Amazon Go - New Brick & Mortar for the Information Age

Here we go.

Mobile first, mobile only.  Yes?  You bet.

You have to have a smart phone with you, the Amazon Go mobile app installed, to even get in the store.  No checkout, no lines, just grab and go.

The future of retail?

Some folks thought there was no end to the Amazon eCommerce model.  Nope.  They have limitations just like anyone, but those of us who thought a simple, traditional retail version of Amazon was the answer were quite likely wrong.  Amazon recognizes they need physical stores just like everyone, but they have no desire to put in place the same style of physical store as everyone else.

Check it out.

Here is the official Amazon entry for this, worth watching the video just to get a good view at what they are up to:

https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=16008589011

Here is one attempt to get inside the store:

http://arstechnica.com/business/2016/12/trying-and-failing-to-sneak-into-amazons-skynet-take-on-grocery-shopping/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Amazon's foray into the world of brick-and-mortar grocery shopping has been all but confirmed for nearly a year thanks to leaks such as spotted permit applications. The rumor became reality on Monday with the announcement of Amazon Go, an experiment in grocery shopping that removes the clerks.

This is not just another idle announcement, either: the company's pilot store is now open for business. It's attached to one of Amazon's headquarter buildings in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood and is already stocked with food options (and a giant staff of cooks and food preparers). There's just one catch—only full-time "blue badge" Amazon staffers can get in right now.

Never one to take "no" for an answer, I grabbed a camera and walked up to the front door...

More?

The MorningNewsBeat guy has it covered well as usual:

http://www.morningnewsbeat.com/News/Detail/50915/2016-12-06/

Wondering where all of the middle-class jobs are going in the United States?  Blame tech.  Notice, there isn't anyone actually working at this store, really, is there?

Oh, do you think every executive at every Supermarket chain in the world is taking notice of this?  You bet.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

USB Killer

Find a random thumb drive, USB storage device, plug it in to your laptop to see what is on it, your laptop gets fried.

Yeap.

Physical attacks through physical security hacks.  Pretty interesting and these are being mass produced for a few bucks.

Rule: Don't pick up USB drives you find lying around and never plug one in to a device you care about unless you know it or the owner.

Here is a quick note on this:

https://hardware.slashdot.org//the-usb-kille

Here is the original story on Ars:

http://arstechnica.co.uk/security/2015/10/usb-killer-flash-drive-can-fry-your-computers-innards-in-seconds/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Amazon Marketplace

I've written a couple times how much I enjoy the MorningNewsBeat blog so it should come as no surprise he is up with some more content I find worth sharing.

Did you know an entire ecosystem of companies have sprung up to help you sell on Amazon?  I didn't realize it was nearly as extensive as it is.

Enjoy this innovation conversation:

http://www.morningnewsbeat.com/News/Detail/50870/2016-11-30/

Here is a snippet from the piece:



Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

The TV Revolution

The changes to how we receive and view our video content continues.

This is a bit of news from AT&T on their new digital service, bypassing cable TV.

http://www.recode.net/2016/11/29/13772672/directv-now-streaming-tv-competition

Here is a snippet from that:

AT&T finally took the wraps off DirecTV Now, its new streaming TV service, and it’s just what it said it was going to be: The base package, for now, is $35 a month for more than 100 channels.

That’s a lot cheaper than a traditional pay TV service — and a lot cheaper than DirecTV’s own satellite TV service.

Of course, there are strings attached. Or more precisely, there are things that aren’t attached to DirecTV Now.

The world she is a-changing isn't she?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Free Wi-Fi In Store

Compelling argument for retailers to offer free WiFi in their stores.

https://econsultancy.com/blog/68560-five-compelling-reasons-to-offer-free-wi-fi-in-store/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

According to research, more than 90% of consumers now use their smartphone while shopping in-store.

So, first and foremost, that is a huge percentage of people walking through the door that a retailer could potentially target.

If a store does not have Wi-Fi, I doubt it would impact the customer’s perception too negatively.

But on the flip side, customers are much more likely to have a positive response towards those that do.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Black Friday 2016

The news is starting to come in from the big turkey day shopping season and things are looking increasingly mobile.

Couple headlines for you, and I may add to these later.

First up is the decline of in-store sales this year:

http://www.mytotalretail.com/article/store-shopping-holiday-weekend/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

According to the National Retail Federation, 99.1 million people said they shopped in stores this past holiday weekend, which is down 3 million from last year. Of the four-day weekend, Black Friday was the most popular day to go shopping — 75 percent of the 99 million shopped on Black Friday, up 3.4 percent from last year. And despite Thanksgiving Eve doorbusters, that day only barely outpaced Sunday in terms of in-store traffic. About 40 percent of brick-and-mortar consumers ventured out on Saturday, 35 percent on Thanksgiving and 17 percent on Sunday, the data found.

Next is the increase in online sales this year:

http://www.mytotalretail.com/article/black-friday-thanksgiving-online-shopping-surpasses-5-billion-first-time/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Adobe today released its 2016 online shopping data for Black Friday and Thanksgiving Day. More than $5 billion ($5.27 billion) was spent online by the end of Black Friday, a 17.7 percent increase year-over-year, according to data released by Adobe Digital Insights over the weekend. The $5.27 billion set a new record by surpassing the three-billion-dollar mark for the first time at $3.34 billion (21.6 percent growth YoY). Thanksgiving accounted for the remaining $1.93 billion, 11.5 percent more than in 2015 (but slightly lower than the $2 billion anticipated.) In addition, Black Friday became the first day in retail history to drive over $1 billion in mobile revenue at $1.2 billion, a 33 percent growth YoY.

So what's going on?  Seems obvious to me.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Walgreens Has Beacons in its Mobile App

Want to talk to your customers as they walk through your store?

Walgreens has figured out the way.

Read on:

http://www.businessinsider.com/walgreens-latest-mobile-app-update-pushes-beacons-to-shoppers-2016-11

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Walgreens' latest mobile app update includes an increase in beacon-enabled deals and coupons, reports GeoMarketing.

The company has been testing beacons in its Duane Reade locations since February to push mobile coupons and promotions. And while Walgreens is well poised to see a lift in sales due to such tools, the company has some significant consumer concerns to overcome before adoption spreads.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Wearables Tell Us Who Lost the Most Sleep Election Night

I'm pretty bullish on wearables overall, as I glance at my Apple Watch, and love stories like this.

According to FitBit, that has extensive sleep tracking in many wearable devices, we know which cities lost the most sleep in the U.S. on election night.

Ding, ding.  If you guessed Washington D.C. you were right.

Read on:

http://fortune.com/2016/11/15/fitbit-sleep-election/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Twitter's New Anti-Harassment Tools

Twitter has certainly proved to be a critical social media utility.  I admit to being addicted to it. Now can it clean up its act?

They are trying.

Read on:

http://adage.com/article/media/twitter-addresses-critics-adding-tools-report-harassment/306771/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Del Harvey sees too many of the same kind of tweet. It contains a screenshot of a message from Twitter's user support, saying that a post someone reported as abusive on the site doesn't violate Twitter rules. It's often accompanied by commentary: "Seriously?"

For Ms. Harvey, it's a personal criticism. She's the head of trust and safety at Twitter, and it's her job to make sure that people have tools to deal with harassment and abuse on the social-media site. But during the course of her eight years at the company, she said, "It's very easy to find instances where we got to the wrong answer.''

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Citi Mobile Pay

Wow, really, everyone is in on this now.  Mobile payments everywhere.

