Connected Consumer Series 2013

An increasing number of consumers today are treating the physical store like a “showroom”: trying out new products and proceeding to buy the product online at a lower price.

In this session, iQmetrix and a retail partner will discuss interactive retail technology and how improving the in-store experience can help to convert shoppers, initially bent on showrooming, into buyers. They will also discuss how retailers can develop an “omnichannel” experience by selling to consumers on all channels (online, mobile and in-store) simultaneously.

As consumers demand better and more personalized shopping experiences, retailers have an opportunity to drive sales and loyalty by delivering a seamless omnichannel experience. The best strategies and solutions will balance a targeted marketing approach with shoppers’ willingness to share personal information and access promotional messaging. This session will provide insights into the psyche of the new omnichannel consumer and strategies to implement throughout the enterprise.

Personalization is key to delivering memorable shopping experiences. Mobile engagement offers retailers a new way to increase shopper intimacy and differentiate their brand. What if shoppers could receive personalized communications and offers from a nearby store? What if once inside they could access product information and incentives, comparison shop, and contact an associate - all on their mobile device? This session will focus on how retailers can redefine the brick-and-mortar shopping experience with levels of personalization, information access and convenience comparable to that found online and complemented by enhanced levels of customer service and real-time promotion.

Join guest speakers Gregory Hickman, Mobile Marketing Manager at Cabela’s and Julie Ask, Analyst at Forrester Research, Inc. as they discuss the opportunity for retailers and brands to better engage the perpetually connected consumer, delivering the right message to the right person at the right time and place, driving store traffic and enhancing the in-store experience. This session is brought to you by Digby, the leader in location-based marketing technology for retailers and brands.

After implementing RFID, Macy’s has reduced its inventory accuracy deterioration to 3%-5% from 30%. American Apparel has cut the time it take associates to count items on the sales floor to 2 hours from 6 hours. “This is technology that has proven effective in our testing, and we believe now is the right time to roll out RFID aggressively," said Tom Cole, Chief Administrative Officer of Macy's, Inc. In this session, industry experts will discuss the fact that 2013 could be the year of the perfect storm of RFID implementations: technology costs have dropped significantly; and more companies are proving that RFID creates inventory efficiencies, improves loss prevention and saves money.

In today’s digital world, it seems that the connected consumer wields all the power. But retailers hold the power of data — social,
local, mobile, POS, CRM. It all adds up to actionable insight. In this session led by Simon Thompson, Director, Commercial Solutions at Esri, find out how to make sense of it all, by:
· Leveraging your data to shift the balance of power;
· Creating a meaning context for big data;
· Extracting the value of your social, location-based, and mobile data; and
. Implementing a system that adds value to your organization.

We have the data, but do we know how to use it? This is a question on the minds of many retail executives, across business units, as they are inundated with an increasing volume of data from a variety of traditional and new channels. By effectively collecting, analyzing and distributing key customer information to members of the marketing, merchandising and store operations teams, retail companies can find new ways to entice new customers, delight current shoppers and create long-term loyalty. In this session, hear from industry experts who will share tips on how to create priorities and move forward with winning analytics strategies.

According to Gartner, by 2014 social networking services will replace e-mail as the primary vehicle for interpersonal communications for 20% of business uses. Tracking social presence via the number of followers and fans, traffic to web site, social mentions across platforms, share of social conversations and social influence are great ways to measure brand effectiveness – but what comes next? What are leading retailers doing today to mine this platform for actionable insight and truth? And how are they using that insight to meeting their growing business initiatives? Attend this session and learn: 1) Why joining the social media revolution is one of the top 5 ways to avoid losing customers this year; 2) The key data mining techniques and best practices for gaining actionable insight into your customers; and 3) How the right technology platforms can integrate your social media strategy with your overall business goals.

Growing retail sales depends on your ability to create captivating shopping experiences. Join Cisco for this session where you’ll get insights on customer behavior and how to use mobility to transform store operations and increase profits. You’ll hear the latest research from the Cisco Consulting Services’ annual shopper survey about what moves the retail revenue needle and why. Plus Bob Friday, CTO of Cisco’s Wireless Networking Group, will discuss new ways to capture that revenue and deliver a superior customer experience with groundbreaking Wi-Fi and mobile technologies.

The most successful store associates are brand ambassadors poised to win long-term customer loyalty and boost in-store conversions. Armed with mobile devices, store associates and managers can provide shoppers with the information they need to help close the sale. Workforce management should strive to optimize associate-to-shopper interactions in order to provide the best product expertise at the right time. Join Scott Knaul from Workforce Insights in this upcoming webinar that will help retailers empower associates, fuel employee retention and improve store profits.