Amazon’s Latest Growth Strategy

Amazon wants to deliver fresh produce and wild seafood from farmer’s market to your door within 36 hours. Amazon has been aggressive recently about expanding its presence in the food delivery sector. Are they throwing too much against the wall? Is this a growth strategy or are they simply experimenting?

Heineken Picks up the Tab

Heineken USA partners with Gratafy and buys Facebook and Twitter users a beer in hopes of expanding its customer base to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Houston. A customer of legal drinking age can enter their smartphone’s number to get a link sent to their phone. They then click on the link and select “choose a bar.” The user is asked to allow access to their location information, which is used to order up the list of bar options near the user’s location. After the bar is chosen, the user receives a code, which can be exchanged for their free Heineken.

Ad Blocks

Retailers need to be online. That’s where their shoppers are. But what part should they play in the world of digital ads?

Ad blocking is growing so fast, already 15 millions consumers in the U.S. block digital ads. It is happening now on mobile devices also. One can understand the reasons consumers want to surf the Internet without the ads using up their browser real estate and slowing down their page loading time, but what should retailers and brands do to move forward?

Make sure when you display digital ads, you are targeting the audience that will see the value in the ad. Do your research and refine your data so you are reaching customers who are truly interested in your product or brand.

Find out why users are blocking the ads. Is it because they fear their privacy is being invaded? Are they annoyed by the ads? The reason is important because different complaints have different solutions.

The shopper is in charge; not the retailer. Shopper can turn retailer “off” by the click of a button.

Etsy ASAP

Etsy is trying out Express delivery in parts of New York City. Their pilot service, “Etsy ASAP”, will launch sometime in the fall.

Since Etsy doesn’t hold any of the inventory its sellers offer on its marketplace, it has little control over delivery times. This can make it tough to compete with companies like Amazon, who has made two-day delivery seem so easy.

With many ecommerce solutions to choose from, there is not one single solution for everybody. It depends on your needs. Retailers need to research what fit is best for them.

Android Pay

We’ve heard about Apple Pay and Google Wallet. Now Google has announced the roll out of Android Pay. Android Pay makes it even easier to pay with your Android phone.

Google also says that later this year, you will be able to use Android Pay to quickly checkout in your favorite apps, and with select merchants, you will soon be able to use loyalty cards and special offers with just a tap.

Beacons Boost Shopper Engagement

Niemann Foods has installed beacons in all 44 of its County Market stores following successful trials. Their in-store offers have produced a 600% greater open rate than mass marketed offers.

In order to make beacons effective, the technology must know your customer’s interests. Alerting a customer in the store of an offer for a product on the shelf right in front of them is ineffective if that product is something they are not interested in. A gluten free sale means little to them if they are not allergic to gluten. A sale on meat turns them off if they are a vegetarian, but they are simply walking past the meat counter to get to the cereal aisle. Retailers need to grab their attention with offers that are relevant to their tastes and shopping habits.

Kroger’s New Concept

Kroger is dominating the grocery industry with a new concept, which should terrify Wal-Mart, Target, and Whole Foods.

In the Cincinnati area, Kroger has opened a new concept store that includes everything from gourmet food to clothing to housewares.

According to a recent report by JPMorgan Chase, Kroger is also expected to surpass Whole Foods Market within two years, becoming the nation’s top seller of natural and organic food.

 

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