Time for consolidation?  Not yet, it appears.

Citi is next.  Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/citi-joins-mobile-pay-as-consumer-adoption-reaches-highpoint

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Purging their App Store

The Google Play store has been a bit of a mess every time I've ventured there, with deceptive or fake apps all over the place.  Microsoft has problems as well.  Now Apple is publicly cleaning up its store.

Worth a read for iOS users and those interested in generally following these market places:

https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/15/apples-big-app-store-purge-is-now-underway/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Earlier this year, Apple promised it would clean up its iOS App Store by removing outdated, abandoned apps, including those that no longer meet current guidelines or don’t function as intended. That great App Store purge now appears to be underway, according to new data from app intelligence firm Sensor Tower. The company found that app removals increased by 238 percent in October 2016, with mobile games seeing the most deletions.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Star Wars Rogue One 360 Experience

If you haven't seen any of the 360 degree experiences, or VR simulators around the net you are in for a treat.  If you are skeptical how a Virtual Reality experience might pull you in, take a look at this.

Just for the sake of warning, I have no idea if this short bit is any kind of a spoiler for the little movie coming out December 16, but I can tell you to avoid this if you want a completely clean experience.  It isn't anything substantial, and is well worth it in my opinion, but some folks might want to avoid this.

Check it out!

http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/786165-watch-the-rogue-one-recon-360-experience#/slide/1

Happy ... VR fun?!?

J.W. Gant

PS  The viewing experience is best on a hand-held device such as your phone or tablet.

Facebook, Google, the Internet and the Election

I've been utterly absorbed by the politics in the Unites States this summer, as have many of my fellow Americans, and now it is time to move to other things I'm very intrigued by the question of Facebook's impact on the results.

Did "fake news" run rampant on Facebook and tilt the election one way or another?

Mark Zuckerberg doesn't think so but they are looking in to it.  Read on:

https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10103253901916271

Here is a piece of that:

After the election, many people are asking whether fake news contributed to the result, and what our responsibility is to prevent fake news from spreading. These are very important questions and I care deeply about getting them right. I want to do my best to explain what we know here.

Of all the content on Facebook, more than 99% of what people see is authentic. Only a very small amount is fake news and hoaxes. The hoaxes that do exist are not limited to one partisan view, or even to politics. Overall, this makes it extremely unlikely hoaxes changed the outcome of this election in one direction or the other.

Is that all?

This is kind of an interesting place right?  We have only their word on this, really, because their internal workings are proprietary.  Yet, as a global utility for social communication their obligations run deep. Full transparency is called for here and I'm not seeing it yet.

One thing is clear to me, we aren't finished with this discussion.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  Important to note how much larger the story is.  Google has its own issues.  For example, in the days following the election if you googled for the election results the top hit would be a fake news site that incorrectly listed Trump with more votes than Clinton.  Wow.  That sort of mis-information is damaging.  Read on.

https://www.cnet.com/news/google-fake-news-election-donald-trump-popular-vote/

Samsung Pay to Roll Out Samsung Rewards

Just in time for Black Friday shopping, if you use your Samsung device (hopefully the ones that don't have explosive batteries) and Samsung Pay to close your transaction at retail stores you'll receive rewards for doing so.

Read on:

http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/Samsung-Rewards-Marks-New-Tack-for-Endearing-Consumers-to-the-Samsung-Pay-Mobile-Wallet

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Announced Monday, the program enables consumers to earn points for their Samsung Pay transactions, which can be redeemed for retailer gift cards, prepaid Samsung Rewards Visa gift cards, other Samsung products, and other items. As transaction frequency increases, the consumer’s account advances to a higher level, which earns more points. Samsung Rewards is not tied to a specific card stored in the Samsung Pay wallet. More than 500 credit and debit card-issuing banks support Samsung Pay.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Cyber Warfare

If you follow the news it seems increasingly clear ... the United States is engaged in a new kind of warfare with Russia.  This isn't tanks and artillery like World War II.  Nor is it the Cold War.  However, this is war, war in the virtual world, where real people and real lives are being impacted.

First, the conclusion Russia is behind hacking efforts to influence the Presidential election:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/10/us-government-russia-behind-hacking-campaign-to-disrupt-us-elections/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security today jointly charged that the Russian government was responsible for directing a series of intrusions into the networks of US political organizations and state election boards. In a “joint security statement,” officials from the two agencies declared they were “confident” that the government of President Vladimir Putin was behind the hacks and the publication of data obtained from them—some of it doctored—specifically to impact the results of the upcoming US elections.

Next, this report indicating the CIA is preparing a cyber attack on Russia:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cia-prepping-possible-cyber-strike-against-russia-n666636

Here is a snippet from that piece:

The Obama administration is contemplating an unprecedented cyber covert action against Russia in retaliation for alleged Russian interference in the American presidential election, U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News.

Current and former officials with direct knowledge of the situation say the CIA has been asked to deliver options to the White House for a wide-ranging "clandestine" cyber operation designed to harass and "embarrass" the Kremlin leadership.

What will the future bring?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0246 Yahoo Finance App Update

Best Reading of the Day

Wow.  Any in-place update of a popular customer facing app like Yahoo Finance is a major undertaken and not to be taken lightly.  This little article is a fun read, and pretty quick.

Take a look:

http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoo-finance-product-boss-controversial-redesign-backlash-2016-9

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The product team at Yahoo Finance had a hard time sleeping for the whole week leading up to the big redesign in July.

It's not because they weren't confident, says Michael La Guardia, the head of product for both Yahoo Finance and Sports, but because of the drastic changes he was about to bring to one of Yahoo's most popular products ever.

"We knew what we were doing was the right thing," La Guardia told Business Insider.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Do Wearable Devices Hurt Weight Loss?

Incredible finding, though the causation piece is still a long way from being understood.

A 2 year study finds folks who use activity trackers are less effective at losing weight and keeping off than others who merely log their efforts on a website.

Read more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/27/well/activity-trackers-may-undermine-weight-loss-efforts.html?_r=0

Here is a snippet from the piece:

“We were pretty confident” that the volunteers in the group using the activity monitors would exercise more, monitor their calorie intake better, and lose more weight than the people in the self-monitoring group, says John Jakicic, a distinguished professor in the department of health and physical activity at the University of Pittsburgh and the study’s lead author.

Now, I have the Apple Watch and am quite happy with the activity tracking.  Very curious to see where this goes. I'll go ahead and call it ... you shouldn't abandon these just yet.  Lets see what we can learn as wearable devices go mainstream.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Conciege In the Store Through Mobile

I've been talking for a few years now about bringing conciege level service to the masses through technology & mobile.  Looks like it is becoming reality.

A company called ... Concierge, huh, didn't see that coming, has signed with Talbots to put its mobile offering in the store.

Read more:

https://www.luxurydaily.com/talbots-eyes-more-revenue-customer-engagement-with-concierge-in-store-install/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The Talbots Inc., a retailer known for classic but fashionable womenswear, will implement a new in-store mobile product called Concierge to improve the store experience and boost sales.

Starting Aug. 29 with pilot in Northampton, MA that will extend next month to 60 stores, Talbots will arm store associates with iPads for enhanced customer engagement, mobile point-of-sale use, clienteling and task management. Mad Mobile is enabling the deployment of Concierge for Talbots.

“This is about collecting and displaying customer information as well as digital content,” said Patrick Walsh, senior vice president of sales and operations at Talbots, [Hingham, MA.]

