building supply chain resilience is key to meeting customer demand, so where possible, consider diversifying suppliers to safeguard product availability.

Retailers offering online sales will have already put careful thought into their delivery and returns policies. However, as peak season approaches, it may be time to reassess. Were there any lessons from last year? Free returns are highly valued by many shoppers and could give you an edge over competitors. As we’ve seen recently, there are countless businesses that are charging for returns now, usually in the form of passing the postage cost over to the customer, which re-emphasises how much customers value free returns and the edge it can give you over your competitors. However, managing the increase in orders can strain customer service teams. Whatever approach you take, it must be clearly communicated to customers and streamlined to ensure a smooth, integrated returns process.

Effective customer service is essential, and it’s crucial to equip staff with the skills needed to deliver outstanding service both in-store and online. Well-trained employees can significantly improve the shopping experience and foster lasting customer relationships. In the world of the internet where all information is at your fingertips many shoppers will have already researched before entering stores, so simply repeating what’s on the display POS won’t be enough. Empower sales advisors to impress customers with their expertise, advice, and recommendations, making the customer feel like they’ve made the correct decision in coming into the store. Moreover, taking care of your team and ensuring they feel valued at work will not only improve retention but also lead to more positive customer interactions, enhancing the overall shopping journey and encouraging repeat business.

Finally, retailers should explore the support their suppliers can offer. Many brands are keen to assist with a range of activities such as product training, promotional efforts, or additional brand ambassador staffing, in-turn it not only boosts sales of their products but also benefits your business in the process.

As we know, consumers will have no shortage of options for where to spend their money, so it is pivotal that retailers go the extra mile to stand out. Whether this is through engaging marketing— through store representatives, training, or merchandising— all of which can help ensure customers know who you are and why they should choose your products. Once you’ve captured their attention, loyalty and long-term success will follow, extending well beyond the holiday season.

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

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Oct 21 2024
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IFA 2024 – Business as Usual?

IFA Berlin 2024, Europe’s largest consumer electronics show, was as usual full of exciting product announcements showcasing key trends for all to look forward to in the months ahead and beyond. It was another sold-out show celebrating its Centenary with a new image and fresh approach paving the way for the next 100 years ahead. Recording 215,000+ visitors from 138 countries who came to Messe Berlin over the course of 5 days to witness innovation, experience inspiration, and discover the future of tech from over 1,800 exhibitors. Whilst IFA Berlin may have changed considerably since 1924, some may think that 2024 was a deja vu experience.

Ok, so there’s a lot of AI on offer from almost every brand stretching and relying on the most tenuous of references to AI in relation to their products. AI aside, it could be considered all a bit the same. Once you’ve seen one air fryer, you’ve seen them all and I suspect if you lined up all the air fryers on display in Berlin it would pave a crispy path all the way to London.

However, in all seriousness, IFA remains an essential part of the product life cycle, launching innovation that may have been talked about at CES in January but becomes reality by September for all to marvel and revel in at IFA.

The vast majority of innovation ranged from future tech to the present day and reflected various consumer trends, old and new. Naturally, AI was an important feature, with brands aware that consumers are expecting adoption and development. While AI was prevalent, it largely fed into the idea of user convenience with features that centre around making consumers lives easier. These innovations are present predominantly in products like AI-enhanced appliances, where automations are set to enhance efficiency.

The affordable premium trend also continued, with brands responding to people’s desire for maximum features and durability at a justifiable price. As the cost of living crisis effects continues, consumers are still looking for access to the best aspirational features from savvy brands. Categories delivering this ethos ranged from phones, foldables, smart home devices, laptops and drones, alongside AV and MDA categories, with consumer-centric innovations which are vital in driving the recovery and development of the consumer electronics industry.

The trends evident at IFA were AI, sustainability, and connectivity. All were linked back to AI, which creates convergent devices that save you time, energy, waste, and money as demonstrated fabulously by those geniuses at Samsung who presented the reality of family life in a real house, with kids, pets, clutter and reflective of how the vast majority of us truly live. Time strapped, cash conscious and tired, needing a little bit of help, whether through your Samsung Jet robotic vacuum that docks or Samsung’s Family Hub AI Vision fridge doors that open by voice command and also scan the dates on your produce to tell you what you need to eat quickly and wait for it, even suggests a recipe using those items on the turn that need to be consumed immediately – in my case usually spring onions. This is CE embracing AI to help consumers make decisions they’d rather not have to make, facilitating our choices and enabling consumers to spend their time and money more astutely.

