Category Archives: Merchandising and Marketing

by Jennifer Bosavage

How Retailers Can Be Part of the ‘Experience Economy’

The “experience economy” was born more than 15 years ago, but today the concept is more relevant than ever. Bringing customers more than just good products at a good value is expected today. Consumers who have made the decision to go to a brick and mortar often want  to be treated with a personal touch, and have an enjoyable experience. Serve goes hand-in-glove with atmosphere; today’s retailer must invest in both to be successful.

One of the benefits of retail technology is the ability to collect information and drive better retail business intelligence.

One of the benefits of retail technology is the ability to collect information and drive better retail business intelligence.

But a retailer’s job doesn’t stop there, in actuality, it’s just beginning. For example, the book store with the coffee shop inside and learned staff is intriguing for a while, but after some time customers tire of it. There are no compelling new reasons to go there, and, unless you feel like a cup of coffee, it’s easier to go online and buy a copy of War and Peace.

Earlier in the year, the Harvard Business Review published a case study on this “fatigue” factor as it affected the Georgia Aquarium. The aquarium had opened in 2005 as the largest in the world: 120,000 animals spread across 60 habitats in excess of 8 million gallons of water.  But after the novelty wore off within a few years, attendance fell from a high of 3.5 million to 2 million. The aquarium had to confront what turned out to be an industrywide problem of declining revenue and attendance.

Because the aquarium was one of the most expensive in the United States, raising ticket prices wasn’t an option to boost sales numbers. In addition, that was unlikely to increase attendance. Adding attractions was ruled out as not a permanent solution; the new exhibits might be popular for a while, but it was likely that soon the same problem would reoccur, and only the “regulars” would be visiting.

A marketing expert was hired, who realized the problem was similar to that faced by brick-andmortar retail: How do you bring in the “right” customers, and cultivate them into loyal patrons? The answer is by using business intelligence to figure out what demographic is likely to be the best future customer, and target marketing to it.

The aquarium did something familiar to any retailer: First, it gathered information on its current best customers, including their ZIP codes. Then, it targeted “lookalike” ZIP codes and identified areas that were similar to the ones where the existing best customers lived. Those were families just waiting to learn about what the Georgia Aquarium could offer.

One difficulty with increasing the number of visitors is that typically as an attraction grows in popularity, customer satisfaction declines. Lines are longer, crowding is unpleasant and the entire experience is not one that engenders a return trip. To combat that, the aquarium added jugglers, mimes and a DJ to entertain people waiting in line. Inside, a parade, singers, and other activities encouraged visitors to stay in the atrium longer, thus shortening lines for exhibits. According to the HBR, satisfaction rose 3% from the prior year.

Retailers aiming to provide an experience for shoppers can learn valuable lessons from the Georgia Aquarium. Perhaps the biggest on of all: While it’s important to put on a good show, it’s mission critical to collect data, analyze it, and use that business intelligence to expand your customer base. Successful retailers in the Experience Economy are not one-trick ponies. Rather, they can grow and adapt and continue providing value while cultivating a loyal customer base.

by Jennifer Bosavage

Accenture Study: How Much Information Will Customers Share With Retailers?

Retailers are ready to embrace personalization in an effort to boost their bottom lines, and consumers say they want — and welcome — such efforts from their favorite brands. The irony, however, lies in the reality that most shoppers don’t want to share personal information, unless they are assured they will get something of value in return.

Digital coupons are being leveraged to foster loyalty for certain brands among consumers.

Digital coupons are being leveraged to foster loyalty for certain brands among consumers.

A recent study by Accenture found that nearly 60% of consumers want real-time promotions and offers but very few — just 20% — want retailers to know their current location and even fewer 14% care to share their browsing history. The Accenture Personalization Survey reported that an overwhelming majority, 82%, of surveyed consumers said they would welcome automatic discounts at checkout for loyalty points or coupons. Real-time promotions were also popular at 57%.

The takeaway seems to be that consumers feel as though their patronage should be rewarded. And why not? Repeat customers are the bread-and-butter of any retailer. Customers are wise to realize that their sales dollars are worth more than just what they are paying for merchandise.

Retailers are now more than ever realizing that they are in a two-way business. Retailers, which  were hesitant previously to offer discounts and coupons and other “cents-off” enticements but are now turning the corner, are learning that consumers need to be persuaded that sharing information can tangibly benefit them. After all, for every loyalty program that does provide value, there are dozens that simply collect information with no return — and customers are keenly aware of that.