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Event

Ahhh September.  Remember when we couldn't wait to hear the latest from Cupertino about their magical devices?  Those days seem long gone but there is still considerable buzz generated when Apple puts on a show.

New iPhone, the 7, with a new Apple Watch, the Series 2, and a whole slew of other goodies await...

Apple Watch

Looks just like the first one, on my wrist now, but with some internal enhancements.  Water resistance is official now, still square, GPS built in (nice) and ... wait for it ... Pokemon Go on the watch.  What?  Okay, maybe that'll get a few folks excited.

White ceramic is a new material choice.

Folks are noticing a definite slant away from luxury brand and towards fitness with this offering.  Looks like Apple has learned from usage over the last 18 months (I've used mine heavily for health and wellness but couldn't care less about the luxury portion).

Nike got out of the hardware business a while ago but they are back in through a partnership with Apple.  The Nike Apple Watch+

By the way, what is missing here?  The Apple Watch "Edition" that was priced over $10,000.  Looks like the move towards luxury was a mistake for the product line and Apple is making the correction.  The Ceramic watch replaces the Edition but is priced at about $1,200.

Read on:
http://www.recode.net/2016/9/7/12837144/apple-watch-os-updates-new-features-apple-event

Apple iPhone 7

A jet black option.

Nice new camera work.  Faster, better, more amazing.  The phone is as well.

They finally upped the storage in this.  The base 16 GB is now gone, with a new standard at 32 GB.  That is almost mandatory given the 4K video we now have on these phones. Next step up is also incrementally increased.  No more 64 GB option, rather you go straight to 128 GB. Great for us power users.

The biggest news ... the headphone jack is gone.  Gone!  After many many decades.  You will get a set of bluetooth connected headphones, in-ear style.  You'll also get a dongle to plug "old" headphone jacks in through the one remaining opening, the lightning jack.  Want to listen to music in the airport while your iPhone charges?  Good luck.  I basically hate this decision, but I also understand what it opens up for Apple going forward.  Just seems arrogant to me.

Oh, that fancy Jet Black option?  Apple says it will likely scratch easily so they recommend buying a case for it.  Yes.  They did that.

Apple Pay is coming to Japan.  Apparently they use a particular protocol there that wasn't supported.  It will be now.

Further reading?

http://www.recode.net/2016/9/7/12837562/iphone-7-camera-airpods

iPad

Basic updates to their iPad and Pro lines.  Mostly focused on upping the storage, just like the iPhone, to a 32 GB base.

No Apple TV news.  That thing just isn't working out is it?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile UX by Google

Great little article over on eConsultancy about user experiences on the mobile web.

https://econsultancy.com/blog/68226-23-mobile-ux-mistakes-that-google-doesn-t-like/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

What mobile UX mistakes should marketers be looking out for?

Here are 23 of them for a start.

The information is taken from a variety of Google resources and includes both factors that Google has explicitly stated could be detrimental to search performance, and other factors for which the same could be implied (e.g. from Google's developer guides).

Of course, many factors are used to judge page quality and ultimately if Google judges a page to have the best quality content, it may survive these UX errors.

So, on we go...

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0245 Mobile Payments Stuck?

Best Reading of the Day

Seems like I've been studying, following, and involved in mobile payments forever and haven't see the change we continue to expect.  Is that a correct assessment?  What is the current state of things?  What should we expect tomorrow.

Excellent article by the folks over at Payments Source:

http://www.paymentssource.com/news/technology/mobile-payments-09-why-is-the-tech-forever-stuck-in-beta-3024617-1.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Mobile technology is radically changing the way people hail taxis, book lodging, consume entertainment and find prospective dates.

So why hasn't the same kind of revolution taken hold when it comes to how people spend money?

Years of efforts by banks, payment networks, tech startups, wireless networks and retailers have failed to a produce a mobile wallet app that's broadly used and accepted. This despite near certainty among the technology and pundit class that the much-anticipated migration to mobile payments is inevitable.

There's no simple answer to why mobile payments keep failing to gain traction in the market, but a close look at what's gone wrong so far could provide clues to what — if anything — could provide a decisive breakthrough.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Watch 2.0

I mostly avoid efforts to guess where tech companies are going to go with their products.  This one, however, is an interesting read especially because wearables are such a unique area.  My Apple Watch 1.0 has been very good to me and I'm curious where they are going to go with the next offering.

Here is Bloomberg's story on Apple's efforts for the next iteration of their smart watch:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-18/apple-said-to-hit-roadblocks-in-cutting-watch-ties-to-iphone

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Apple Inc. has hit roadblocks in making major changes that would connect its Watch to cellular networks and make it less dependent on the iPhone, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The company still plans to announce new watch models this fall boasting improvements to health tracking.

The updated versions will also be able to integrate GPS-based location tracking, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Big Companies as a Startup?

Hard to be "lean" in a big company right?

Yeap.

Great little article over on HBR about this problem:

https://hbr.org/2016/08/the-barriers-big-companies-face-when-they-try-to-act-like-lean-startups

Here is a snippet from the piece:

It’d be hard to choose two words that feel less descriptive of life inside a large organization than “lean” and “startup.”

And yet the lean startup methodology, born in Silicon Valley as a way for startups to tune in to customer needs with limited resources, has been gaining major momentum inside big companies like General Electric, Alaska Airlines, Telefonica, 3M, and W.L. Gore. When my publication, Innovation Leader, surveyed 170 executives who work in R&D, strategy, and new product development roles at large public companies, we found that 82% said they’ve already deployed some elements of the lean startup approach.

It turns out that many aspects of lean startup, like showing rough prototypes to customers before you’ve invested lots of time and money, iterating based on their feedback, and letting data prove or disprove your hunches, all have powerful appeal inside big companies, where endless meetings and executive approvals often bog down innovation.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0244 Thought Leadership

Best Reading of the Day

This great little read caught my eye as I've followed these concepts most of the last few years.  Want to be taken seriously about any subject in any industry?  Consider writing a white paper.

Here is the full article:

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2016/08/16/how-to-smartly-build-thought-leadership-using-white-papers/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

One potent way to build thought leadership is to create a white paper that thoroughly explains a problem that has been a nagging pain in an industry for a while and recommends a reliable and workable solution.

Piracy, for example, has been a long time nagging problem for folks in the film industry. In fact, according The Wall Street Journal, antipiracy and security firm Irdeto found a whopping 5.4 billion instances of online pirated movies, TV shows and even video games in 2009.

On top of that, US film distributor Kathy Wolfe, founder of Wolfe Video, also reported that she lost over $3 million in revenue in 2012 due to piracy. Isn’t this a problem that’s enough catch everyone’s attention in an industry? Wouldn’t a paper on this sort of problem and how it can be solved effectively be a goldmine?

Awesome little graphic included in that article:

Oh, and, I've written a few white papers as you can see here:

Thagent White Papers

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Macy's Store Closings and Technology

I was a bit surprised (but not) and a bit dismayed at the recent news from Macy's about closing 100 stores.

First, a bit on that news:

http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/11/investing/macys-closes-100-stores/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

In a sign of how dramatically the retail shopping landscape is changing, Macy's is closing 100 of its stores nationwide.

Macy's (M) announced the closures Thursday. They represent about 15% of all Macy's department stores. The iconic retailer did not disclose the locations of stores, but said most of them will be shut down in early 2017.


The Macy's move is the latest in a wave of store closures amid the rise and success of Amazon(AMZN, Tech30) and other online shopping options.