The new Galaxy ring was particularly impressive and its ability to control your phone and other devices from it, as was the new Galaxy Notebooks and Frame Speaker which for me was the stand-out product. The Frame Speaker is quite simply a brilliant idea. Connect up to five in a room and immerse yourself in surround sound in a discreet and stylish manner. This 45x45x5 frame not only looks great on your wall as decorative art but also sounds truly amazing.

Amongst the noise, there was a lot of mediocre news with some new branding for legacy brands like Hoover & Candy, also this year’s on-trend colours for last year’s devices from many and even for some, the same stands. On the whole IFA 2024 was business as usual for many of the big brands and a game changer for others. Whilst many established brands did pull it out of the bag successfully, the innovation also came from those start-ups in IFA Next and from the ever-ambitious and increasingly more exciting challenger brands.

Of note is Hisense’s 8K Sonic Screen Laser TV which is a groundbreaking TV that combines 8K resolution with laser projection technology. Its standout feature is the “Sonic Screen,” where sound is emitted directly from the screen itself, creating an immersive audio-visual experience without external speakers. In the world of wearables and health tracking, RingConn Gen 2 was shown off. This is the world’s first ultra-thin smart ring designed with sleep apnea monitoring capabilities. It continuously tracks health metrics like heart rate and sleep patterns, offering advanced insights for sleep health and wellness and integrating with both Apple Health and Google Fit.

Moving into the world of Mobile’s Honor Magic V3 was showcased at IFA 2024, which is their latest foldable smartphone. The Magic V3 boasts the thinnest, sleekest design, top-tier performance, and a flexible display. Next up is Google’s Pixel 9 Pro which is Google’s latest and greatest flagship phone that has a big focus on AI, equipped with the latest AI-driven photography features and a sleek, user-friendly design. It continues Google’s legacy of delivering top-tier camera performance and seamless Android integration in three form factors. Moving into the laptop category Acer introduced two new laptops with AI at its core. These two laptops are the Swift 14 AI & Swift 16 AI which are both lightweight, powerful ultrabooks that integrate AI features for enhanced productivity. It’s designed for professionals who need a sleek, portable device that doesn’t compromise on performance, with AI tools embedded for tasks like smart photo editing.

Away from the standard everyday categories, IFA also enables and nurtures new categories to showcase products that initially may be considered niche but eventually become a competitive and growth category copied by many. One such item that may be the next growth category is the Outin Nano portable espresso from the brand Buydeem. It’s a hidden gem, with the ability to make coffee on the go with either your favourite ground coffee or the convenience of off-the-shelf pods. It certainly has the potential to be a stocking filler winner, especially for those who enjoy outdoor living and require decent coffee anytime and anywhere.

Another emerging brand with two notable devices that sit within the ‘care’ category is SKG. They offer products that I think could just be what some on the move or at home relaxing may include in their daily schedule. Their E3 Pro Eye Massager is small and whilst not discrete, gives the user full vision transparency enabling the user to see out while no one can see in. It is reasonably priced and offers a heated eye massage to help relax and de-stress. The other is the G7 Pro Fold neck massager which could appear to many to be headphones or a fan positioned around your neck. It actually provides a relaxing massage, with a heated option to soothe knots and muscle tension as you drive or read on the train or bus home after a stressful day at your desk or indeed as you are working from home. Both products sit within the CE category and can fit comfortably into any retailer’s product roadmap as self care becomes increasingly more popular across all age groups.

Innovation that was teased at IFA 2024 and will undoubtedly become standard in 2025 is Wireless Power which now rather impressively takes a leap from the smartphone to the smart home. The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced its new Ki wireless power transfer standard. It offers a new era of wireless power for the kitchen, eliminating the need for power cords being able to transfer power through granite, quartz, marble and even wood. With manufacturers likely to introduce Ki-compatible wireless kitchen appliance ranges this year, it has the potential to change the way we cook and prepare food in the kitchen. Imagine what a game changer this will be in not only the appliances category but also kitchen design. Midea announced its first range at IFA 2024 and I’m confident many more will follow soon.

So could IFA 2024 signal something of a smart home renaissance? Well maybe. Matter, the smart home protocol aimed at unifying devices from multiple brands, was back in focus with multiple support announcements from key brands. There was also Samsung integrating its smart rings with SmartThings which enables the device to trigger smart home automations, and even robot vacuums that climb stairs. Everyday appliances are becoming more intelligent and increasingly better integrated.

