We name the IRUK Top500 Elite retailers for 2017 in today’s InternetRetailing newsletter. Discover the leaders in the field in our headline story. These are the retail brands and businesses that outperformed in InternetRetailing analysis that compares and contrasts the capabilities of top-flight traders through six key dimensions – strategy and innovation, operations and logistics, brand engagement, the customer and merchandising – to see where and how the best retailers excel.
Such excellence is what’s required on the day that the latest BRC-KPMG Online Retail Sales Monitor suggests a January slowdown in sales both online and offline. Perhaps shoppers who spent their money in November’s Cyber Week had little left to splurge in January sales.
Today we’re looking ahead in the calendar to next week’s Valentine’s Day. Often a last-minute event, Criteo data suggests that retailers need to plan their sales activities somewhat further ahead.
Insights into customer priorities come from Kibo, with its analysis of what consumer priorities are both in the UK and the US.
Today’s IRX preview focuses on the Going Global Conference, while our guest comment comes from Dan Thornton of Hughes Europe, who looks at the role of wi-fi in influencing retail sales spend.
Webinars
The next InternetRetailing webinar is on February 22, when RedEye’s CCO Matthew Kelleher will consider whether technology companies are giving marketers what they really want. He points to a disconnect between the technology companies and their clients, and will ask what support retailers need from their providers to make their marketing strategies work. In a world of intuitive marketing tech, is there still a part for people to play? will be on February 22 at 2pm. Visit the RedEye webinar page to find and more and register for the free event.
On March 16, Pitney Bowes’ senior vice president, consumer and merchant solutions Jonathan Kapplow will be looking at practical approaches to selling via the global marketplaces that are expected to represent 39% of the online retail market in 2020. How to expand into high growth emerging economies through global marketplaces is at 2pm on March 16. Visit the Pitney Bowes webinar page to find out more and register for the free event.
Click to visit the Internet Retailing webinar page to catch up on the latest events.
IRX and EDX
Eight conferences packed with retail speakers and covering everything from omnichannel and international to delivery are running at the InternetRetailing Expo, from April 5 to 6 at the NEC in Birmingham. To learn more about IRX 2017, its sister conference eDelivery Expo and to register for free, visit www.internetretailingexpo.com and www.edeliveryexpo.com.
Attendees can also get a 25% discount on their train fare to the NEC when they book through the IRX or EDX visitor information website.