So, the dismay kicked in a bit for reasons I'll soon get too.  But first here is a little story from the folks at Bloomberg that really explains the landscape:

https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2016-08-15/macy-s-store-closings-should-spur-other-retailers-to-follow

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Where Macy's goes, will other retailers follow?

America's largest department store chain pleasantly surprised Wall Street last week by announcing plans to close 100 stores. At 12 percent of its total store base, that's more locations than it shuttered during all of the last six years. Macy's shares spiked 17 percent on the news, as investors shrugged off a sixth straight quarter of declining same-store sales.

So why the dismay?  I've written about Macy's a fair amount in these pages as a leader in digital.  So if they are failing what hope is there for brick & mortar retailers?  Should they all go the way of the dodo?  I certainly never thought so, and I still don't.  Why?

Look at this bit from that last article:

United States of Stores
America has more retail square footage than Australia, the U.K., Germany and Mexico combined

Look at that again.  The U.S. is positively swimming in physical retail space, and now has a heavy online commerce presence as well.  Something has to give.  It simply must.

So, have hope retailers.  Digital is your future, but in your future you will look different than you look today.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE** Great little story along these lines over on Mobile Commerce:
http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/macys-store-reduction-reflects-retailers-boundless-search-for-omnichannel

$3B Jet.com eCommerce Play by Walmart

For as long as there has been retail there have been many ways to approach the proposition.  I see no reason this won't continue as online sales/retail ascends.  Why only Amazon when the last 100 year has had Macy's and Sears and Walmart, etc.??  No way we won't see more players, even if some of those get bought up by others.

Walmart is picking up Jet.com for a mere $3B dollars. Announcement is happening today.

Not bad for a few years work.  I saw one short story that a lucky customer of Jet won some shares in the startup, and those shares are now worth a few pennies.  Laughing all the way to the bank.

Here is a snippet from the news:

Walmart missed out on a Marc Lore company once, when Amazon swooped in to beat it to the purchase of Diapers.com’s parent company several years back.

The giant retailer may not let it happen again.

Walmart is in talks to acquire Jet.com, Lore’s new startup that has raised more than $800 million in financing in an attempt to build a new online megastore, according to a person familiar with the talks. It is not clear how far along they are. News of the talks was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which said the tie-up could value Jet at as much as $3 billion.

Here is the full story:

http://www.recode.net/2016/8/3/12368608/why-walmart-acquire-jet-com

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Watch Saves Another Life

We laugh at these things now, but this is deadly serious.

What if simply wearing a watch could tell you if you are about to die and give you enough notification to do something about it?  Science fiction?  Nope.  On my wrist right now.

The Apple Watch.

Here is a snippet:

“Along with the shortness of breath, I could feel my heart racing in my chest. Stopping to talk to a colleague on the way to my office, the mere act of speaking left me practically gasping for air. I cut the conversation short and continued to my office. Sitting still made me feel better, but not great.

It was then I thought about the heart rate sensor on my Apple Watch. I opened the Heart Rate app, curious to see if my heart rate was actually elevated or if it was just my imagination. It read 118 beats per minute. Definitely not my imagination—my normal resting heart rate is in the low 70s.”

Read on:

http://watchaware.com/post/17679/the-apple-watch-saves-another-life

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Pokemon Go ... in Russia

This title cracked me up, but the phenomenon that is Pokemon Go is something that must be analyzed.

More than a million people in Moscow are playing Pokémon Go, the mobile game that's dominating download charts in three dozen countries. The number is especially impressive because the game isn't supposed to be available in Russia.

Despite attempts by app developer Niantic to manage global demand, fans in Russia and elsewhere have taken special steps to track down and install Pokémon Go before it's released officially, a process that sometimes involves tricking their phones into thinking they live in another country.

Here is the full story:

http://adage.com/article/digital/pok-mon-fever-hits-russia-making-kremlin-nervous/305273/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Instore Mobile Usage Grows

Yeap.

New research from Hitwise reveals how important mobile devices have become to in-store shopping and indicates why retailers must adjust their campaigns to meet changing customer behaviours.

The Hitwise research, based on the online per cent activity of 3m UK shoppers, found that 77 per cent of online searches that focus on price match, and 84 per cent of online searches that focus on reviews, begin on a mobile device. This compares to an average 62 per cent of all retail searches that are initiated on a mobile device.

Here is the full story:

http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/hitwise_mobiles_instore/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Uber Quits China

I really like the stories over on Bloomberg.com.  Great news, great analysis, and a broad set of topics.

Here is a snippet from this latest:

Not so long ago, American tech giants viewed China as theirs for the taking: 1.4 billion people, a growing middle class, an affinity for American pop culture from Titanic andFriends to Michael Jackson. And, apparently, a tendency to see U.S. goods and services as attractive or superior.

That triumphal script was again rewritten as Uber conceded defeat in its no-holds-barred dust-up with Didi Chuxing. After a costly battle in which both sides shelled out billions subsidizing rides, Chief Executive Travis Kalanick decided to call off the war, agreeing to a deal in which the local champion acquires Uber’s China operations in return for a seat on Didi’s board and a slice of the Chinese company. The move came only a year after the famously brash Uber impresario declared China, the world’s largest ride-hailing market, his most important target.

In other words, Kalanick came, he saw, he most certainly didn’t conquer.

Read on:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-02/the-humbling-of-american-tech-giants-in-china

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Wallets to Consolidate

Right now, with the failed launch of CurrentC by MCX, retailers are rushing to roll out their own mobile wallet within their store brand app.  Baskin Robbins just launched, as a part of Dunkin Brands.  Walmart has Walmart Pay in its app, etc.

Eventually a more consolidated approach will take hold.  I have no doubt of this, though I believe some retailers such as Starbucks will be able to hold on to their direct relationship with their customers.

Other experts see the same thing coming.  Here is a snippet :

Mobile wallets are slowly gaining adoption, but retailers’ offerings are currently the winners because they can be easily integrated with loyalty programs, providing an incentive to use them.

Many experts believe that mobile wallets will continue to grow, and by the end of the decade, be universally adopted. Retailers such as Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks are leading the charge in terms of brand-led mobile wallets and are seeing significant adoption rates while platform-led services such as Apple Pay and Android Pay mobile wallets are lacking in comparison, but will likely see more users in the coming years.

Read the whole story here:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/mobile-wallets-to-see-universal-adoption-by-end-of-decade

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Microsoft Rocking the Cloud

Earning are coming out and while Yahoo! looks to be taking its final lap Microsoft is doing quite well with its focus on the cloud.

Microsoft on Tuesday reported earnings that easily topped expectations as the company continues to shift from a traditional software seller to a provider of cloud-based services.

Excluding certain items, the Redmond, Wash.-based company said it earned $5.5 billion, or 69 cents per share, on adjusted revenue of $22.6 billion. On that basis, the company had been expected to report per-share earnings of around 58 cents, according to Zacks, with analysts expecting revenue of around $22.1 billion, roughly flat from the prior year.

Including all items, per-share earnings would have come in at 39 cents per share, on revenue of $20.6 billion.

Read the whole story here:

http://www.recode.net/2016/7/19/12226280/microsoft-july-2016-earnings-report

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Commerce Jumping More and More

Mobile commerce, or mCommerce, all of the buying you do on your phone, is exploding and set to grow more and more.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

As ecommerce sales continue their meteoric growth, mobile is grabbing a larger market share, with smartphone-enabled purchases set to grow from $122 billion in 2015 to nearly $319 billion by 2020, according to a new report from Javelin.

