RETAIL TRENDSAUTUMN 2016 EDITION

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Amazon’s UK customers can now push a ‘Dash’ button to reorder household items, ranging from toilet rolls to washing powder, and within 24 hours a package will arrive at their front door. There are Dash buttons for about 40 brands, which have to be purchased first, but the cost is taken off the first order.

The buttons need to be set up with the Amazon shopping app, then once you run out of that product, pressing the Wi-Fi connected button will simply trigger an order via the shopping app. To get round the potential problem of any accidents, multiple orders within 24 hours will be ignored.

In the UK, Carling has launched its own version of this, an internet-connected ‘Beer Button’. This can be attached to a fridge and tapped to order when people are running low on their beer. It works by syncing with the accompanying mobile app, where customers can then order directly from one of five major grocers in the UK (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose).

The premise is to do away with the tedious experience of shopping for basic items. Although for Amazon Dash, users need to be Prime members, so as yet this experience is not open to all.

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WELCOME…

CATHERINE MARSDENGROUP RESEARCH & INSIGHTS MANAGER

…to the Autumn 2016 edition of Retail Trends, our summary of some of the latest global innovation, upcoming trends and campaign activity in the market.

This edition features some exciting digital innovation, which could improve convenience for both consumers and store staff, including retail robots and Wi-Fi product-ordering buttons.

The ‘Trends to Watch’ section details some ideas we think might be adopted further by brands and retailers in the future, along with a feature on the increasingly lucrative health and wellness market.

I hope you find this interesting, and if you want to know more about any of the ideas featured please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Until next time, happy reading!

Catherine Marsden

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GLOBAL INNOVATION

‘Amazon Dash’ buttons

GLOBAL INNOVATION

Retail robots

Robots have been tested by Target, Best Buy and Lowes in America recently, to help monitor stock levels and provide customer assistance.

The robots move autonomously around the store and can scan products to determine if they have been misplaced, mispriced, or are low in stock. The data collected can then be used to track trends in sales and product placement, as well as working out which shelves need replenishing.

Lowes have been trialling robots in a different way – using robots which function more like humans, asking customers if they need help finding anything and guiding them to the correct location.

GLOBAL INNOVATION

Taco Bell have combined two key trends – pop-up and VR, with its ‘Saved by the Bell’ pop-up in New York this September. Due to Taco Bell’s relationship with Sony Interactive Entertainment, customers have the chance to demo the PlayStation VR, the virtual reality headset for the PS4, and several launch games at the arcade prior to release to the general public on October 13. Plus, as you would expect, there was also plenty of Taco Bell food available.

Pop-up VR arcade

Robots are not just a gimmick, used in the right way they could remove some of the key frustrations in bricks-and-mortar stores, and entice people to shop here rather than online.

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GLOBAL INNOVATION

Shoppable film

Clothing retailer Ted Baker teamed up with film producer Guy Ritchie to release a three-minute film, titled Mission Impeccable, which is entirely shoppable.

With one click you can add the outfits of the characters to a look book to find out more and buy.

GLOBAL INNOVATION

RFID loyalty cardThe Dandy LabThis boutique clothing retailer has recently launched a loyalty card embedded with an RFID chip. This technology enables the store to detect the customer as they walk past the store, or walk into it. But unlike other mobile loyalty-enabled apps, the customer doesn’t have to do anything other than carry the card in their wallet.

Once a customer is detected, the brand can then target customers via notifications and offers sent to their mobile phones.

Parcel Pickup networkIn the UK, courier company DPD have launched a Parcel Pickup shop network in partnership with retailers. This means that customers can order from one retailer and pick up from another store, which is a designated pick-up point.

Cross-retailer parcel collection

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This is a fun memorable shopping experience that can convert interest and inspiration into real sales, by adding an immediate action.

For the customer this provides convenience, which is increasingly in demand, and for the retailer it can increase footfall into the store, possibly outside their usual customer base.

SMARTER PERSONALISED PACKAGINGThere have been many successful personalised packaging campaigns in the last few years, created with digital print. There are however opportunities for these campaigns to work harder in the future, by gathering consumer data through interaction with packaging using mobile phones or social media. This data could then be used to build profiles of consumer shopping habits and allow brands to send offers and product information tailored to individual preferences.

Pop-up experiencesAmazon have just announced they will open dozens of pop-up shops across U.S. shopping malls in 2017. They will join a list of numerous brands to experiment with pop-up retail and experiences, including Tesco’s pop-up wine bar in London and Tiger Beer’s modern Asian art and design space. Pop-up shops, or experiences (as they don’t necessarily always sell anything), can help off-set the online shopping trend by providing memorable real-life experiences.

Keepsake brandingThere are two different sides of the spectrum for packaging, with eco-focused packaging on one side, and on the other, more elaborate packaging designed to be kept and used again in the home. Brands are experimenting with premium packaging with a high-end feel which can be re-used, in wood, metal and gloss acrylics. The key benefit here is that the packaging helps ensure brands are remembered long after the product has been used.

