To make sure you’re informed with the latest need-to-know headlines, we’ve scoured the web for some interesting stories from across retail and technology. And then we placed them here, in one helpful blog.
Hermes rebrands as Evri.
Delivery company Hermes has announced their new brand name Evri as part of its complete rebrand to enhance its customer services, including the opening of a fully UK-based customer service team. They added that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) will be at the heart of the new brand, working to reduce its impact on the planet and promoting equality and fairness. Evri is the largest dedicated parcel carrier in the UK, delivering more than 650 million parcels a year, according to Fashion United.
Increased online shopping means that an enhanced delivery experience is essential, and needs to be led by the want and need of the customer – read more on this in our ground-breaking neuroscience research to find out just how to achieve the ultimate delivery experience.
Shoppers abandon online checkouts at last minute for Amazon.
Retailers risk becoming a stepping stone for Amazon, as new research found that 43% of shoppers abandon their item at the online checkout in favour of Amazon, Charged Retail reported. It also found that shoppers tend to spend several days researching before buying, particularly for big ticket items such as washing machines and designer brands, visiting around three sites to compare prices. Retailers are missing a crucial selling point in the research phase, with around a third of customers heading to Amazon to complete the purchase instead of the original site. “…brands must identify those who are ready to take the leap and deliver an experience that gives them the confidence to buy from them, not Amazon.” Ve Global chief executive officer Jack Wearne said.
We studied the science of delivery experience to give customers the ultimate DX.
Find out how brands can capture their customers attention before they even click the buy button.
ASDA collaborates with small brands to launch never-seen-before products.
From cauliflower crisps to cocktail-flavoured jams, ASDA’s new range has it all as part of their new ASDA Nurture programme. The programme supports small brands by selling their products instore and sees the introduction of 15 emerging brands to the supermarket industry. The brands have been selected to join the Nurture programme for their trend-led products as well as their potential to bring something new to the shopping experience. Customers are asked to give feedback on their favourites, with items that prove popular considered for a listing as part of the supermarket’s main range.
UK are the leaders in mobile shopping surge.
The UK leads the way in mobile shopping with 70% of consumers shopping more on mobile devices and apps, post pandemic, Klarna found. The study revealed that while shoppers are returning to shop in physical stores, they are increasingly seeking to combine their online and in-person shopping experience. UK consumers are now more reliant on mobile shopping compared to anywhere else in Europe, particularly in countries that implemented less restrictive coronavirus measures – such as Sweden, where the increase in mobile shopping was just 54%.
Selfridges introduces new ‘quiet hour’ for calm shopping experience.
Selfridges has launched a new quiet shopping experience for one hour a week across the business to help create a more inclusive shopping experience for all its shoppers. Announced during Neurodiversity Week, the luxury department store retailer said: “We understand that shopping experiences for people with autism spectrum conditions, sensory sensitivities, and mental health conditions like anxiety, can be stressful.” Quiet Hour will take place every Wednesday from 10am -11am in all its stores and office locations, stated Fashion Network.
Nike launches female focused athlete think tank to increase access for girls in sport.
Nike has invested in the future of women’s sport by launching a new initiative, Nike Athlete Think Tank, aimed at cultivating meaningful relationships with athletes, particularly women in sport. The think tank will fund $1.3 million across 20 grants toward programmes that increase access to sports participation for girls. Members of the think tank emphasised the importance of creating access to sport for everyone, Retail Gazette reported.
Nike are known for their customer-centric brand. We recently did some neuroscientific analysis on the Nike delivery experience (DX). Want to take a look?
Does WFH spell the end of the corporate suit?
The office landscape has changed rather a lot since the pandemic. More people work from home than ever before. This change has had a profound impact on formalwear, with more workers opting for comfortable loungewear for Zoom calls on the sofa, despite restrictions ending. M&S explained that the move towards more casual dress for the office was already in motion pre-pandemic but was catalysed by lockdowns. As a result, M&S has pulled suits from more than half of its stores, as part of its move to a more casual collection of workwear.
Image credit: Marks and Spencer
Brand loyalty gets swapped out for convenience.
Convenience has overtaken brand loyalty when it comes to consumer demands in the grocery sector, according to new research. The rise of apps that offer groceries on-demand has transformed the traditional food shop into a service – and increased usage of these services has resulted in a change in consumer behaviour and expectation of brands. Moving away from prioritising their go-to branded products, consumers instead look for low delivery charges, easy ordering, and good deals. In fact, the findings of the report saw that 52% of users are happy to switch if their preferred brand isn’t available, and an additional 31% end up buying an alternative brand, although hesitantly. “As with any fast-moving sector, brands need to keep on top of consumer behaviour and this new breed of ‘need it now’ shopper. If rapid grocery service delivery is more likely to be need-state driven, and therefore product first, brand loyalty isn’t everything in this space.”
Want to know how to drive customer loyalty and increase digital engagement for your brand? We’ve got the key solutions here.
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