A greater number of overall ecommerce purchases will come from smartphones, per Javelin’s estimate that mcommerce purchases will make up 49 percent of total online retail commerce in 2020, a significant increase from 29 percent in 2015. The enlarging spotlight placed on mobile is partly due to retailers’ ongoing efforts to provide smartphone-friendly offerings and checkout solutions to customers, according to Javelin’s 2016 Online Retail Payments Forecast.

Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/mcommerce-purchases-set-to-jump-160pc-by-2020-report

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

A Letter to the Daughters Out There

Great little read:

My daughter is almost eight. She likes princesses and Harry Potter and doll houses and making videos to Taylor Swift songs and she has a few very clear influences and/or heroes. Mal from the Descendents. Hermione. My wife. Me. Her great grandmother Sadie.

And now I want her to be influenced by the Ghostbusters. The new Ghostbusters, not the version with Murray and Ackroyd. I want her to love the version with women.

As an aside when I started this post I was unaware of this horrible attack on Leslie Jones, the smart African-American Ghostbuster who knows New York history. On behalf of – I don’t know, the Internet everywhere? – I apologize. We suck. I wish that after 20 years of regular Internet use we’d all be better people. We’re not. We are literally the worst.

Read the full story here:

https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/19/for-my-daughter/

My daughter is 4 and curious about everything in the world.

Oh, and, the clips I've seen from this new Ghostbusters movie look absolutely hilarious.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Grocery Stores in Decline

If you aren't growing, or increasing market share, you are probably going the other way.

Bad news for the well-established Supermarket concept.

Here is a snippet from the story:

Sure, Americans head to Costco some days, drop by the dollar store another, and sometimes swing by their neighborhood grocer, too. But that doesn’t mean they’re happy about all that running around, andProgressive Grocer’s new annual report finds that many feel forced to make multiple trips to find everything they want.

And whether shoppers are looking for deals, quality or variety, supermarkets continue to be on the losing end, with their share of total grocery spending—about $2 trillion each year—falling to 54.5%. That means its slice of the grocery pie has fallen more than six percentage points since 2007. Warehouse clubs and supercenters continue to be the big winners, with their combined share rising from 25.1% in 2007 to 31.3%.

Read on:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/280591/report-finds-grocery-stores-continue-to-lose-share.html?edition=94758

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Walmart as Customer Experience Experts?

This little article really caught my eye.

If all you do is compete on price that leaves you open for competitors to narrow or eliminate the gap.  All of these retailers are selling most of the same products right?  Corn Flakes.  Shorts and shirts.  Etc.

How can a retailer differentiate in today's world?  Digital.

Read on:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/279914/walmart-vaults-into-customer-experience-derby.html?edition=94545

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Walmart says Walmart Pay, which it began rolling out in back in December, is now available in all 4,600 of its stores. And experts say the mobile app puts the retailer one step closer to level footing with Amazon.

“What wins the Amazon shopper over is the customer experience,” says Gene Alvarez, managing VP at Gartner. “Walmart has always competed on price. But if the prices are equal, which consumers can now quickly figure out, it becomes about customer experience. Who is it easier to do business with?”

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Brexit Humor

Are you sick of hearing about the U.S. Presidential election?

How about a little humor from the other side of the pond?

Best one I've heard/read about the recent vote by Great Britain to leave the European Union:

An Englishman, a Scotsman, & an Irishman go to a bar.  They all had to leave because the Englishman wanted to go.

Ha!

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Split Testing for your Content Marketing

The folks over at CMO.com have a great little read on how to optimize your content marketing.

Familar with A/B Testing?  You should be as I've written extensively about it in these pages.

Here is the story:

http://www.cmo.com/opinion/articles/2016/6/1/5-ab-tests-you-should-try-to-grow-your-content-conversions.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

With 78% of CMOs seeing custom content as the future of marketing and more than 90% of marketers using content marketing, you’re in good company.

In fact, according to DemandMetric, marketers now spend more than 25% of their budgets on content marketing. Clearly, marketers are putting a lot of effort into creating content to help brands get found online and engage with their audiences. Those efforts get a handsome return--since for every dollar spent, content marketing generates, on average, three times as many leads as traditional marketing.

But how do you guarantee that your content is conversion optimized? The short answer is that you don’t.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apps: Slim in the Cloud or Large on the Phone?

Great little read over on Mobile Commerce Daily.

Moving data "to the cloud" is all the rage but there are advantages and disadvantages.

I had one client overseas with a very unreliable phone network for the country.  The use case they provided was limited, brief coverage that couldn't be relied upon.  They needed bursts of updates and a heavy package of data on the phone.  The idea of cloud based data just wouldn't work for them given their country's infrastructure.

This article is right in line with that scenario.  Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/shopping-apps-shedding-space-run-risk-of-inhibiting-experience

Here is a snippet from the article:

Retailers with mobile applications that take up a significant amount of space on smartphones can mitigate the problem by moving features to the cloud and using eight-bit images, but larger apps with unique functionality may have an edge.

Walgreen’s is the latest example of a retailer slimming down its app to save room on consumers’ smartphones, which can significantly reduce the risk of being the first to go when users run out of space, although the benefits of doing so may be moot in a few years. Retailers that are looking into slimming down should be careful not to do so in a manner that inhibits the user experience, as those with beneficial features that stand out from the competition can be successful despite a larger app size.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

The Anti-Beacon News

Great little story highlighting the shortfalls of beacons and the attempt to micro-target customers.

1 in 3 will never use them.  Never.

Read on:

http://www.businessinsider.com/1-in-3-shoppers-will-never-use-beacons-in-stores-2016-6

Here is a snippet from the piece;

Location-based marketing and push notifications are starting to infiltrate mainstream retail as more merchants adopt beacon technology.

These beacons are small, inexpensive pieces of hardware that often use Bluetooth to activate specific apps on users' smartphones that run in the background and then send push notifications to customers' locked screens as they shop in the store. Retailers use this technology because it helps them accurately target shoppers based on their interests and purchase history.

But shoppers are still wary of this technology because of concerns about data and privacy.

This aligns with my personal, though unscientific, research on the subject.  Some folks will not opt in to yielding their privacy.  Never. I understand and am sympathetic.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

SnapChat as a $1B Company and LinkedIn at $26B

Not too much amusing about a company valued with a 'B' in the number.  Pretty huge stuff.

Read on:

http://www.recode.net/2016/6/14/11926704/snapchat-advertising-api

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Snapchat made a bunch of advertising announcements Monday via a feature story in AdWeek. The two most important elements of the company’s strategy, outlined below, paint a clear picture for how Snapchat plans to grow.

Social media continues to overperform the expectations I used to have, including the $26B purchase of LinkedIn by Microsoft.  Not underestimating any of it any more.

Here is the LinkedIn news:

http://www.recode.net/2016/6/13/11920416/linkedin-acquisition-microsoft-reasons

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple WWDC Underwhelms

Another Apple event underwhelms. Me too?  Yeap.

Not too surprising.  Seems the innovation edge is on pause at Apple right now.

Read more:

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2016/06/13/wwdc-apple-disguises-fun-innovation/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

This year’s keynote felt like an afterthought, full of announcement for features all too familiar to many of us who regularly pay attention the the tech industry. Try as it might to spin them as new, Apple’s announcements this year were just a bunch of “me too” moves inspired by competitors and popular apps.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Giant Eagle Retailer Takes off with MyWebGrocer

Omnichannel retailing done right?

Maybe.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Supermarket chain Giant Eagle is taking a bigger stance on mobile and digital to create a commerce-driven omnichannel experience that features curbside pickup and shopping list management.

