Christopher Schyma

The impact of leveraging your shopping behaviour data 🛒 In today's market, understanding customer behaviour is key to success: 🎯 Customer-centric approach: Brands utilising detailed shopper insights experience notable growth by prioritising customer needs and trends. 🎯 Enhanced visibility: Access to product and category performance data empowers brands to foster customer loyalty and drive repeat sales. 🎯 Strategic partnerships: Shared data facilitates collaborative planning, allowing brands to enhance store layouts, product offerings, launches, and retail media strategies for mutual growth. Harness the power of data-driven decision-making to elevate your brand's performance and customer relationships. #customerfirst #datascience

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The paradox of choice in retail: More options ≠ Better customer experience - Clear selections often outperform endless aisles - Personalization beats variety - Decision fatigue is real and costly Smart retailers are mastering the art of 'less is more', offering fewer, but more relevant choices. #RetailStrategy #CustomerExperience #CuratedCommerce

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In the latest episode of The Pub Way, Mike and I had a fun conversation with Albert Thompson, Managing Director of Digital Innovation at Walton Isaacson, to discuss the evolving landscape of consumer understanding and the ethical dimensions of data usage ⚖️ In this episode, we covered allll of the things: 🔒 Navigating the Privacy Sandbox 📊 The value of first-party data in monetization strategies 🤝 Advertising ethics and navigating user consent 🎧 Tune in now: https://lnkd.in/eMspjX77 #ThePubWayPodcast #PrivacySandbox #FirstPartyData #Cookieless #AdTech Seedtag

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Macy's Santosh Subramanyam shares connected fitting room test results in their 2 store test. 💲 Average Order Value ⬆ in basket size by 5%, ⬆ Units/transaction by 16% 💲Net Promoter Score (NPS) ⬆ of 9.6 points to 80.0 💲Conversion ⬆ 68% when shoppers used fitting room service This data aligns very well with industry connected fitting room data: 👗 20% of customers visit fitting rooms 👗 40% of total store revenue comes from fitting rooms shoppers 👗 Shoppers visiting "connected" fitting rooms convert 55% higher, spend 25% more Matthew Cyr Sarah Breneman James Morin Marshall Kay John-Pierre Kamel Paula Rosenblum Pareiya Gupta Troy Siwek Doug Shonka Carl Boutet

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A Transformational #CaseStudy How Sweaty Betty Achieved a 75% Efficiency Boost with Smart Technology - - From Challenges to Transformations: The Sweaty Betty Journey When Sweaty Betty, a women's activewear brand, faced growing pains due to rapid expansion, their existing systems and processes were stretched to their limits. The company set out to modernize its operations to deliver seamless, customer-centric experiences. Here's how they turned their challenges into a success story: - When: Sweaty Betty initiated its transformation in 2022 amidst a surge in global growth and increasing demand for efficient, scalable solutions. - The Challenges: Legacy systems slowed transaction speed and impacted customer satisfaction. Manual processes, especially for inventory and refunds, consumed valuable resources. Agents and associates were bogged down by outdated technology. - The Solution: Sweaty Betty partnered with Playvox Quality Management and NewStore to: Adopt mobile-first, cloud-based solutions. Empower store associates with mobile POS systems for on-the-spot service. Streamline workflows such as inventory management and refunds. - The Results: 75% improvement in operational efficiency. Reduced workload for store teams, enabling focus on customer engagement. Enhanced in-store customer experiences, showcased by flagship locations like Battersea Power Station. - Key Learnings for Sales and Retail Professionals: 1. Invest in Mobility: Equip your teams with tools that empower rather than hinder. 2. Prioritize Scalability: Choose technologies that evolve with your growth. 3. Customer-Centric Innovation: Seamless systems lead to satisfied customers and motivated teams. Sweaty Betty’s story is a reminder of how the right tech investments can transform challenges into milestones. Whether you're in sales or retail, continuous innovation is the key to thriving in competitive markets. Sources: Sweaty Betty case studies via Playvox and NewStore. #SalesTransformation #RetailInnovation #CustomerExperience #OperationalExcellence #TechInSales #BusinessGrowth #RetailSuccess #EfficiencyMatters #DigitalTransformation #SalesLeadership

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The latest Bytes of Brilliance Episode 15 with Jonathan Ram Ex Clarks CEO and New CEO at Careismatic Brands just dropped. at https://www.cdotimes.com. This episode encapsulates the spirit of The CDO TIMES - sharing best practice, lessons learned, leadership lessons and how to leverage technology to move your organization forward. A masterclass by Jonathan Ram! #leadershiplessons #brandmanagement #ceo #marketingstrategy #dtc #innovation #cdotimes