“Personalization is a critical capability for retailers to master, but as our survey shows, addressing the complex requirements of U.S. consumers is challenging because they are conflicted on the issue,” said Dave Richards, global managing director of Accenture’s Retail practice. “If retailers approach and market personalization as a value exchange, and are transparent in how the data will be used, consumers will likely be more willing to engage and trade their personal data.”

The study also noted that as part of the information exchange for a more personalized retail experience, consumers expect to get something in return. After all, they are anticipating having a more unique shopping trip, catering to their preferences. The key benefits cited included: access to exclusive deals (64 percent), automatic crediting for coupons and loyalty points (64 percent), a one-time discount (61 percent) or special offers (61 percent).

Increasingly, shoppers are willing to give retailers their personal information, but businesses must be willing — and able — to provide benefits in return. Smart retailers will find that the exchange will be worth their while.

 

by Jennifer Bosavage

Macy’s: In the Omnichannel Groove

Here’s how omnichannel is supposed to work:

I live in the Northeast, in an area recently experiencing record cold temperatures and quite a bit of snow fall. It’s not quite the North Pole, but right about now a sleigh is probably the most reliable source of transportation. As snow and freezing rain came down last Wednesday, I remembered that my 13-year-old daughter had a semi-formal event to attend on Sunday and nothing in her closet was close to fitting her, or even appropriate for the occasion. Little black leggings are versatile, but they were just not going to do for this.

Retailers likely to focus on omnichannel integration in 2015

Retailers likely to focus on omnichannel integration in 2015

I contemplated going out to the mall, roughly 20 minutes away, but quickly opted for the warm coziness of my kitchen in front of my computer instead. I began my quest on Amazon, but was quickly overwhelmed by the selection and had difficulty narrowing my search. Young teenaged girls may be as tall as 20, 30 or 60-year-old women — all of whom wear dresses — but their tastes are vastly different. Getting the Amazon search engine to target that mindset was proving difficult. And then I started to worry that, despite being a Prime customer, I might not get my package in time, because of all the bad weather across the country. (We in the Northeast like to think we have a monopoly on nasty snowy weather, but this year has especially proved that’s not at all the case.)

The mall was starting to look more attractive, but the weather wasn’t, so I stayed put. I started going through my emails and saw I had a coupon code from Macy’s. I’m a loyal Macy’s shopper, and there’s one at my local mall. Now I had a plan.

Macy’s has a very easy to navigate site. I could easily find the Juniors department and even find daytime event dresses quickly. I found and bought the just-right dress in about 10 minutes. And, no worries about shipping, I was all set to pick up my merchandise at the store any day during the week. Whenever we stopped “having weather,” I could collect my purchase. I signed up for text alerts on my order status, and, in fact, my order was ready for me within a couple of hours.

Picking up the dress the next day was simple; one of the three texts I received told me exactly where to go, and my package was waiting for me. I produced my ID and off I went — but not out the door. Rather, I went to the shoe department for some coordinating footwear. I spent an additional 70% on accessory sales, and that is just exactly the way the omnichannel is supposed to work.

Macy’s does a very good job integrating its online with the in-store experience. And that is starting to show in its financial results. Its digital efforts helped fourth-quarter sales increase to $9.364 billion, up 1.8% from the prior year. Among its stronger areas were dresses and men’s and women’s shoes, areas where Macy’s tested a single view of inventory between stores and direct-to-customer warehouses. During Macy’s earnings call last week, CFO Karen Hoguet said the company had just rolled out those same programs companywide based on those successes.

“Our digital channels at both Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s did extremely well in the quarter. We were very focused and pleased with what we accomplished with Buy-Online, Pick Up In Store,” Hoguet said. “Both because of the new wave of customers who utilize this shopping, but also for the radiated sales we got when the orders were picked up. And our same-day delivery test was successful and we will expand in 2015 to additional markets.” “Radiated sales”? I guess I participated in that. It does sound awfully nice and warm to this Northeasterner.

by Jennifer Bosavage

Bricks and Mobile Makes Retailers More Efficient

Payments take time: time away from selling — if you’re the retailer  — and from shopping, if you’re the customer. Either way, it’s a point of friction. The easier and faster that process goes, the happier retailers — and their customers — will be.

According to figures from eMarketer, the global retail market will see continuous growth during the coming years, and in 2018, worldwide retail sales will increase 5.5% to reach $28.300 trillion. And, according to the Keynote Executive Presentation at eTail West this month, Americans see an average of 29,000 marketing messages daily. That means competition is stiff for sales dollars. So, retailers that implement smooth payment processes and streamlined shopping experiences will receive a competitive advantage.

