James Tenser

BrainTrust Query: The Customer is Wired...Are You?

February 22, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
There's an impending "parting of the seas" taking place with respect to the nature of in-store experiences as we move into the future...an ever widening gap between "fully automated" experiences on one side and "fully animated" experiences on the other. What minimum level of technology do small and medium sized retailers need to present an "animated" experience?      [more...]

For most small retailers, I'd probably start with some form of frequent shopper program, which should yield a greater understanding of who shops your stores and their purchase patterns.

Those insights should help guide decisions regarding the other retail marketing technologies mentioned. Then layer on some category common sense: SMS reminders might be great for Blackberry-toting customers of a dry cleaner but pointless for the Buick-driving patrons of a hearing aid shop.