The excitement is mounting at InternetRetailing, where we’re looking forward to IRX 2016. Us and thousands of others, it seems, with the news that 6,000 are expected at this year’s event, billed to be the biggest and best yet.
What interests us at IRX 2016, and what interests us more generally at InternetRetailing, are the stories of how retailers and brands are investing in and developing their businesses in the light of online retailing. Over the years, we’ve written about some really interesting changes in the way we’re all shopping – and how our leading brands are responding to that. Today we report on how Boohoo.com is taking its apps international in response to the growing use of mobile among its customers, and a study from IMRG and Blackbay that looks at shoppers’ priorities for deliveries.
At the show too we’ll be taking particular note of some of the ways that retailers are ensuring that their brand keeps up with the latest consumer behaviour – and rethink the way that they deliver retail services in an age where consumers demand the ability to buy online, through smartphones and other mobile devices as well as through stores and to have the products they buy move between the two as needed.
It’s worth noting this comes in the week that BHS and Austin Reed have gone into administration. BHS’s failure comes weeks after an arrangement was put in place that was intended to give the business space to reengineer itself for a multichannel age. It seems it didn’t have long enough to complete this work, but businesses can and do rebuild themselves from this point: for example, Game, now Game Digital, has put the emphasis on new ways of trading post-administration, as it caters for gamers who download their software and attend live gaming events, as well as those who buy from stores.
At IRX 2016 we’ll be reporting on how other retailers are developing and transforming their businesses as they respond to what the consumer wants, and the technology they’ll be using to get them there.
Today’s guest comment comes from Neil Capel of Sailthru, who shares a vision of advanced segmentation.
IRX 2016
IRX 2016 will take place on April 27 and 28 2016 at IRX 2016, at Birmingham’s NEC. Find out more here. Register to visit the show for free here.
Our research
The latest InternetRetailing research, the IRUK Top500 2016 and the first 2016 dimension report, on Brand Engagement, is now available to download. Visit the IRUK Top500 section of the website to find out more.
Our webinars
For the next InternetRetailing webinar we’re welcoming Tim Renew, global sales director at cloud.IQ, and Jez Wilson, head of ecommerce at Space NK, to a discussion on using customer data to boost conversions. How Space NK optimised their customer conversion rate to increase sales is at 2pm on May 4. Visit the cloud.IQ webinar page here to find out more.
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.
Event presentations and interviews
Catch up with presentations and other interviews from IRC 2015 on the event website now.