During the keynote: “Defining The New Retail Experience – Stores And Mobile” session at eTail West, Jamil Ghani, vice

Consumers using mobile to engage with retailers.

Consumers using mobile to engage with retailers.

president of enterprise strategy said that integrating mobile into stores results in bigger sales. Target recently redesigned its mobile app to create an efficient shopping experience, as well as to entice consumers to buy more products and steer the retailer toward its goal of becoming a bricks-and-mobile store.

The so-called bricks-and-mobile philosophy is a retail strategy that combines mobile and in-store offerings to drive sales, increase awareness of items that are on sale or otherwise “special” and let harried consumers get more done by providing features such as in-app shopping lists.

Another way to blur the lines between channels is to use digital signage to feature shopper-generated online content within the physical store. Shoppers engage with reviews and opinions and often become more certain of their impending purchase as a result. And, Rob Manning, content marketing manager at a digital marketing software provider, told CIO.com that stores can further “promote content sharing within stores by displaying [brand-related] hashtags on signage and on monitors and kiosks and encouraging customers to share content right then and there using the hashtags to enter to win a prize, receive an automatic discount code, and/or have their content featured on the website.

Experts agree that it is pointless to prevent customers from comparison shopping online while in store. So retailers should just go ahead and provide free Wifi. Shoppers finding alternatives online can be incentivized to stick around with a low price guarantee. And QR codes are still around; stores can put them to good use and have more control over the shopping experience by attaching them next to products with links to discover them easily on your site.

When customers finally reach checkout, retailers must provide the technology to facilitate mobile wallets. The technology will become critical, and a differentiator, in the near future.  Although Apple Pay has heightened interest in mobile payments recently, Google is the granddaddy, first introducing Google Wallet’s tap and pay feature in 2011. On Feb. 23, Google said it would partner with Softcard, a joint venture of Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile. The Google Wallet app, including tap-and-pay functionality, will come pre-installed on Android phones (running KitKat or higher) sold by those carriers in the U.S. later this year.  The deal will expand Google’s reach, as well as provide more choices for consumers.

by Jennifer Bosavage

In-Store Purchasing Goes Mobile

If a brick-and-mortar or online store makes purchasing totally mobile — and offers personalized coupons — will shoppers will be more likely to purchase? A new Retail Consumer Sentiment Survey published by Merkle Inc. indicates that will indeed happen, particularly if the consumers are young.

Mobile coupons see increasing customer acceptance.

Mobile coupons see increasing customer acceptance.

A wide majority, 67%, of respondents under the age of 50 are interested in a totally mobile path to purchase. In addition, 46% under 50 would like personalized offers sent to their smartphones while shopping in-store. Those coupons should ideally also incorporate time and location.

Mobile offers are part and parcel of any modern loyalty program. But while  loyalty programs are supposed to retain customers and distract them from the competition, few — less than one-fifth — of consumers consider today’s loyalty programs to be a main differentiator. Many of those programs are price and transaction based, and the retail landscape is evolving. Just as important to many customers is a store’s personalized, omnichannel approach. According to the survey, retailers that master a personalized, omni-channel approach to loyalty generate results on the order of magnitude of 10 times the revenue of non-program customers.

A recent survey by Deloitte of 2000 customers found smartphones influence 19 percent of sales at physical stores. That’s up from just five percent in 2012. When PCs, tablets and smartphones are factored together, digital technologies influence 36 percent of in-store sales and that will likely increase to 50 percent by the close of 2015, according to Deloitte. In addition, 4 percent said they use a mobile device either before or during a shopping trip. For those customers using a digital device, the conversion rate was 40 percent higher at the store. Order size was 22 percent higher for digital-wielding in-store shoppers. The kicker? Eight in 10 would rather use their device or a kiosk versus talking to an actual human being in a store.

That doesn’t say much for in-store customer service. But it does point to a certain type of customer, at a certain type of store, that could be made to feel special through technology rather than the personal touch.

