5 Service Lessons from Ikea’s Manhattan Planning Studio

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Ikea’s “planning studio,” to open in April, is bringing the suburbs to the city, which apparently is just where new urban dwellers want it. Here are five ways Ikea is going to redesign the shopping trip. Today’s city-dwellers don’t merely want suburban comforts and amenities, they want to live a suburban, urban life – and ... Read more

Surrounded by Chaos, Shoppers Take Control

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Harried shoppers are trying to regain power in the areas of their lives where they could, and today that includes shopping trips. Retail brands should give it to them if they want to see higher sales. Based on what shoppers told us, we’ve devised a four-step strategy. Their world is in the grips of chaos, from ... Read more

The Store Shelf is a Huge Underused Media Center

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Retailers are over investing in stores of the future and digital technologies while the shelf, where 91% of consumer packaged goods sales happen, remains an emotional wasteland. Shoppers have emotional connections to the categories they buy, triggered by the benefits they expect from using a product, so why do retailers keep delivering transactional experiences? Engage ... Read more

Robomart May Resurrect the Strip Mall: Future Shopping Life

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If self-driving stores and same-day delivery are the future of Shopping Life®, encouraging shoppers to stay at home, then what will become of traditional (and outmoded) centers? We have a few ideas… but what are yours? We thought Shopping Life® had changed in the last five years, but the next five (or two) will make ... Read more

The Miss with Walmart’s Jetblack

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By Candace Corlett // President at WSL  Watching Walmart has become my new entertainment (along with Broadway theater, Mr. Robot, Westworld, Suits, and my grandson, Baby James Jordan.) I am watching this brilliant example of how a long stretch of losses (9 quarters of poor sales performance at Walmart) energized this company that had become ... Read more

Shoppers Want Respect, Not Discounts | 7 Brands that Deliver

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Shoppers yearn for retailers that deliver respect, but our research shows only a handful deliver it the way shoppers want it. What are they doing right? We explore several examples of retail companies that succeed in winning the shopper’s respect. When the shopper wants to be put first, she goes to Aldi. Or Amazon or ... Read more

Gen Z Is More Important Today Than Ever, 5 Reasons Why

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Generation Z, now one-quarter of the US population, is growing up and providing a fresh glimpse into retail’s future. Here are five factors you need to know about how this generation shops and differs from Millennials. Generation Z, those born between 1996 and 2011, represents 26% of the total population, according to Nielsen, and its roughly 72 ... Read more

How to Replace The Holiday Hype with Happiness

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Try what retailers may; the days of shoppers turning into last-minute Christmas fairies are fading. Holiday shopping behavior is now like everyday behavior, and shoppers just want to combine it into their regular activities. A few guiding trends can help brands prepare. The trees have been up since September and the carols were playing before ... Read more

How Supermarkets Can Win Back The Millennial Shopper

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Fringe eateries, including kiosk-enabled restaurants and well-placed food emporiums, are nibbling at the edges of supermarket share, particularly among Millennial shoppers. Here’s what supermarkets can learn from places that offer convenience, fun and “better” food. It’s 6 p.m., the commute is a bear, and the shopper has one key requirement for tonight’s dinner: It’s got ... Read more

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