Giant Eagle is equipping its shoppers at local store locations with mobile and digital capabilities to better serve customers in a streamlined, omnichannel fashion. The new push will include the mobile version of its print circular, platform for online ordering and curbside pickup and digitized shopping lists.

Here is the story:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/giant-eagle-soars-on-mobile-digital-experiences-in-omnichannel-shopping-creation

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

CurrentC App Shutting Down June 28

What is the CurrentC app?

Yeap.

You aren't the only one asking as this thing didn't get off the ground anyplace but Columbus, OH.

Read more:

http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/Following-Its-Decision-to-Put-off-a-Rollout_-MCX-to-Shut-Down-Its-CurrentC-Pilot-on-June-28

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Is Macy's a Disaster?

According to BizJournal it is.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Macy's has been falling apart.

The once beloved department store has reported five straight quarters of plummeting sales. Sales most recently dipped 7.4%.

In the past, Macy's — and others — have blamed myriad reasons for the department store's woes.

The weather was too warm for fall and winter apparel.

People aren't spending money on clothes anymore.

Amazon is eating into the market share of the apparel industry.

We went to Macy's to find out why the brand is floundering. What we found shocked us.

Here is the full story:

http://www.businessinsider.com/macys-tour-and-business-analysis-2016-5

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Watch Apps Not Happening

New data on the development front is quite interesting.

Very, very few new apps for the iPhone are also providing a watch app companion.  Not a good sign when you are Apple trying to get a new platform up and running.

Read on:

http://watchaware.com/post/17232/realm-developers-losing-interest-in-the-apple-watch

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Loyalty Providers Growing

Third party loyalty programs using mobile as their primary platform are seeing significant growth.

Not unexpected.  I'd especially view Tier 2 and 3 retailers as targets for such efforts.

Read more here:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/mobile-paves-the-way-for-multi-retailer-loyalty-adoption-in-us

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Coalition loyalty programs are gaining speed in the United States with multi-retailer programs such as Plenti, Spring and ShopYourWay substantially growing now that mobile technology has broken down geographical barriers.

Mobile is allowing U.S. loyalty programs that span a wide range of brands and retailers, rather than being specific to a certain store, to thrive after the strategy saw years of wide spread adoption in other countries. While consumers are just starting to get on board, an innovative mobile strategy can spur exponential growth for coalition programs.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Amazon Private Label Takes on Grocery

In a not at all unexpected move Amazon is continuing its efforts to make its own brands.

Read the full story here on Re/code:

Amazon is going to start selling its own brands of snacks, diapers and detergent — a move lots of traditional retailers have already made.

But Amazon isn't a traditional retailer, so this move could be very meaningful for Amazon and its competitors.

The e-commerce powerhouse will soon begin selling its own packaged goods exclusively to Amazon Prime members under brands like Happy Belly and Mama Bear, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

http://www.recode.net/2016/5/15/11680080/amazon-happy-belly-mama-bear-private-label

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

MCX's CurrentC Delayed Indefinitely and ChasePay Delayed

Mobile payments news.

After months of silence, with no major news this year until now, MCX has made some news.  Their mobile wallet capability, live now in Columbus, OH, will not be rolled out nationally any time soon.

Read more:

http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/After-Eight-Months-of-Testing_-MCX-Postpones-CurrentC-Rollout_-Lays-off-30-Staffers

Here is a snippet from the piece:

After eight months of experimentation in Columbus, Ohio, Merchant Customer Exchange LLC on Monday issued a statement from chief executive Brian Mooney announcing it is putting off a national rollout of its CurrentC mobile-payments service to an unspecified date. Mooney added that the Boston-based company, formed in 2012 by many of the country’s biggest retailers, also has laid off 30 staffers in light of a need for “fewer resources.”

In other, somewhat related news, ChasePay is delayed:

http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/Chase-Pay-Delays-Launch-to-Fourth-Quarter_-Amazon-And-Google-Talk-Technology

Here is a snippet from the piece:

JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Chase Pay mobile-payment service, announced in October, will have a phased-in launch in the fourth quarter, according to Kim Fitzsimmons, head of global e-commerce and large omnichannel solutions at Chase Commerce Solutions.

Looks like MCX wants to get out of the mobile app business and act as a switch between retailers and financial institutions.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Energizer Selling More Batteries through Beacons

Beacons.  That little nugget to engage with mobile devices that move in to the area.  Cool right?

Check out what Energizer is doing with these:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/energizer-sees-400pc-lift-in-purchase-intent-through-in-store-beacons

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Energizer elicited 411,641 in-store engagements through a beacon-powered campaign that served nearby shoppers, who were leveraging various shopping applications such as ListEase and Ziplist, an in-depth look at its EcoAdvanced batteries.

The battery brand leveraged in-store beacons to get the word out for its new product by sending push notifications in shopping assistance apps ListEase and Ziplist, targeting consumers during the most effective time during their customer journey. Through various checkpoints within store locations, users were prompted to go down Energizer’s aisle to check out the product.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Walmart Pay now In-App

This is rolling out slowly around Walmart and is now in their app as of late April.

Read the quick story here:

http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/6055

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The app update, available on the iTunes store, says Walmart Pay will be “available in all stores soon,” without being more specific. Since the mobile wallet’s introduction in December, acceptance has been limited. Currently, more than 100 stores in northwest Arkansas, Kansas City, and other areas of Missouri are accepting Walmart Pay, according to a Wal-Mart spokesperson. Chainwide acceptance will be complete "this summer," she adds.

Meanwhile, what is MCX doing with Currentc?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0243 Mobile Commerce Changing Major Retailers

Best Reading of the Day

Great story over on Forbes.com:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/barbarathau/2016/04/30/how-mobile-commerce-is-changing-the-face-of-the-nations-biggest-retailers-from-wal-mart-to-macys/#1d826c0b668d

Here is a snippet from the piece:

It would not be hyperbole to call mobile devices, namely smartphones, the most disruptive lifestyle shift birthed by the Internet revolution.

And that disruption is carrying over into how consumers shop for goods.

The still-unfolding changes in consumers’ mobile shopping behavior is forcing established retailers to think on their feet and divert capital spending from stores to mobile — and quickly.

Bloomberg Intelligence senior retail analyst Poonan Goyal shared with Forbes how legacy retailers Macy’s, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, Wal-Mart and Target TGT -0.17% are leading the mobile charge.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

What Does it Mean that Apple's Revenue has Declined?

Pretty huge news in tech just a short while ago as Apple posted its first decline in revenue in 13 years.

Wow.

If a company isn't growing it is declining. Nothing in business remains stable for more than very short periods of time.

Here is one report on the story:

http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/26/11510312/apple-q2-second-quarter-2016-earnings

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Don't say they didn't warn you. Apple posted a year-over-year decline in revenue today, the first time the company's failed to grow its business in 13 years. It brought in $50.6 billion in revenue for the second quarter of 2016, and $10.5 billion in profits. That compares with $58 billion in revenue and $13.6 billion in profits during this period last year, a drop of 13 percent for the revenue. It is projecting another revenue decline for next quarter, a 15 percent year-over-year drop.

Just google the words "Apple Decline" to see how the stock is faring ... not good.  Now CEO Cook has publicly stated the pipeline of products is very exciting and all is well.  Okay.

Apple Watch.

Apple TV.

Apple Car?

Internet of Things?

????

