News and Analysis

BUST: The Wrong Time for Rite Aid

BUST: The Wrong Time for Rite Aid

Bankruptcies and store closings have hit the retail world hard this year. Bed Bath & Beyond was the most notable, and Christmas Tree Shops and Jenny Craig are among the other retail brands that closed doors in 2023.  Rite Aid is the latest MULO (multi-location) brand to suffer the impact of retail shrinkage. Although the […]

Labor Day Retail Trend: In-Store Shoppers Search for ‘Seasonal Delights’

Labor Day Retail Trend: In-Store Shoppers Search for ‘Seasonal Delights’

As Labor Day weekend approaches, consumers across the United States are gearing up for a unique shopping experience. While online shopping has become a significant part of daily life for most Americans, the holiday weekend is expected to witness a surge in in-store shopping. A recent survey of Labor Day shopping preferences conducted by Vibenomics, […]

AdTech Leaders Navigate Ethical Frontiers for Generative AI

AdTech Leaders Navigate Ethical Frontiers for Generative AI

Generative AI has had a breakout year in 2023, but as more adtech companies adopt the technology to optimize campaigns, analyze behavior, and personalize both online and offline experiences, consumers are pushing back. According to a survey by Salesforce, there’s a growing distrust of AI and companies that use it. The race to build out […]

Commentary

Amazon’s Retail-as-a-Service Expands into Payments, AR, and Salons

As Amazon continues to mature, it needs to find revenue growth in new, creative places. The company’s booming advertising business is one such conquest. Iterating on the AWS playbook by bringing tech-fueled logistical innovations to physical stores could be another.

LBMA: Target and Safeway Use Google Pay for Location-Based Promotions

In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers TikTok partnering with Nielsen for geo-targeted campaigns with the aim of helping SMBs, Target and Safeway using Google Pay for location-based promotions, Petco using facial recognition tech to reunite lost pets with owners, and a KLM billboard that listens for flu symptoms.

Delivering an Online Retail Experience with In-Store Shopping’s Perks

As the future of retail customer experience takes shape, it will become more important for brands to re-create the in-store experience online. But how?

Latest Posts

Doubling Down on GMB: Local Search in 2021

For marketers who have found ways to use the latest tools and features being offered by Google and other search partners, 2021 is poised to become a period of high growth. With Google’s spate of new local marketing features launched in 2020, and predictions that additional changes are on the horizon in 2021, Adthena VP of Marketing Ashley Fletcher says the role that GMB plays in the larger local search space is expanding.

Contactless Pay Is the Next Big Pivot in Retail CX

Remember when Amazon launched Prime? The entire retail customer experience (CX) changed overnight — for everyone. The bookseller-turned-everything-seller suddenly offered low prices and fast and free delivery, leading traditional retailers to pivot drastically to keep up with their mega-competitor.  

But sometimes, unexpected CX overhauls are a good thing — especially when competitors have to pivot, too.  

5 Predictions for Mobile in 2021

Emerging mobile commerce data shows retail’s future hinges on our phones. While our industry was well aware of this trend before the pandemic, the acceleration stats are striking.

How SMBs Capitalize on Customer Data

Small businesses have had to squeeze every bit of value out of their operations in the past year and are quickly realizing the importance of knowing their customers. Luckily, collecting and taking action on data doesn’t have to mean learning an entirely new skill set. 

Rather, it can be as simple as using the information that you already have, or could easily access, to improve the things that you’re already doing.

5 Mobile Ordering Platforms for Independent Coffee Shops

For those independent businesses that made the leap to order-ahead tech, the financial rewards in 2020 were significant. According to data from Odeko, coffee shops using order-ahead marketplaces prior to Covid-19 saw a net increase in customers with little-to-no drop-off in existing customers this year.

We review the top mobile ordering platforms for coffeeshops.

Email Security for Small Businesses

A secure company email account is just as important for small and medium-sized businesses as it is for large enterprises. More often than not, it’s email-based breaches at Fortune 500 companies making the news, but SMBs are targeted by email threats just as often, if not more.

Street Fight’s January Theme: Turning the Page

During the past few years of that stretch, we’ve segmented our monthly coverage into themes, as you may have noticed. Flowing from last month’s theme of “Leaving 2020” — a retrospective analysis — what better way to ring in a new year than to focus on what’s to come in the next year?

2021 Holds a Bright Future for Advertising. Yes, Really

While 2021 holds a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the pandemic, there are absolutely things that marketers and publishers can and should plan for. That entails making identity, data quality, and privacy a key part of their strategy for the year. 

Cannabis CBD

New Ad Targeting Group: Cannabis Consumers

According to a new commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting among marketing leaders in the US, most brands (>75%) are already interested in cannabis consumer data to better understand and reach new and existing customers. 

They recognize that sustainable, long-term growth requires keeping pace with their customers’ interests, like cannabis, as they evolve over time. They also see the value of this massive audience that possesses ideal attributes for campaign activation up and down the funnel. 

Location-Based Marketing Association’s 2021 Predictions

In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association reflects on the year that was and speculates on the year ahead. Check out their predictions for 2021 on the latest episode.