Shopper Culture

How Kiind® Saves You Money

Ever worry that the gift card you got that special someone might never be redeemed? If Kiind® has anything to do with it, you may not have to worry any longer. Kiind® is a new virtual gift-card service that charges the giver only when the recipient uses the gift-card to make a purchase. The Kiind marketplace is full of top brands and retailers such as Sephora®, Nike®, Amazon®, and Foot Locker®. The platform contains a dashboard that allows the user to track both claimed and unclaimed gift cards. Currently, their focus is on B2B, but one can imagine that the concept will eventually migrate to consumer use too.... Read more →

THE CHECKOUT: BEAUTY EDITION

For most shoppers in the beauty category, location is the top factor in where they choose to purchase their favorite products. In addition, they want to feel like they are getting a wide selection and variety of products to meet all of their needs at the lowest prices. It’s no surprise, then, that they choose mass retailers like Walmart and drug stores to shop the beauty category. These types of stores are likely a short drive from their home, shoppers are familiar with these stores' layouts and inventory and they know what prices to expect. Behaviors change when we break beauty shoppers down by demographic. In our latest... Read more →

Seeing Green on St. Patrick's Day

While St. Patrick’s Day might not drive sales as large as other holidays, it is a holiday that people love to celebrate! And although the holiday falls on a Monday this year, it doesn’t seem to be slowing fans of the holiday down. According to a National Retail Federation study administered by Survey Analytics, 55% of Americans plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in some way. Though the NRF reports that spending is projected to be fairly flat over 2013, the average shopper expects to spend $36 on St. Patrick’s Day goods such as clothing, food or decorations, an increase from 2009 and 2010. Much of this spending... Read more →

Unexpected Retail is Helping "Keep Denver Beard"

Denver is known for many things—the Broncos, its skiing (though it is 2 hrs away), and recently its legal marijuana shops. But that's not the only unique retail experiences you will find in Denver. At my local coffee shop, filled with plaid-wearing, bearded men and outdoorsy-chic women, I noticed a peculiar looking vending machine. Covered in wood and equipped with a tablet and credit card payment system, the vending machine was actually filled with local Denver and Colorado goods. It had a bit of everything from 'Keep Denver Beard' stickers to wooden iPhone cases, Colorado flag wallets, earrings and hemp bars. These items help Denverites showcase their regional... Read more →

Can Gesture Control Work At Retail?

During this month's SXSWi, Integer's Steve White (@steveewhite) presented on the promise of gesture controlled experiences at Retail. Along with Juuso Myllyrinne from TBWA's Pilot, Steve presented a case study of a gesture controlled unit built as a proof-of-concept and also explained why the current retail environment and culture of shopping is ready for these types of experiences to exist. Check back in the coming weeks for some videos featuring the "making of..." and retailer feedback on the results. In the meantime, click here to download Steve and Juuso's presentation. Read more →

Insight on Wearable Tech

The power to see things differently. The ability to manage your life more easily. The magic of making something happen with simply the wave of your hand? All these things are now possible with the advent of wearable tech. And the options are endless. We can only guess where it will be in the near future. According to ABI Research, over a half million wearable devices utilizing technology are predicted to ship annually by 2018. Each one of these technologies has the potential to radically change how your brand is seen, used or experienced. Are you ready for that? Is the Shopper? Click here to read more about... Read more →

The Checkout: Coupon Edition

Which group, lower-income shoppers or higher-income shoppers, do you feel values coupons more? Who do you think places more importance on coupons younger shoppers or more experienced shoppers? And why am I hearing so much about 'extreme couponing'? These questions and more are asnwered in The Checkout from The Integer Group®. Since 2010, Integer has been tracking shoppers' perceptions, habits and use of coupons. Recently, we surveyed roughly 1300 shoppers and identified why they use coupons, where they find coupons and how they view coupons today. A few highlights include: Circulars and newspapers, though they've declined, are still the top places shoppers find coupons, while on-package and mobile... Read more →

Square: The Future of Sale Transaction Technology

In an ever-changing retail environment where brands and shoppers increasingly communicate via Tweets or status updates, shoppers can still find themselves trailed by obnoxious sales assistants when entering a brick-and-mortar store. While human interaction should be encouraged between retailers and shoppers, questions such as “How’s the weather outside?” or “Where is your necklace from?” are unnecessary. The generic welcoming process, of which shoppers are very aware, is artificial and often accompanied with a forced smile. The often unsettling process of being approached by retail assistants with “ice-breaker” questions might interfere with a shopper’s in-store experience, dampening both the brick-and-mortar image and the shopper’s perception of the overall brand.... Read more →

New Issue of The Urbanist Available!

A new issue of The Urbanist is now available. Read about the Flow app, urban retail innovation and how social is entering the retail scene in New York City. Click here to read more. And check out the rest of the issues here. Read more →