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If you haven't seen or had chance to read it yet please check out this whitepaper we produced with the team at SHOPLINE It delves into the latest trends shaping the future of retail. From digital disruption to customer loyalty, we uncover the strategies retailers need to thrive in today’s omnichannel world. https://lnkd.in/d-X92iCT

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Just read a fascinating interview article involving Adrian Butler, CTO @ Foot Locker, which delves into the brand’s technology and transformation roadmap, their omnichannel capabilities, their focus on and usage of data, his leadership style and the perception of technology across the wider business. I recommend any technology leader give it a read, the link is in the comments. My favourite part of the article isn’t about the technology, the data or their strategic direction, or their performance as a brand. My favourite part is where Adrian states that by delivering on their commitments, and building their credibility, technology now truly has a seat at the executive board table. The success of the technology team has led to the entire organisation talking about technology, and being brought into the journey. A great quote from within the interview: “The whole company views technology as their capability, and it’s integrated tightly into the overall company strategy.” This is the nirvana for tech leaders. For their business unit to be partnering with each of the organisation’s functions, and seen as a value creation function, rather than as a cost-centre or a function that exists only to fix problems and take orders. Kudos to the technology function at Foot Locker - sounds as though they’ve delivered some incredible strategic initiatives, but most importantly they’ve really extended their offering into the wider business to drive great business value.

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Here is the July edition of id8 Retail Radar - Each month we share some great examples of retail innovation and loyalty best practice around the world.

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Attending the #beautytrendsconf this week, the biggest takeaway for me - amongst many interesting talks and discussions - was confirmation of just how important the user/consumer experience is in beauty and fragrance retail. In the aptly-beautiful setting of One Great George Street, Angela Cretu led a fascinating discussion, in which over and over again customer experience topped the agenda. Retention of customers is more important than acquisition, so make their shopping experience count! This was echoed in the panel Q&A with Helen Spencer (John Lewis & Partners), Lisa Alvis (Boots UK) Angharad Elfyn Jones (Shiseido) and Josh Roberts (The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.), where the conversation turned to the future of retail being all about personalisation. I’m sure you can guess that this is all leading to me saying… KAORIUM is perfectly positioned to support a personalised retail journey, with a fabulous, truly unique user experience - which invests consumers in the process of choosing, increasing the chances of conversion, and of repeat purchase as they’ve committed to finding the right scent for them! #fragrances #innovation #retailtechnology #scentselector #kaorium

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🙋‍♀️ If you hear it from a successful, self-made entrepreneur like Girish Jeeva then you know it's worth trying... Below, Giresh sums up the latest partnership between Booker Wholesale Retail & Snappy Shopper perfectly 🤝 We are enabling businesses to sell their wares online. 🛒 Shoppers - how better to support your local economy than by buying from your local convenience store owner? 🥛 Retailers - how better to keep your community fed, affordably, by serving them locally using Snappy's quick delivery opportunity? If you work with Booker, HUNGRY for putting in the work and gaining MASSIVE incremental growth in weekly sales...then you should be enquiring about what you need to do to qualify to run Snappy Shopper in your store! RUN DON'T WALK! #qcommerce #rapiddelivery #grocerydelivery #smegrowth #businessgrowth #startupgrowth #businessgrowth

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AI could transform the retail sector, with the potential to improve efficiency, customer experience, and cost savings. TLT's recent survey of 100 top UK retailers found that many are already implementing AI solutions in supply chain, customer service, marketing, and product development. However, the survey also revealed challenges in fully understanding the impact of AI and barriers to adoption, such as cultural transformation, aquiring the right talent and upskilling the existing workforce. While AI is a transformative force in the retail sector, the journey towards adoption is still in the experimental phase. Check out the interesting findings from TLT's survey on the impact of AI in retail. #AI #retail #digitaltransformation

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A new survey from eBay Advertising reveals the top considerations, features and product categories of customers making holiday purchases online https://lnkd.in/eBcFMKQb The survey of more than 3,000 e-commerce consumers from the eBay advertising unit reveals two in three plan to do most of their holiday shopping online #retail Chain Store Age