What this really means is the period of explosive smart phone growth is behind us.  We now have a mature market.  What is next and will Apple be at the center of the customer experience for the next big thing?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Merchant Mobile Payments Leading the Way

This is not surprising to those of us who follow mobile.  We haven't seen game-changing success by tech companies looking to reinvent the way people pay, but we have seen success by individual merchants.

Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/merchants-digital-wallets-leading-the-migration-to-mobile-payments-report

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Merchants are having a bigger impact on shoppers’ payments behaviors and encouraging the transition to mobile compared to universal wallets such as Apple Pay, according to a new report from Mercator Advisory Group.

A growing number of merchants are offering their own branded mobile wallets and incentivizing the use of them through offers and loyalty, something universal wallets have not taken advantage of as much. As a result, merchants are better positioned to change customer behavior and become preferred payment options, according to the report, Merchant Mobile Wallets: Mobile Payments in Action.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Retail Sales on iPhone Catch iPad

I've written extensively about the need to view "mobile" as more than just a blend of mobile phones and tablets.  Certainly the world is becoming more and more mobile.

This is big news.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/mcommerce-sales-on-iphone-catch-up-to-ipad-for-first-time-report

Here is a snippet from the piece:

For the first time, online sales on the iPhone – which have been growing steadily – caught up with purchases completed on the iPad during the first quarter of 2016, according to new data from Bizrate Insights.

The iPad was once the primary driver, by and far, for mcommerce sales, but its share of sales has been declining for several years. At the same time, the volume of sales taking place on an iPhone has been growing, resulting in each device posting a 36 percent share of online sales made on a mobile device in the first quarter.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Dunkin Brands App Update

I'm not sure how big this news really is.  You be the judge based on the following snippet:

Dunkin’ Donuts caffeinated its mobile strategy with an updated application featuring enticing imagery and a touch-friendly interface, a loyalty promotion giving away 125 points and an app pilot for Baskin-Robbins, heating up competition with Starbucks.

Huh? The app has a "tough-friendly interface"?!!?

Anyway, news in the QSR space is worth looking at if you follow what is happening in digital and technology news.  I'm a believer in what both Starbucks and Dunkin Brands are doing.  Get the updated app.  Play around.  Figure out for yourself if it is newsworthy.

Here is the full article:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/dunkin-donuts-elevates-qsr-competition-with-updated-app-loyalty-promotion

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Making Fast Food Even Faster and Easier

... as if we needed it.

This week saw a slew of announcements by quick service restaurants revealing ways they are helping lazy people be even lazier while ordering their food.

Check out the headline:

Taco Bell, Domino's, and Sonic are making it easier for lazy people to order food

Read on:

http://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-customers-reach-peak-lazy-2016-4

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Is clicking a few buttons or picking up your phone to order food too much work? No worries — fast-food companies are working to make getting a meal even easier.

From "zero-click" ordering, to messaging a bot to order tacos, to emoji-based purchases, new technology is making it easier than ever to purchase fast food.

In unrelated news the world is getting fatter and we don't know what we can do about it:

http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2016-global-obesity/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Chili's CMO: Be Our Digital Guest

Great little article over on CMO.com that focuses on an interview with SVP and CMO for Chili's Restaurants, part of Darden, Inc.

Read on:

http://www.cmo.com/articles/2016/2/19/cmo-interview-chilis-cmo-krista-gibson.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

America is currently undergoing a “food movement,” where consumers are much more conscious of what they eat and where it comes from. This naturally impacts the casual dining space and is an absolute consideration for Chili’s Grill & Bar, not only from a menu perspective, but also in how it markets to consumers.

Indeed, Chili’s SVP and CMO Krista Gibson said monitoring and meeting consumer expectations at a time when the definition of health and wellness is changing is one of her top priorities. In this exclusive interview with CMO.com, Gibson also spoke about her goals and plans for Chili’s digital guest experience, the company’s new loyalty program (with numbers to prove its success), and where the company is in its digital transformation journey.

Loyalty programs in pay at table restaurants.  A dream for some folks, a nightmare for others.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Q1 2016 Mobile Payments

Great little article that has a collection of articles on mobile payments through the first 3 months of 2016.

I see Amazon, Chase, Visa, Apple, Android and MasterCard in there.

Worth checking out:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/top-10-mobile-payments-developments-of-q1

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Retail CFOs Remodeling for Mobile

I spent the last 3 years primarily focused on the retail experiences that could be provided to customers through mobile devices, with a heavy tilt towards the in-store experience.  This is what I term creating the Amazon experience in the physical store.

Looks like the average CFO for a retail company is going this same direction.  They are now convinced and are putting their money towards these goals.

Read on:

http://www.madmobilenews.com/retail-cfos-spending-more-to-remodel-stores-for-mobile

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Chief financial officers are putting their money where their mouths are. As the industry comes to terms with the value of the in-store shopping experience, as well as the inevitable need for an omnichannel strategy, retail companies are upping their investments into these areas of focus.

...

In-store redesigns, meanwhile, are seeing aggressive spending throughout the industry. In 2015, only nine percent of CFOs devoted the largest portion of their funds to in-store remodeling. In 2016, that figure will jump to 31 percent.

In most cases, this redesign will focus on building a modern retail floor that features mobile touchpoints ...

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Amazon Payments

I found this little article over on Bloomberg to be funny and a bit interesting too.

Why would small businesses accept Amazon Pay?

Read on:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-01/amazon-payments-persuades-small-retailers-to-work-with-the-devil

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Amazon.com Inc.'s relaunch of its online payments business in 2013 was greeted with skepticism. PayPal Holdings Inc. had a huge head start and credit card companies like Visa Inc. already had products that made buying something on the Web as easy as swiping a card.

It seemed doubtful digital shop owners would want to team up with Amazon and share valuable information about their best-selling products and prices. And yet: "There's a market for selling your soul to the devil," said Gil Luria, a Wedbush Securities analyst.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Got Wi-Fi?

If you are in retail and your stores aren't set up with free Wi-Fi for your customers you are missing out.

Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/active-in-store-wi-fi-engagements-quickly-escalate-report

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Wi-Fi availability is nearing ubiquity across all retail sectors, representing a significant opportunity for brands, with merchants such as Whole Foods, Kohl’s and Walmart leading the way in terms of time spent connected, according to a Popwifi report released today.

The report, Making Connections: Wi-Fi in the U.S. Retail Sector, found that 11 of the top 20 brands offering quality free Wi-Fi are restaurants or fast food outlets, with BJ’s and Olive Garden topping the list. Additionally, smartphone users in the United States consume more data per minute at Starbucks than at any other brand surveyed.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0242 Startup Employment Experiences

Best Reading of the Day

I don't recommend books too often in these pages, and this book hasn't even been released yet, but this article about and excerpted from this book is well worth reading.  Even if all you want is a bit of amusing fun you'll enjoy this.

A fellow named Dan Lyons, who has been a writer on the hit HBO comedy show "Silicon Valley", is about to publish a book mostly about his experiences in the startup world when he worked at HubSpot.

Here is the story on Fortune.com:

http://fortune.com/disrupted-excerpt-hubspot-startup-dan-lyons/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Dogs roam HubSpot’s hallways, because like the kindergarten decor, dogs have become de rigueur for tech startups. At noon, Zack tells me, a group of bros meets in the lobby on the second floor to do push-ups together. Upstairs there is a place where you can drop off your dry cleaning. Sometimes they bring in massage therapists. On the second floor there are shower rooms, which are intended for bike commuters and people who jog at lunchtime, but also have been used as sex cabins when the Friday happy hour gets out of hand.