The vast majority of what was on display at IFA 2024 is shipping today or landing very soon and retailers of all specialism will no doubt be ranging a significant proportion of them. So with this in mind, don’t take it as business as usual, wait and see approach. Be in the business of surprising and delighting your customers by showcasing new categories and the innovative and appealing new products on offer. Work with your chosen brands to create a customer journey which enhances the brand experience and enables it to pop, full of life and energy to develop categories and create sales.

Real world examples are the best way to sell what some think they may not need or dream about. We don’t all live with clean lines, no clutter, kids without toys or muddy pets. The reality is that we are tired, busy humans who occasionally just want to lounge in our homes and speak commands, set timers linked to programmes, be suggested recipes, sleep peacefully, launder at speed, save money and do our bit for the planet. Keep it aspirational but make it real. Put the product into real world scenarios, not merely a magazine dream that maybe doesn’t translate to the average consumer?

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

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Sep 13 2024
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Retail Reboot: Transforming Likes into Sales with Digital Marketing

Callum Puffett, Digital Marketing Manager at Gekko looks at some of the tools that can be utilised to help retailers of all sizes get a foothold on the Digital Marketing ladder to help improve their brand visibility and most importantly drive traffic. 

The Importance of Social Media

Today, digital retail marketing is crucial for brands to connect with customers. It means creating attractive online experiences that show products, build trust, and boost sales. It can encompass social media, search engines, emails, and online stores to, most importantly, help brands reach customers where they spend their time. In short, it’s an unavoidable tool for retailers looking to broaden their reach and communicate more effectively with their target audience, and crucially can greatly increase a retailer’s visibility and revenues.

Furthermore, a well-considered Digital marketing strategy allows small and medium-sized retailers to take on much larger competitors, even with limited resources. Small-budget retail marketers can conveniently promote their brand globally and reach consumers across the nation with ease.

Talking of small budgets, one of the easiest and cheapest gateways into digital marketing is social media. Social media channels can and should be used by almost every business, especially by ones wishing to talk to consumers, but their effectiveness varies depending on how they are utilised. Research conducted by LOCALiQ surveyed more than 500 businesses on the importance of certain tools; for Social Media Marketing the survey stated that 40.3% of businesses find it somewhat important with 46.6% indicating it is very important, indicating that the vast majority of businesses find it to be a very pivotal tool. This is also shown in their spending, as 31.3% of businesses will spend between £1,000 and £5,000 on social media advertising, with another 22% spending more​. These social media advocates appear to be most heavily invested in Facebook, allocating 24.4% of their budget to the platform, followed by X(16.4%) and Google (13.8%)​​.

In terms of the Return on Investment, when effectively utilising the tool it was shown that 73% of marketers find social media marketing to be cost-effective with the average ROI for social media ad campaigns being 250%​ according to (The Goat Agency)​​ (MarketingScoop)​.

Content is King

Most readers will no doubt be using social media as part of their marketing strategies and I’m not going to run through a list of the platforms available and their merits. But whatever opinions, statistics and case studies there are on social media marketing working for other businesses, these don’t help you make content that will sell your products or engage with your audience. Content is king and whether you choose to create it in-house, rely on the hopefully professional output of the brands you stock or a mix of both, making it appealing, engaging, effective and consistent is fundamental. Employing someone to manage this for you will make a real difference but that will come with a cost. Moreover, will they have all the creative and technical skills to create this content from scratch?

Rewind 5 years and the task could be overwhelmingly challenging. Fast forward back to the present and we now have a potential ally in the form of AI. You can now generate an idea into a finished product in 15 minutes with the help of AI. Businesses can now implement AI to assist them with their social media marketing, from creating content to writing copy to even analysing statistics. Need an Instagram post that talks to Gen Z or a LinkedIn post that is more B2B focussed? AI can very easily and rapidly adapt the approach and tone.

It can be a real lifeline for these smaller retailers that don’t have the budget of these bigger businesses. There’s a whole plethora of AI tools out there that will assist your business in the Social Media Marketing world and these can be cost-effective with many charging a reasonable monthly subscription. You will no doubt have heard of ChatGPT but there is a new kid on the block in the form of Gemini from Google that is currently being marketed on TV by the brand. 

Gemini in itself is very similar to ChatGPT but offers better integration with the whole Google Ecosystem, whether that’s their online office suite or on the latest Pixel phone, you’ll have your own AI assistant everywhere you go meaning there’s no reason not to be able to generate engaging captions or product descriptions for your business. But AI doesn’t stop there, there are all sorts of AI tools and assistants ranging from ones that will create professional quality videos from a few words such as Lumen5. This AI tool will also provide voice-over for your content to provide that extra impact. Want to appeal to your Welsh-speaking customers? How about using Sonix AI to translate all your content in a flash? No longer is it an arduous task to translate and produce content in multiple languages. 