As Paul Schottmiller, Merkle senior vice president, strategy, retail and consumer goods noted: “Consumers’ expectations are high, and retailers have never had more options for using technology to deliver differentiated customer experiences.”

by Jennifer Bosavage

Local Gift Shop Continuously Evolves with Retail Pro Analytics, Gives Back to Community

In the historical town of Lexington, Mass., retailers walk a fine line between respecting tradition and embracing modern business practices.CY_WhiteSignLg Crafty Yankee, a fine gift shop located right where “the shot heard round the world”was launched, started using Retail Pro as its retail management solution in 2000, leveraging its robust functionality to transform what originally was a sleepy little business into a vibrant, charitable part of the community. Kathy Fields, owner of Crafty Yankee, has a rich background in retail. She had worked in senior positions at Dillard’s and Federated Department Stores before taking a (very) early retirement in her mid-forties. But her retirement didn’t go quite as planned. Kathy Fields bought Crafty Yankee from its founders in 1994, wanting to take on a business that would free up her time and allow her to give back to those less fortunate.

 

Embracing Modern Business Practices

Shortly after the acquisition, she recognized the need to put in a computer system. Initially, she opened a couple satellite stores and networked computers so she could be away from the store—perhaps enjoy a vacation—and still be in touch remotely. Business was growing but Fields eventually realized she needed to consolidate her business into one location and, to be successful, have a thorough understanding of which merchandise was selling and when it was bought. Knowing those sales trends would give her a concrete understanding of what was going on in her business so she could offer popular products and streamline inventory. CY-SpringStoreFront.Best (1024x683)

 

Using Analytics to Reshape the Store

Crafty Yankee found Retail Pro’s analytical capabilities exceptionally valuable in accomplishing this end. “By having good computer information, I can constantly reshape the store,”said Fields. “We must change with the customer: Patterns, age, tastes.” Retail Pro 9 gave Fields tools to analyze Crafty Yankee’s $1 million business by key segments. The store has been using Retail Pro 9 since 2012 and Fields credits the software with contributing to the store’s consistent, healthy growth despite a stagnant overall economy. Knowing what sells—and what doesn’t—is critical to every retailer and Crafty Yankee has adopted an analytical method with Retail Pro.   No guesswork here: “I like to analyze my business in lots of different segments. It’s important to me to start from the top. Let’s say we had a 20% increase last month. Where did that come from? Jewelry? Glass? Pottery? Once I see the trend in the data, I can break it down by vendor or resources. And I can compare that data to last year’s.”

 

A Technology Update that Made a Difference

None of that could have happened if Crafty Yankee had remained with its original retail management platform, CraftShop, which she started using in 1995. Much of the data was difficult to extract and it required quite a bit of manual work. “What I liked from the beginning with Retail Pro was that they saw what I had with the CraftShop system. It was pretty complicated,”said Fields.  Realizing she needed a more robust system, she started researching other software solutions, finally determining that Retail Pro was the best fit for her needs. “I have thousands of items and people would tell me, ‘You’re going to have to re-enter all that information.’And I said, ‘I don’t think so!’” CY-Interior Scarves

 

Targeted Growth that Enables Philanthropy

The Retail Pro platform, together with Fields’ business acumen, positioned her gift emporium for rapid, targeted growth. “I can learn about my business on any day of the week, as well as a specific date of business. I can compare Mother’s Day, Easter, wedding seasons.” I’m looking across the information in a lot of different ways: Top producers by vendor. Who is downtrending? Who is trending up? Our other system was just not as granular; jewelry for example, can be subcategorized. I can put more criteria in the system, which allows me to analyze each item,”Fields said. “We’ve been so successful because of the good computer information I can analyze. We are able to constantly reshape the store. If I hadn’t changed it, year after year, based on the information I get from the Retail Pro solution, the store would be out of business.” And what about the idea of giving back to the community? Crafty Yankee sells a number of items where most, if not all, of the purchasing price is donated to charity. Sometimes, retirement is overrated.

To learn more about Crafty Yankee, visit http://www.CraftyYankee.com.

To learn more about the Certified Retail Pro Business Partner supporting Crafty Yankee, JD Associates, visit http://www.jdapos.com/

by Jennifer Bosavage

Retailers to Customers: Be Our Valentines

Sales personalization is the hot topic for retailers this year. It’s all about making the customer feel special, catered to and favored. The strategy: Offer a Valentine to customers that will last far longer than Feb. 14. But with so many customers, and so much data, figuring out what each one wants from a retail shopping experience seems like a tremendous burden. If so, perhaps you’re not aiming properly.

When developing customer loyalty programs, retailers know they can't take a one-size-fits-all approach to initiatives.

When developing customer loyalty programs, retailers know they can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to initiatives.

