News and Analysis
Street Fight’s December Theme: Leaving 2020
What will the “next normal” look like in the post-Covid era of local commerce? Will things go back to the old normal or be a hybrid reality that cherry-picks components and new perspectives from the past nine months? Will e-commerce dip back down to pre-Covid levels or keep surging?
We’ll be answering these questions and others throughout the month, along with 2021 predictions (’tis the season) for our theme, Leaving 2020.
Qualifying and Quantifying 2020’s E-commerce Surge
Spending hasn’t declined — it’s just shifted. One of the themes we’re seeing is that the standouts of 2020 are those who have shifted with it. We’re talking here about a broad definition of e-commerce — not just ordering things online, but any digital or mobile purchase.
For example, in local commerce, these digital fulfillment models include mobile order-ahead functions in QSR and coffee. They also include curbside pickup for physical goods. And in an even broader sense (and looking forward), they will include touchless or cashier-less retail in a post-Covid era of physical retail.
Survey: Consumers Are Taking a Cautious Approach to Black Friday
Despite the somewhat complicated outlook, there are things retailers can do to change their fate. NMI found that 43% of consumers plan to avoid shopping with retailers that don’t offer contactless payments. Retailers that quickly adapt and add contactless payment options, and then market those changes aggressively over the coming days, still have an opportunity to win back customers who would otherwise be staying home.
Commentary
Who Will Own Your Augmented Reality?
Questions about AR ownership will be particularly contentious wherever money is changing hands, such as in AR advertising. Courts will face questions such as ownership of digital ad inventory when there are AR overlays on private property (or on other ads). There could be similar gray area in retail & commerce.
Latest Posts
Street Fight Daily: Can Walmart Compete with Amazon?, Uber Slapped with Federal Inquiry
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Can Walmart’s Expensive New E-Commerce Operation Compete with Amazon?… Uber Faces Federal Inquiry Over Use of Greyball Tool to Avoid Authorities… Mark Zuckerberg Is Still in No Hurry to Monetize Facebook Messenger…
GoDaddy Balances Tech and Self-Service in a Fragmented Marketplace
“The way that you cut through the noise is to build products and services that are loved by the people who use them so much that they proactively tell their neighbor next to them, or proactively tell the business group they are a part of,” says the company’s product chief, Steven Aldrich.
Report: Beacons Making Sizable Impact on Retail
The Proximity.Directory Q1 2017 Report shows that 75% of retailers in the U.S. are integrating proximity technologies into their marketing mix to increase operating profit. By using beacon technology, retailers can improve their position and increase operating profit by nearly 9% with an ROI of 175%, according to the report.
Street Fight Daily: Snap Launches New Ad Buying Tools, Facebook’s Mobile Bump Evens Out
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Snapchat Is Opening Itself Up to Advertisers of All Sizes with New Buying Tools… Facebook’s Days of Easy Growth from the Shift to Mobile May Be Over… Consumers Can Stomach Ads in News Feeds, Research Shows…
If the Gym Fits, Reserve It — Startup Makes It Easy to Never Miss a Workout
A bloom of new companies are aggregating gyms and offering single subscriptions to all of them with one “membership.” FitReserve saw the simplicity and convenience in such a program back in 2015 when three co-founders launched to fill what CEO and co-founder Megan Smyth calls a void in the market.
Street Fight Daily: Retailers Test Personalization, Facebook Drives Biz Engagement with Messenger
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… The Tipping Point: Teens Spend More Time on Mobile than Desktop… mParticle Launches Peer-to-Peer Audience Sharing to Make Marketing with Partners Easier… eBay Incorporates Machine Learning to Overhaul Email Marketing Platform…
Street Fight’s Big 3
Street Fight Columns
Street Fight Categories
Beyond Likes: Win Hearts with Emotional Marketing