The beauty of all of these tools is that they can be used in harmony, whether that’s using Google’s Gemini to come up with a script for a video, then using Lumen5 to create the video with a voice-over, and if you want to go that extra step further you could even use more AI tools to translate the video to another language to further your reach via Sonix. Then to finish it up you could even use the AI tool Pixlr to help create images to accompany your social media post. The possibilities are endless. 

Helping your content be found

One of the most overlooked tools at the disposal of digital marketers is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), something most will have heard of but not necessarily fully understand.  SEO can be the difference between having a steady flow of traffic to your website or being a non-entity when it comes to internet search engines, relegating your business down from the all-important first page on the likes of Google or Bing. 

SEO in simple terms is the practice of enhancing a website so it ranks higher in search engine results. This involves using relevant keywords, creating quality content, improving site speed, and ensuring a good user experience. The goal is to increase organic (non-paid) traffic to the site by making it more visible to people searching for related information or services. The importance of SEO speaks for itself when compared to PPC (pay per-click) as SEO delivers a higher conversion rate (2.4%) compared to PPC ads (1.3%)​ (WPBeginner)​. 

Most SEO implementations can be free to do, making it the most cost-effective tool. The simplest way to begin this process is to ensure keywords for each page on the website are appropriate. E.g. if you’re selling televisions or laptops use these as keywords. This way when anyone searches online and uses one or more of the keywords you have attached to your website page the chances of your website appearing on the first page of results is significantly higher than without SEO Keywords.

From AI to SEO, retailers have a whole plethora of tools at their disposal to assist with a multitude of tasks whether that is generating content to appeal to your target audience with the help of AI tools or even helping your brand get discovered more easily through SEO. By harnessing the power of social media, AI and SEO, retailers can significantly enhance their digital presence and achieve substantial growth.

To read the published article written by Callum Puffett, Digital Marketing Manager please visit ERT Online

Photo from ERT Online

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Aug 23 2024
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Recruitment

Emerging Trends in Recruitment Technology

Rapid advancements in technology are reshaping the way employers attract, assess, and hire talent. Long gone are the days of posting CVs in the closest letterbox or taking physical copies into offices and stores directly, now it is easier than ever to get your CV to organisations. However, many elements of the process have become more challenging for job seekers to navigate with increased automation, gamification, and more platforms than ever to look for roles. 

Virtual and Augmented Reality in Recruitment

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are revolutionising the recruitment process. Rather than a traditional, less immersive experience, some organisations are offering an engaging candidate experience through VR and AR, allowing them to get a feel for the office, colleagues, and company culture without having to make the trip. 

Virtual Tours 

Increasingly, it is possible for employers to offer candidates virtual tours of the workplace. This strengthens employer branding and allows for a tour to be more easily organised. Seeing the workplace gives candidates a glimpse into the work environment and culture, with the potential for them to interact with people already working with the organisation. This saves time and travel costs while still allowing candidates to make informed decisions with as much exposure to the company as possible. 

Virtual Interviews

Interviews have often moved to video platforms, but there is a high chance in the future this will progress to interviews in VR. These are more involved than video calls, functioning as if the interviewer and candidate are in the same room, and would allow for some level of proxemics. Much like virtual tours, they save time and money and allow job seekers to attend more interviews as they don’t require travelling between physical locations.

Gamification in Recruitment

Companies have been using gamification, the incorporation of game elements into non-game contexts, in various elements of their candidate and employee experiences. There has been lots of talk about gamification in training and development, but it has taken off in recruitment too. 

Engaging Assessments

Gamification can evaluate candidate skills in a more engaging and interactive manner, such as at Deloitte. Other organisations actively use it during the screening process, such as Unilever, who use mobile games at this stage, making the initial stages more enjoyable and immersive, as well as presenting them to potential employees as an innovative employer. 

These games often assess competencies like problem-solving, decision-making, and strategic thinking. By making the process fun and different to other organisations, companies can attract top talent and gain deeper insights into the abilities of their candidates.

Gamification and AI for Insights

As part of this process, gamified assessments often utilise AI to analyse performance and provide insights. AI can identify patterns and behaviours in line with what it knows of a job role, giving some indication of suitability. This approach may prove controversial at the moment, when candidates feel anxiety about a lack of human touchpoints in the early stages of the process, but do help employers make more data driven hiring decisions. 