First, identify your Valentine. He or she should be a high-value shopper, someone who comes in semi-regularly but purchases more than just the clearance items. They are customers who you’d like to return more often, but don’t. But they would, if you made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. So analyze your customer data to identify that type of customer, and then ask if they’d like to opt-in to get special offers. Second, don’t ignore the customer who is loyal and has a substantial track record at your business. These are frequently people who spread the word about their favorite spots, and nothing beats word-of mouth advertising. These valuable shoppers are already loyal — shouldn’t they be rewarded for that? Again, your data knows who these satisfied customers are, and you can delight them even more by showing some appreciation. So, ask this group also to opt in Third, give your Valentine what they really want. Oh, but they just won’t come out and tell you? Beacon technology can help with that.  Beacon technology provider Swirl Networks recently released results from beacon marketing campaigns running in retail stores across North America. Swirl analyzed in-store campaign performance data from tens of thousands of shopper interactions and surveyed shoppers who received beacon-triggered messages during a three-month period. The survey found:

  • 60 percent of shoppers open and engage with beacon-triggered content
  • 30 percent of shoppers redeem beacon-triggered offers at the point of purchase
  • 73 percent of shoppers surveyed said that beacon-triggered content and offers increased their likelihood to purchase during their store visit

Beacons offer retailers a way for retailers to understand and quantify what their customers want, and take the guesswork out. And, by asking customers to opt-in, they will feel like part of an exclusive offering, rather than the victim of an unscrupulous marketer. It’s up to the retailers to live up to their end of the bargain: In exchange for consumers’ personal data, businesses must provide valuable information at each touchpoint along the customer journey.

by Jennifer Bosavage

Location-Based Mobile Marketing Gives Customers What They Want

Customer engagement and retail’s push to “delight” the customer has lead to a re-evaluation of product marketing. Some refer to that by the cringe-worthy term, “marketeering,” but really it’s old-fashioned clienteling: The act of knowing the customer well enough to promote relevant products or services.

Internet of Things may shape future of ecommerce

Using geo-location, retailers push promotions to shoppers based on proximity.

Although clienteling has been practiced since the dawn of retail, today’s technology offers an abundance of riches in terms of relating to customers. Retailers have been collecting data for years, but only recently have tools emerged that lets them make sense of it. By analyzing that information, retailers can effectively take control of their revenue streams. For example, retailers can take specific information about their shoppers and provide targeted, intelligent offers, as well as time-sensitive notifications, to attract customers. Using that in combination with GPS and iBeacon geolocation technology, is the next step, and it’s coming.

Virtually every retail customer walking down the street or in a mall has a mobile device, but few retailers are taking advantage of that ready-made platform. Solutions such as those from Mowingo and iSign use geo-location to identify the proximity of shoppers before pushing out a notification. In conjunction with that, they create unique customer profiles that aim to send appropriate content.

Context is critical, which is why geo-location and profiling go hand in hand. It reduces the likelihood, for example, of a man getting a text informing him of a flash sale on stockings when he is in the ladies shoe department — following his wife.

These solutions tend to boost loyalty for retailers too, because customers feel like a valued part of the retailer’s community. To compete with Amazon, retailers need to leverage their community location, and providing special, personalized promotions is one way of achieving that goal. Those promotions might include coupons, or VIP events.Going back two or three years, retailers discounted how much customers enjoy coupons; to many shoppers, coupons can be perceived as a sort of validation that they are special, valued, etc., a type of “insider” reward. Once customers feel that they are part of an exclusive club, they are more willing to provide personal information because the value proposition is attractive.

For retailers considering incorporating location services, a best practice is to explain to customers what’s in it for them: “By using your location, we will provide a better service, and reward you for your loyalty.” For some, discounts will be the driving factor to get them into a store. For others, it’s about the sense of community. Reminding customers about options (communication) and offering them specials (discounts) are both effective. Over time, you will  learn which customer needs what amount of encouragement to win their business.

 

by Jennifer Bosavage

NRF Retailers: Could Brick Be the New Black?

Is brick really the new black? At the NRF2015 Big Show this week, it seemed that way. JDA Software was one of several vendors that focused presentations on how retailers can reposition brick-and-mortar stores as the center of the new customer experience.

To remain competitive with online merchants, brick-and-mortar stores are adjusting their practices to create memorable customer experiences.

To remain competitive with online merchants, brick-and-mortar stores are adjusting their practices to create memorable customer experiences.