Integration of offline and onlineTo keep pace with the growth of digital media, the print industry is adapting by combining with modern technology to link the two mediums. For example, print which can be scanned to link to online sources and augmented reality. Experience and standout is key to securing loyalty in a competitive market, along with a need for flexibility and ability to change content easily. Therefore we expect this integration to continue at pace.

Image-only communicationCurrent consumers, especially the younger generation, are extremely tech savvy and now communicate differently as a result. Of the 9-17 year age group, more than half have solely used images to communicate, particularly emojis. Communicating with images only, which McDonald’s have recently tried, might be a tactic brands adopt to communicate with younger people in order to fit in with this trend and allow for shorter attention spans.

TRENDS TO WATCH

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REAL CUSTOMER STYLINGCustomer sharing is commonplace, but retailers are beginning to use their own specific platforms to provide more ‘real’ styling examples, particularly for fashion and furniture products. It is simple and cost effective to implement and allows valuable data-gathering opportunities.

TREND FOCUS…

Health and wellness

Consumers are generally more aware of health and wellness than ever, with many actively seeking out healthy products and over half (53%) of UK consumers now taking part in sport at least once a week. Here we look at some information around health and wellness and how some brands are helping to inspire healthier lifestyles amongst their consumer base.

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Integrating health and technologyHealth apps are one of the fastest growing categories in the app market and are predicted to grow by 15% to reach $31 billion by 2020. Brands across all categories are linking with health apps to reward customers for exercise, ranging from product discounts to better banking rates. Now Apple and its newly announced partner, Donate Life America, will make it easier for millions of Americans to register as organ donors through integrating donor registration in a new heath app on the iPhone.

Sportswear entering the mainstreamNew research from Mintel estimates that sales of sports goods will reach record levels of £7 billion in 2016, up 6% on last year. This is not only driven by a rising interest in health and wellness, but an increasing acceptance of casual dressing and wearing sportswear for fashion. In fact half of people who bought sports clothing, footwear, equipment or accessories in the UK in the past 12 months did so for non-sports use. It is expected that the trend, dubbed ‘athleisure’, will have been further heightened by the Olympics and Paralympics this summer.

Creating participation experiencesReebok’s latest campaign ‘the gym is everywhere’ has seen the sporting brand transform six bus stops in Columbia into mini gyms to inspire people to get fit.The bus shelters were equipped with bars, steps and even a personal trainer to instruct waiting passengers on what to do. Those who did participate were given the option to have a picture taken that would then be shared on social media to promote the campaign and their accomplishment.

AT THE SHELF EDGE

Marie Claire has been a part of the publishing industry for decades, but has now ventured into selling products themselves, launching an online and retail store this summer. The new venture ‘Fabled by Marie Claire’ is a partnership with Ocado. Marie Claire provides the beauty experience, whilst Ocado offers the customer service proposition and logistical expertise.

The store is another example of a brand aligning the offline and online shopping experience. There are interactive elements all around the store, with screens to browse more information and a specific area all about seasonal recommendations, called Fabled Edits, based on a concept in the magazine.

Fabled by Marie Claire store

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Marie Claire is the latest magazine to enter the retail sector, following Grazia last year. This demonstrates a need for physical consumer interaction in this sector.

Bodyform used an innovative new packaging concept, dubbed the ‘packaging indicator’, to help the product stand out at the shelf, without the need for large, more costly aisle point of sale. This consisted of double sided printer paper stock applied to the side of the pack, effectively creating a small fin on the packaging.

In-aisle disruption

WALGREENS - USA

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AT THE SHELF EDGE

This die-cut shelf fin is an unusual shape, which acts to generate brand interest.

Pop-up FSDU

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AT THE SHELF EDGE

This hanging arch, complete with die-cut board to form the arch, die-cut 3D flowers, faux flower garlands and rope, helps create theatre and ambience around the garden ranges in larger Tesco stores in the UK.

We have seen increasing use of Falconboard, due to its strong dimensional stability, along with an environmentally responsible profile. It is a graphic display board made from reusable, renewable and 100% recyclable virgin kraft paper honeycomb material. This rigid substrate is an excellent alternative to traditional foam boards and can be printed on directly, or used as a solution for mounting printed material.

Falconboard displays

The Beauty sector is typically an innovative category, with branded point of sale instrumental in attracting attention. In their flagship store in London, Benefit implemented a poster in the style of a bespoke vending machine, made of clear acrylic sascia with an embedded 11-inch digital screen featuring interactive digital video content.

Digital postersJC PENNEY - USAHOUSE OF FRASER - UK

Lightweight falconboard cuts cleanly, making it perfect for creating custom shapes and three-dimensional displays.

This FSDU, seen in travel outlets, is topically car-related to engage commuter shoppers, whilst having a practical design for store convenience.

An elastic pop-up mechanism means the unit can be sent flat packed, for distribution

efficiencies, and can be set up in under a minute

in store.

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