By Amy Roche – Retail Rockstars There is no doubt that online shopping has changed the face of retail forever. However, customers still want retail experience, and they crave personalisation, education, entertainment and enlightenment. At its core, online shopping offers 24-hour service with competitive and comparative pricing – something our stores cannot always deliver on. However, there is […]
The Queensland Container Refund Scheme (CRS) launches on 1 November this year. Under the scheme, a 10 cent refund will be provided to consumers for eligible, empty drink containers between 150ml and 3L in size that are returned to a participating Container Refund point. What retailers need to know The CRS will primarily affect manufacturers who produce […]
Retailers this week may feel a little like drought-stricken farmers following a drenching, after the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its retail trade report for November. The nation enjoyed a rather robust jump of 1.2 per cent in total sales to $26.4 billion – three times the market forecast of 0.4 per cent – […]
The Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) and the National Retail Association (NRA) have welcomed today’s determination by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to re-authorise the Casual Mall Licensing Code of Practice. The Code, which provides for the balanced and consistent management of casual mall licensing in shopping centres, was first authorised by […]
Written by MarketMap Is language really a barrier when speaking to each other, or is how we speak to each other the real barrier? These are some things retailers should think about when communicating with customers. Why does Chen feel that Sue doesn’t really understand her? Why does Mary’s boss not understand why she works […]
Hear some of the most recognised local and international customer engagement experts in one place, discussing each critical stage of the loyalty journey. The Australian Loyalty Association, in conjunction with Global Loyalty, will host the third annual Customer Engagement & Loyalty Conference in Melbourne on 20 July. The 2017 event boasts the largest speaker line-up […]
by Tim O’Grady, knowITall Loyalty Systems What is the one word that can make all the difference to a loyalty program’s success? Answer: Data…not data for the sake of it, rather data that leads to insights that are actioned for business acceleration. The following data sources gathered through a loyalty program and the combination of […]
Many of you may have been watching the media closely around the Christmas and New Year period especially in relation to what we can all expect within retail in 2017. It has been reported that Australian retailers would rather forget 2016, with a “trolley full of famous names including Dick Smith, Pumpkin Patch and Masters […]
More and more consumers are poised to enter the marketplace in the coming years and businesses will need to be ready for a wave of ethically conscious and gender aware shoppers. HSBC’s Future of Consumer Demand report highlights that data indicates 90% of the world’s population will be considered “consumers” by 2020. The report uses the World Bank’s […]
Webinars are not a new concept, however implementing them into your marketing plan could still be essential to building brand awareness and providing value for your current customers.Running a webinar offers you a chance to gain insights from your customers and target audience while delivering key messages and engaging content. So how do you start? […]
Every man and their dog seems to have an online business these days with brands abandoning bricks and mortar’s hefty overheads. However 4 pure play (online only) retailers have done the opposite and expanded their online offering offline. Although online retail is booming, it is still only a small percentage of total retail sales worldwide. […]
If you haven’t heard about Pokémon GO, it’s possible you have been in quarantine for the past two weeks. The new augmented reality based App has quickly become the new obsession for kids and nostalgic adults everywhere. Users need to step outside and physically search for Pokémon, take aim and throw a Poké Ball in […]
Online review sites can be a cause for concern for many businesses, especially SMEs. A few scathing reviews can turn away potential customers, and encourage loyal ones to seek out competitors. However if handled correctly, online reviews can be a fantastic customer service tool, build brand awareness, upsell customers, and build brand trust. Negative reviews […]
The Co-op has introduced a buy now, pay later digital instalment payment option to its customers. Customers are demanding more flexible shopping and purchasing options, and The Co-op aims to solve budgeting issues, retain more customers and improve overall customer satisfaction by offering the new payment plan. Customers can choose buy now, pay later on […]
Last Wednesday 11 May delegates attended an extravagant gala dinner in Melbourne for the Retail Customer Excellence Awards hosted by our partners Inside Retail. The awards night gives recognition to retailers in Australia who are creating Customer Centric organisations that have the customers’ needs and wants engrained into every company decision to deliver an extraordinary […]
Late last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Innovation and Investment Summit, part of the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland Initiative. Throughout the summit, some of the world’s best visionaries in technology and innovation came together to share their insights and empower delegates to harness innovation. Each of the visionaries I had the pleasure […]
In today’s digital world, it is not uncommon for retailers to trade through multiple channels. It’s almost become a mandatory accessory to have an online store associated to your physical store but at what point can you consider your retail business to be operating through multi-channels or an omnichannel business. The answer is simple. If […]
A recent study, published in Gender, Work and Organization, suggests that customer-perpetrated sexual harassment is prevalent across the Australian service sector, including the retail industry. The study, titled “‘But it’s your job to be friendly’: Employees coping with and contesting sexual harassment from customers in the service industry,” suggests that 9 per cent of all […]
The Queensland Office of Fair Trading recently conducted a state-wide compliance operation which highlighted that several businesses were unaware of their lay-by obligations. Businesses mistakenly offer customers the opportunity to pay by instalments and do not realise that under law, such an agreement constitutes a lay-by which means there are extra rights for the customer. […]