Blockchain Technology for Credential Verification

Blockchain technology, well known for its secure and immutable nature, is well positioned to gain traction as part of the hiring process, more specifically for the verification of credentials and work history. 

Once information is added to a blockchain, it cannot be altered or deleted. This makes blockchain technology an ideal solution to the time-consuming task of verifying educational qualifications, professional certifications, and employment history. Institutions would be able to issue digital certificates on a blockchain, which the candidate can give their potential employer access to. This would allow employers to verify credentials quickly and accurately, without the need to contact multiple institutions. While this innovation looks promising, it has not been enacted yet, so while it may provide a more trustworthy and efficient process this has yet to be demonstrated in reality. 

Up-and-coming technological changes and advancements have already made huge waves in recruitment trends, but stand to transform these even further. Incorporating more innovative technological solutions can help a business position itself as attractive to top talent, but does risk creating quite the disparity between organisations who can implement such new technologies and those who cannot – who may struggle to recruit the same level of talent as a result.

Article written by Lizzie Street, Recruitment Executive

Photo from Pexels

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Aug 19 2024
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Posts

First Impressions Count

Experience is everything and our research has seen that if you capture the imagination of the consumer and embrace them through the customer journey, 81% of consumers are willing to shop or spend more for experiences that take traditional store shopping to the next level. In simple terms, for a shopper to make a trip to your store, it has to be worth their time, effort and expenditure, creating an experience that exceeds merely the convenience of simply buying online from the comfort of their home.

In these tough economic times, yes it’s hard for both retailers and customers. Retailers can’t necessarily create the experience they’d prefer for their consumers and for the shopper, no one wants to be hard sold a product they don’t like or need, especially during distress purchases, such as the replacement of a large appliance. 

There are some retailers that unscrupulously look to charge brands for access to their doors, which is something many brands refuse to do as it squashes margin and only serves the retailer and not the brand. However, for those more willing retailers, inviting brands into your store is a start in the process of enhancing the customer experience. Create zones that enable a branded product expert to sell directly to the consumer and show your staff how it’s done. A recent report from Westfield showed that 60% of consumers are expecting over half of any given retail space to be driven by these kinds of experiential services. Driving knowledge through an expert enables the customer journey to be elevated, enhancing the possibility of closing more sales and increasing your average basket value through selling up through a range or creating opportunities for attachment sales. 

Think about your store layout and the customer flow. When the consumer bestows the honour of entering your store, yes it’s an honour, they aren’t doing you a favour, think about what greets them. Is it enticing, does it naturally lend itself to making them feel comfortable and can they find what they are looking for with ease. Ask if they require assistance and give them space and let them know that you’re there to help when they need it. 

I’m about to be a judge at the ERT Awards and my pet hate is seeing stores piling it high. Microwaves displayed atop washing machines, dishwashers and cooling. How many of those microwaves do you sell? Is it a cornerstone product that you rely on to generate revenue? Probably not. So to make them stand out like that isn’t, in my opinion, a pleasing aesthetic, more so an eyesore. So why do it when you could make your store look visually stimulating and clear of clutter to enable the consumer to see immediately what you range without having to fight through the riot of product and noise.

If I’m looking to spend some serious money in your store, I want to know that you’re the kind of store that cares about how I’d like to spend it. Listen to what the consumer needs and their budget. Keep it relevant to them and not you. No one likes a bore or someone who clearly doesn’t listen because they want to talk about themselves. The key area of focus within your store to really think about is in making it an immersive environment that your customer feels comfortable in and encouraged to explore and play. 

Enhancing the senses of consumers with your store can be done through very simple things like light, sound and smell but also interactive displays that make the consumer feel connected to the brands that are ranged in your store, enhancing the retail experience for both. Displays aren’t just about enticing shoppers to come in-store. They’re about drawing attention, displaying information and setting products apart from the competition. In the world of considered purchases, integrating tech effectively into display systems can add to the experiential and immersive experience that shoppers increasingly expect from their high street visits, helping to excite and engage consumers.

Personalisation is another factor to consider and one that is increasingly more critical in the customer journey and I hope that what you sell and the brands you range speak to target audiences. McKinsey research has shown that successful personalisation strategies, driven by customer data and increasingly AI solutions, can mean up to 10-15% revenue growth. Is what you sell and the manner you display it and sell it relevant to all and done in a manner which heightens the senses and creates an emotional connection that enhances the experience.