Today’s customers, particularly Millennials, are always “on,” and that has caused retailers to react accordingly. Connectivity between online and brick and mortar outlets, for example, is quickly becoming a “must-have.” Although e-commerce use is commonplace, brick and mortars also have a spot in the retail ecosphere. An NRF panel entitled, “Brick Is the New Black,”  Chairman and CEO of JDA Software Bal Dail, President of Levi’s Brand James Curleigh, former CEO of Walmart U.S. Bill Simon, senior partner at brand agency Lippincott James Wright, discussed strategies to meet the wants and needs of tech-savvy customers. The panel’s conclusion? Retailers can leverage brick and mortar environments to thrive in today’s dynamic retail landscape despite the rise of online shopping and omni-channel. Partly this is being accomplished by creating more interesting in-store experiences, and partly by encouraging customers to use online technology to facilitate in-store pickup.

“The death knell for brick-and-mortar was premature. Physical stores remain at the emotional and financial core of today’s retail model and can be leveraged to engage and delight the new boss and deliver real profit and brand equity,” said Wayne Usie, senior vice president of retail industry strategy at JDA Software. “However, retailers need to act now to evolve their processes and capabilities to capture the potential that the new boss holds, or risk losing this fickle customer to a competitor.”

Melding the online and physical worlds with strategies such as “BOPIS” (buy online, pick up in store), also referred to as “click and collect,” help brick and mortars attract customers who are comfortable with e-commerce, particularly the Millennial set. Such customers can browse and comparison shop quickly and efficiently online, and then go to the physical store location for the “look and feel” experience, and, finally, to take delivery of the product. Of course, to be successful, inventories need to be in perfect sync to avoid customer frustration and disappointment.

Sometimes, however, a little pocketbook persuasion is necessary to rout them from behind their screens: A recent study by Parago said that 80% of shoppers would BOPIS for a $10 rebate on a $50 purchase. That’s a hefty 20% discount. However, if a brick and mortar store can entice a customer to buy more merchandise when he or she comes to retrieve the original order, it may be well worth offering the incentive.

Have you implemented click and collect? If so, let us know in the comments how it’s going, and whether customer’s shopping baskets increase once they are in the physical store. If you haven’t yet implemented click and collect, let us know why not.

 

by Jennifer Bosavage

3 Ways To Drive an Extraordinary Customer Experience #NRF

What will retailers focus on in 2015? That’s the big question at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show, taking place this week at the Javitz Center in New York City. For many, the driving force this year will be to provide an extraordinary customer experience, and that means investing in technology. From electronic shelf labels, to fitting rooms to electronic shelf labels, technology will power the evolution in how retailers approach and interact with their customers.

Retail industry leaders are driving changes to enhance the customer experience across their channels.

Retail industry leaders are driving changes to enhance the customer experience across their channels.

Take electronic shelf labels. LG Innotek, introduced customized ESL solutions for various retail outlets at NRF 2015.  Electronic Shelf Labels are just a small part of the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) solutions market; LCDs and electronic paper provide shoppers information on product price, sales promotions, etc. The integration of ESL lets retailers manage the price of all the products in a store, and helps in real-time tracking inventory status. Customers can check on product information and easily find the product as the ESL communicates with their smartphones. ESL can also process the order, payment, and delivery on site.

Once a customer has made a selection, the next stop is often the dressing room. MemoMi’s MemoryMirror is a digital mirror that rolls video, 360-degree viewing and social networking into one high-end retail package. The product itself debuted at last year’s Big Show, but it’s here at the 2015 show again, promoting its alliance with Neiman Marcus and its roll out at the luxury store’s Walnut Creek, Calif., outlet. The MemoryMirror is designed for in-store clothes shopping, capturing stills and video of everything the customer tries on. It’s not in the dressing room — that was deemed too creepy — but is located right outside, in a common area. Using simple body gestures, or via a companion mobile app, the mirror can be controlled to see 360-degree back and side views, observe outfits side by side, and change the color of the clothing. For retailers, the MemoryMirror can gather shopper data by measuring and analyzing in-store behavior.

Finally, after the customer has gathered and tried on his or her items, it’s time to check out. Increasingly, retailers are employing new POS systems to ease that friction point. Whether it’s checking out via an app, through an associate with at tablet, their own smartphone or a traditional POS, consumers today are demanding a seamless, easy payment experience.

At NRF 2015, Retail Pro is demonstrating its comprehensive and flexible software that is aimed at helping retailers evolve their omni-channel strategies. Mid-market and global brands alike can create consistent, impactful customer experiences at every touch point with brand-conscious POS and web-based applications accessible across devices: Ease of use combines with insightful data analysis.

Retail Pro International will be showcasing its retail management software at NRF 2015 through January 13, in booth #1503.