Articles in category: In my opinion

In my opinion, retail industry executives and experts give Retail Times readers their views, insights, and analysis on the latest retail trends.

In my opinion: Apple Pay – who really cares? Consumers expect added value, says Eagle Eye Solutions

Digital payments apps are nothing without an integrated loyalty scheme, says Steve Rothwell, founder Eagle Eye Solutions

In my opinion: database techniques can help retailers match the marketing of big brands, says Neo Technology

Amazon you know about – but adidas Group and Walmart are also signature brands using graph database techniques to mine data relationships and offer customers a superior experience, says database expert Emil Eifrem We’re all very familiar with Amazon’s, ‘Customers who

In my opinion: getting rid of liquidated stock will be key retail priority after mild UK winter, says B-Stock Solutions

While the UK has experienced its warmest winter in 70 years, retailers have taken a substantial hit due to lower-than-average sales for seasonal merchandise as well as high return rates for winter wear. As a result, retailers have been left

In my opinion: online marketplaces have changed the world, says Mirakl

As we are about to enter the busiest time of the year in retail, Adrien Nussenbaum, CEO of Mirakl Inc discusses how online marketplaces are increasingly at the heart of digital strategies for retailers, online pure players or B2B companies

How do Amazon Prime Now’s grocery prices stack up against UK supermarkets? Profitero investigates

Following Amazon’s foray into fresh groceries in the UK, Keith Anderson, vice president of strategy & insights at e-commerce analysts, Profitero, explores how its prices stack up against the top supermarkets At the beginning of October, Amazon announced it was

In my opinion: connected customers swap channels and devices to get what they want, [24]7 survey shows

Nick Mitchell, managing director, EMEA, at customer engagement company [24]7, reveals the results of the company’s survey into the shopping habits of global consumers Increasingly people’s complex lives are lived in both the real and the virtual worlds and, as technologies also start to

In my opinion: employee recognition programmes that include seasonal staff can improve customer service in retail, says P&MM Motivation

John Sylvester, director at P&MM Motivation, claims retailers, and customer service, can benefit from rewarding seasonal and part-time staff Seasonal staffing churn is one of the biggest challenges the retail industry faces. As Christmas approaches, retailers are taking on thousands

In my opinion: every bar counts, claims MK Electric

Nadine Deery, retail channel marketing manager, Honeywell, on the retail opportunity of offering USB charging Picture the scene. You wake up in your hotel room at 7am, adrenaline pumping and pulse already racing ahead of your big meeting. Instinctively you

In my opinion: retailers need to embrace mobile faster, says app expert Common Agency

News that successful omni-channel retailer Argos has generated £1bn of m-commerce revenue in a year, should act as stark warning for other retail brands that fail to realise the power of mobile. That’s the message from experienced retailer Simon Howship,

In my opinion: the Big Data phenomenon is broken – until you can get full value from it, says Zizo

Laurence Armiger, sales director at Zizo, explains how companies can avoid making a false start and instead get full value from Big Data When it comes to ‘Big Data’ one size definitely does not fit all. There’s a right and a wrong way

In my opinion: packaging up in-store sales success with on-shelf marketing

As consumers make in-store purchasing decisions faster than ever before, the brand battle for shopper attention and market share in today's highly competitive retail environment itensifies. Arco Berkenbosch, Senior Vice President Innovation, Smurfit Kappa, explains how Shelf-Ready Packaging offers

In my opinion: retailers can create value through networks, says Eagle Eye

Steve Rothwell, founder and CTO of Eagle Eye Solutions, on creating value through a network Networks are the ties that bind us. A good network is capable of bringing together completely different elements to provide a solution capable of meeting a

In my opinion: WiFi CRM is the enabler for a seamless omni-channel strategy, says Airangel

Karl Gilbank, sales director, Airangel, on how WiFi can enable an omni channel experience for retailers Omni-channel marketing is a complex phenomenon, which is now an integral part of the retailer-customer relationship. From online shopping, social networks and forums to in-store

In my opinion: master big data and benchmark the supply chain to optimise retail business performance, says RELEX

Mikko Kärkkäinen, group CEO at supply chain solution provider, RELEX, says mastering big data and the supply chain is key to business success The UK’s retail supply chain managers know they’re holding too much stock but are worried that cutting

In my opinion: ensure it’s only the sleigh bells ringing this Christmas, says Checkpoint Systems

Neil Matthews, vice president and general manager at Checkpoint Systems, has top tips for preventing false alarms in retail environments at Christmas Shopper traffic in the UK increases by nearly 100% between the first Saturday in November and the last couple of days before

In my opinion: retailers must embrace disruption in 2015, says Mindtree

Anil Gandharve, general manager for retail, CPG and manufacturing industry at Mindtree, urges businesses to embrace disruption in 2015 in order to succeed Looking back on 2014, we see the year was marked by a great deal of disruption at

In my opinion: retailers discount the value of click and collect services at their peril, says SmartFocus

Az Ahmed, retail marketing expert at SmartFocus, shares some valuable Christmas shopping insights. Ahmed helps to build intelligent solutions for some of the world’s largest brands – including Nestle, Mercedes and House of Fraser. SmartFocus’s marketing solutions take the guesswork out of marketing and help

In my opinion: achieving omni-channel success is key for exceptional retailing, says OneView Commerce

With footfall declining in physical retail stores across many major markets around the world and consumers increasingly turning to e-commerce and mobile channels to research, price check, and purchase their desired items, omni-channel retailing is a force that retailers must

In my opinion: hey good looking! Bringing customers back to bricks and mortar

François Pétavy, CEO of online creative crowdsourcing platform, eYeka, explores some creative options for retailers looking to improve the in-store customer experience, as more and more consumers choose to buy online Thirty years ago, when the term “retail therapy” was first

In my opinion: Eagle Eye explores the benefits of crafting a successful digital engagement programme

Steve Rothwell, founder of the UK’s leading provider of digital consumer engagement solutions, Eagle Eye, on the solutions that are available to retailers and some examples of the solutions in action Finding business solutions through digital can be perceived to be a

In my opinion: recruitment agency, Michael Page, on the skills retail leaders need in 2014

Liam Humphreys, regional director, Michael Page, outlines the leadership skills top retailers require in 2014 2013 was a year of uncertainty for retail organisations, with many long-standing stores, such as Blockbuster and HMV, going into administration. In order to become

In my opinion: true personalisation is critical to your business, says SmartFocus

Anthony Wilkey, regional director, account management group, SmartFocus, on why personalisation matters to consumers and the business benefits it brings True personalisation is more than just customising a promotional email or newsletter with each customer’s first name; it’s about creating unique experiences for

In my opinion: digital innovation is key to customer loyalty, claims Eagle Eye

Phillip Blundell, CEO of Eagle Eye, says merchants that embrace digital innovation will secure customer loyalty In the past consumers relied on local shops. It was easy for businesses to develop strong relationships – to learn preferences and to understand

In my opinion: service is being sacrificed in the pursuit of new technology, says IT support provider Barron McCann

Technology is driving the customer experience in ways the industry has never experienced before. But is this always a good thing? The problem with any new offering is that unless the support network is there to ensure it remains in

In my opinion: packaging plays key role in sustainability, says LINPAC Packaging’s director of innovation

Alan Davey, director of innovation, LINPAC Packaging, explores the role packaging plays in reducing waste and achieving sustainability targets If plastic packaging was invented today it would be regarded as one of the greatest technological innovations to rank alongside the