In 2024, the consumer’s purchasing decisions are, it seems, heavily influenced by a product’s ability to resonate with their identities and aspirations, this need can surpass mere cost considerations enabling a potential increase in basket value. This change reflects a departure from older generations’ perceptions, increasing the importance of aligning brand values and the retail approach in line with a consumer’s priorities in a competitive landscape.

Make the consumer feel listened to and important and enable them choice of not only product but also payment terms and delivery. Did you know that 43% of sales are abandoned due to delivery charges or concerns. This is relevant both in-store and the online customer journey, which leads me to your Omni channel experience.

While you might think that younger generations shop online more, actually for considered purchases such as CE, 63.5% want to shop in-store. However, this does not mean that the e-commerce opportunity is any less, especially when it comes to socials. So how does your retail experience translate online through your website and social media? With more and more consumers searching online to research the next considered purchase, do you hold your desired audience and compel them to continue their experience in your store.

It’s also understood that four in five consumers follow brands on social media, with an impressive 95% saying that their purchasing decisions are influenced by what they see and read on social media. It’s therefore important to consider the percentage of consumers that still prefer to shop in-store when shopping for high-ticket items, the future shopper and customer journey will increasingly be based around the online and social media experience. Therefore the importance of getting both right in the context of the customer journey and overall experience, are critical for a retailer’s success.

Core drivers to consider for enhancing the experience for consumers and enhancing that customer journey for both your store and the brands you range spanning an omni-channel approach are; 

  1. The online presence of your store may be the first touch point for your customers, therefore making it enticing and motivating enough to bring the consumer to your door is crucial, especially if you’re looking to attract that younger 63% that want to shop in-store. 
  2. Create theatre that immerses the consumer through lighting, sounds and clear navigation of your store with clearly defined zones that encourage the consumer to dive in and feel invited to play. 
  3. Engage with consumers in a knowledgeable and supportive manner through your staff and continue the customer journey with clear, impartial and knowledgeable advice that is relevant to the consumer, not just merely you or your opinion. 

To read the published article written by Dan Todaro, Managing Director please visit ERT

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Jul 25 2024
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Research

Back-to-school spending to set UK parents back £2.3 billion

The summer holidays are just a week away, but parents are already planning their back-to-school spending. UK parents are expecting to spend an average of £452.40 per child – the equivalent of £2.3 billion* – with many concerned about how they will foot the bill.

According to the new research from retail marketing consultancy Gekko, back-to-school spending, including uniform, stationery and technology, will set primary school parents back an average of £490.80 per child. Parents of secondary school-age children will spend an average of £422.90, while back-to-school spending for college or sixth-form students will amount to an average of £390.20.

The cost-of-living crisis is taking its toll, with nearly three quarters (71%) of parents agreeing that rising costs have made it much harder to afford back-to-school spending. As a result, 61 per cent are worried about the cost of the items they need to buy before the new academic year begins. One third (33%) of school parents will be drawing on savings, but others will rely on borrowing, with three in 10 (29%) putting costs on credit cards, and one in 10 (9%) even borrowing from family to foot the bill.

With three quarters (76%) of schools expecting children to have access to their own laptop or tablet, parents are faced with finding extra cash for technology products – adding to the financial strain. The 23 percent of parents who will need to buy a laptop or tablet before September will spend an average of £511.40 per child.

A lack of technological know-how is making buying laptops and tablets for their children even more stressful for parents. Only 12 percent of schools have suggested specific products, leaving parents to get to grips with the technical specifications they have set (18%) or completely at sea without any suggestions or specifications at all (46%).

One in five (18%) say they find it hard to understand variances between different laptops and tablets, while 17 per cent do not know enough about the technical specifications to make good purchasing decisions. To support these decisions, a quarter (27%) would value clearer information on specifications and features of technology, but ultimately one in five (19%) rely on in-store or specialist help to select the right technology for their kids.

Parents are also balancing their lack of knowledge with pressure from their children, with seven in 10 (70%) agreeing that prioritising what their children need with what they want is challenging. A quarter (25%) want to buy the ‘latest’ or ‘coolest’ tech for their kids, and 21 per cent are concerned about the impact on their child if they choose entry level options.

Daniel Todaro, CEO at Gekko Group, said: “Back-to-school spending is looming large for parents – and with rising costs, it will be more expensive than ever this year. The addition of laptops and tablets to the long list of requirements is an extra challenge due to both the cost and the technical specifications.

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