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The Hidden Shift in Retail: Why Your E-commerce Strategy is Losing Ground The retail landscape is undergoing a seismic shift that many brands aren’t ready for. According to the latest data from the U.S. Commerce Department, retail sales are growing at a steady pace, but e-commerce is facing new challenges. In Q3 2024, major marketplaces reported a slower-than-expected 9.5% growth in online sales, significantly down from the 16.8% we saw in 2020. Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar is rebounding faster than many experts anticipated, with total retail sales seeing a robust 7.7% YoY increase. What does this mean for e-commerce sellers? It’s time to rethink your omnichannel strategies. For brands solely dependent on e-commerce, platforms like Amazon and Shopify have become increasingly competitive—and costly. In fact, sellers are now reporting profit margins shrinking by as much as 10% due to rising advertising costs and supply chain pressures (Marketplace Pulse). Tools like Jungle Scout and Helium10 show that many sellers are struggling to stand out in a saturated market. As inflation continues to affect consumer spending habits, retailers who aren’t diversifying their sales channels could be left behind. The key takeaway? 2024 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for digital sellers to invest in a hybrid model, combining both physical stores and online platforms for better sustainability and customer reach. The bottom line is clear: staying agile is no longer optional - it’s essential for survival in the evolving retail ecosystem. https://lnkd.in/gj6pcEaW https://lnkd.in/gtPFd3Hz #Amazon #Retail #SupplyChain #ConsumerTrends #OnlineShopping #DigitalTransformation #Logistics #PricingStrategy #RetailTrends #FutureOfRetail #SocialCommerce #DataDriven #ConsumerInsights #Leadership #Innovation #ShopOnline #SmallBusiness #HolidayShopping #BlackFriday

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AI is no longer just an intriguing concept - it has become an integral part for retailers looking to gain an advantage. The impact of AI is crystal clear from the plethora of recent news stories (Nike, Marks and Spencer, Boots UK, Zalando etc) and the associated profit growth, didn't happen by chance - they prioritised digital innovation.  As we move towards peak trading, retailers who have been slow to embrace AI need to learn from those ahead of them in AI adoption. First is to ensure data integrity, the cliched mantra, rubbish in, rubbish out is worth noting. At the heart of any retail operation is data, alongside core systems, handling everything from supply chain and stock management to sales and HR. These systems churn out massive amounts of data that AI tools need to access. But that data must be accurate for AI to deliver trustworthy insights. Ultimately, retailers should view IT as an engine for growth rather than a cost-centre. Isn't it time to integrate commercially minded IT Managers within leadership teams and Board rooms? Data is an asset. Understanding data is profit opportunity. #ai #retail #ecommerce

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The latest on what Gap Inc. latest financial report means: This was the first quarter in years that all four Gap Inc. brands posted comparable sales gains, an early sign that the new CEO Richard Dickson turnaround plan is starting to pay off. This is major!! Especially if Dickson can keep this trajectory going. The company raised its full-year guidance, now expecting net sales to rise slightly compared to previously flat, and operating income growth in the 40% range versus prior low-to-mid teens estimate. The overall strategy revolves around 4 priorities: - financial/operational rigor - brand reinvigoration - strengthening the platform - energizing the culture More highlights by brands: Old Navy achieved its third consecutive quarter of positive comparable sales as its focus on the active market pays off. Gap brand's collaboration strategy aims to drive relevance and revenue. My strategy here would be, yes key partners that are relevant and helpful in bringing in customers is important. But there are still a lot of gains to be made in clear execution of the launch and understanding inventory opportunities for collabs (if the goal is revenue and customer satisfaction.) I think they are nailing awareness and relevance with collabs. Banana Republic is reestablishing itself by improving the fundamentals, setting the stage for improved future performance. Athleta is resetting itself, leveraging its long-term potential in the active market. My biggest takeaway here is that while the active brand is doing well, in the overall active category it isn’t as strong as the competitors. Net sales increased 2% YoY but comp sales were up 5%. The brand needs YoY comp to be 5% or higher. They are also up against heavy discounting which is where a lot of their growth LY came from. Overall positive for Gap. What do you think can help Gap continue to make positive gains in their turnaround? #retailinsights #turnaround #financialreport

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One of our clients is running a webinar on 4th July for UK retailers and consumer goods companies on whats real now for AI in retail and consumer goods manufacturing and distribution, what is likely to be real in two years time and what you need to do beforehand to be ready to implement AI. This is a webinar for line of business executives and managers plus their IT support staffs. If you would like more details of the webinar send me a message via LinkedIn or use this page https://lnkd.in/e37N77AC. Not all fields need be completed. #Retail, #ConsumerGoods, #Ecommerce, #SupplyChain, #RetailTech, #InventoryManagement, #Retail Trends

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Extracting meaningful insights from vast amounts of information is crucial for businesses aiming to remain competitive. Optimising decisions across personalisation, loyalty, media, and category management demands the right data, in the right form, with the right data science and AI applications—guided by relevant business and customer strategy and trade-offs. #DataInsights #AI #BusinessStrategy

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