In today’s InternetRetailing newsletter, inspired by this week’s launch of the Amazon Dash button, we’re looking to the future of retailing, and in particular the Internet of Things. The dash button, and the related replenishment service that enables connected devices to order their own supplies, are set to be early instances in a connected internet world that is expected to see smart shopping become a normal event.
But are shoppers ready for such a world? That’s the question that digital agency Salmon posed in a piece of research also published this week, with some interesting findings. It seems that shoppers are taken by the convenience, as long as that convenience doesn’t come at a cost, and with loss of control.
The next question is whether retailers are ready. That’s unlikely as yet. But as retailers plot how automated shopping and approaches that rely on the Internet of Things might work for them, it’s important to ensure that this work results in services that are both competitive and truly convenient – because they work.
Elsewhere in today’s newsletter we have analysis from Patrick Gallagher of CitySprint on what click and collect means for the future of the delivery industry, while today’s guest comment comes from Vend’s Pierre-Emmanuel Perruchot de La Bussière on just what makes for a great Instagram strategy.
We also report on Ampersand’s mobile commerce study, which rates offerings from Burberry, Go Outdoors and Homebase, and on a study from the NCC Group which detects a slowdown in the UK’s ecommerce websites.
Our webinars
We’ve a number of InternetRetailing webinars coming up. Lisa Templeton of PFS will join us early next month for an expert advice session on SEO. The forward-thinking marketer’s cheat sheet to SEO is at 2pm on September 8. Click here to find out more and to sign up for the free event.
The following week we’re joined by James Lovell, European retail solutions leader at IBM, to hear how leading brands are using technology to develop a relevant and personalised customer experience. Learn how Boots is developing a personalised customer experience in 4 steps with IBM is at 2pm on September 13. Click here to find out more and sign up for the free webinar.
And on September 22, we hear from Luca Benini, SVP, GM EMEA at Olapic, to get the bottom line on user-generated content and images. He’ll be talking through key research findings on this kind of content in the webinar. What makes UGC relevant for retail is at 2pm on September 22. Click here to find out more and to register for the free event.
The final webinar of the month brings analysis of mobile commerce with Maria Prados, VP global retail, global ecommerce at Worldpay. The face of mobile shopping: how do age and gender affect mobile adoption? is at 2pm on September 29. Click here for more information and to register for the free event.
In October we’ll hear from Ingenico’s Julian Wallis, country manager for the UK and Ireland. He’ll be identifying what retailers must do to accelerate their international ecommerce growth – and do so profitably. Monetising your international reach: six key steps to find ecommerce success overseas is at 2pm on October 18. Click here to find out more and to register for the free event.
Click to visit the Internet Retailing webinars page to catch up on the latest webinars, which are also available to view again on the IRTV channel.
InternetRetailing Events
The 11th InternetRetailing Conference and second eDelivery Conference take place this October. Information and tickets are now available for the two events here.