I have a bit of experience in the world of startups and I've seen some of what Dan describes.  Also I feel validated in the analysis I made of one startup that recruited me recently.

This nameless company saw a few areas of expertise in my background that fill their needs very well in their product area.  So the CPO requested a phone interview and we talked quite a few times via email and phone.  The first flag for me was when he stated they don't allow titles at their little startup company, said the Chief Product Officer before he corrected himself by naming the C-Level folks with titles.  He went on to assure me they are very well funded with at least 2 years runway, before he mentioned how little room they have for the cost of salaries and related they would be at the very bottom of the pay scale for someone with my experience.  The list went on and on, including a lack of an equity plan, as I grew certain I was speaking to more of a confidence man than a CPO I would respect and learn from.

I've seen company founders dangle the carrot of eventual payout and am not particularly enticed by such things, and never was, but please ... offer me something.  I told this CPO to reach out to me when they are better established and don't expect to hear from him again.

The reasons to join a startup or to invest in one should be quite simple: the quality of their offering and the quality of the team.  Startups typically suffer from cash-flow problems regularly so don't expect a great salary but equity is a must.  Titles are cheap and often a key requisite for working at a startup is the need to wear many hats so Director or VP titles should be easy to get in to for folks with good training and experience.  You can do more, learn more, and expand your wings more than at well-established companies so putting in some time at a startup can be very good for careers.  However, too many young people are being taken advantage of, to put it harshly, by founders looking to build more of a pyramid scheme than a company.

Choose wisely.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  Season 3 of "Silicon Valley" starts in April.

Pinterest Advertising

Cool news for CPG brands and maybe not so great for Pinterest users.

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/social-networks/22473.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Pinterest’s recent move to open its ad platform to all brands has the potential to significantly disrupt budgets this year, especially among marketers seeking to test direct response advertisements and target forward-looking mobile users.

The social network’s new advertising management tools have expanded their reach beyond Pinterest’s primary brand partners, enabling smaller and mid-size companies to bulk-edit their campaigns and use customer database targeting, among other features. Although Pinterest has generally been overshadowed by social behemoths such as Instagram and Facebook, the channel does offer lucrative revenue potential for brands that engage in long-term marketing strategies that will appeal to consumers planning for future home redesigns, parties or wardrobe shopping sprees.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple March Event

Hello Tech Fans,

The March Apple event is in the books (with a bit of a disagreement continuing between Apple and the U.S. Government on privacy).  I see nothing that will impact most industries.  The "CareKit" open source software Apple has provided will provide new potential for those looking to create health and wellness apps.

I'm a big fan of the work the folks over at ArsTechnica do so be sure to check out their posts if you want any more information on the items I'm about to cover:

http://arstechnica.com/

Their live blog for the event had been captured in its entirety here:

http://live.arstechnica.com/apples-march-2016-event/

The news.

Smaller iPhone
If you still like the smaller 4" form factor of the iPhone before they got big with the 6 (and really big with the 6 Plus), and you don't need every new feature in the latest phone, and you would prefer to save a few bucks, then the news on the iPhone SE should make you happy.

Smaller iPad Pro
Wait, I thought the point of the iPad Pro was it is really big and can replace your laptop?  So now they have a 9.7" iPad Pro, that absolutely is NOT a fancy version of the 9.7" iPad Air 2.  Right?  Right.  Got it.

iOS 9.3
This will be a nice improvement for home users for one big reason: support for nighttime reading.  The dim settings will now be custom designed to prevent any issues with reading in bed on your iPad just before you (try) to get to sleep.

Anything Else?
Nahh, not really. We don't need to read about more Apple Watch bands do we?  Nope. Nor about how great the Apple TV is?  Didn't think so.

See you in the summer for more Apple news.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Blaze Pizza and Mobile Payments

I'm a fan of Blaze Pizza, even though I've never set foot in one of their establishments.  The "fast-casual" style for pizza is a compelling business case.  Some friends in Tallahassee, FL have had a chance to try it and give it a thumbs up.

They are moving in to mobile in a big way.  Following the now standard approach blazed by Starbucks they are combining mobile payments with their retail app.

Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/blaze-fires-up-new-app-mixes-payments-and-loyalty

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Build-your-own pizza chain Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza is following big-name restaurants with a new mobile application that pairs loyalty with payments, reflecting the growing ubiquity of mobile food strategies.

The pizza chain is hoping to become a big player in mobile commerce and drive sales through its new app that allows customers to order, earn rewards and pay directly within its platform. With other big food retailers such as Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and White Castle adopting mobile ordering, Blaze is hoping to stay update with trending technologies.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Startup Unicorns Coming Back to Earth?

Great little read if you follow the startup world, and as a techie I'm sure you have to be at least a little curious what is going on.

Read more over on Wired:

http://www.wired.com/2016/03/unicorn-reckoning-finally-thank-goodness/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

THREE MONTHS INTO 2016, signs are emerging that the unicorn reckoning is upon us. A new report from Silicon Valley Bank suggests that corporate valuations are coming down; startups are focusing more on profits; and one of tech’s most important metrics—founder optimism—is flagging.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Subscription Box Brands Dominated by Mobile

Are you familiar with the Dollar Shaver Club?  The concepts is simple.  You subscribe to varying level of options and a shaver plus blades is sent to you on a regular basis via subscription service.  Pay more, get more elaborate shavers and blades.

This concept is taking off and is a great example for the direct to consumer approach manufacturer brands need to embrace.

Mobile is dominating in this space and the big names, such as Starbucks and Walmart, are taking notice.  Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/subscription-box-services-dominated-by-mobile-savvy-shoppers-report

Here is a snippet from the piece:

“One key advantage of subscription boxes is that it keeps customers engaged with the brand and often provides a more personalized and curated experience which has the potential to strengthen a customer’s brand loyalty, if it’s done right,” [John Fetto, senior analyst, research and marketing, at Hitwise] said.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Wallets at POS and Apple Pay

Business Insider has a great little article detailing some data from a new report on retailers and their mobile wallets.

Just to list a few for those who aren't keeping up, mobile wallets include but are not limited to: Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, PayPal, CurrentC by MCX, Walmart Pay and more.

Read on:

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-pay-leads-samsung-pay-android-pay-google-wallet-2016-3

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Apple Pay has a comfortable lead in the mobile wallets market.

A new report from Piper Jaffray cited by Investors Business Daily reveals that retailers largely prefer Apple Pay over its major competitors Samsung Pay, Android Pay, and Google Wallet.

The report found that 44% of U.S. retailers either currently are using or have expressed interest in installing mobile wallet readers in their brick-and-mortar stores.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Digital in Retail

This is a subject I know a little bit about but it is always great to see other perspectives.  This one is well worth the reading time.

https://econsultancy.com/blog/67596-digital-transformation-in-the-retail-sector-challenges-opportunities/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The digital consumer has changed the face of retail, putting pressure on brands to adapt to this transformation.

Our new Digital Transformation in Retail Sector report looks at the opportunities and challenges faced by retailers to meet the increasing demands of customers who dictate everything and expect everything to be done in a more convenient way.

The research is based on interviews with senior executives across a range of retailers which included AO.com, Asda, The Body Shop, B&Q, Feelunique.com, Good Hair Day, Pandora, Schuh, Shop Direct, Tesco and Volcom, as well as a number of third parties.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Coupons App With Beacons in Malls

Do you love or hate coupons (there really is no in-between)??

Well now they are much simpler, though you may have to opt-in to notifications as you walk around a mall.  Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/the-coupons-app-brings-beacon-triggered-offers-to-mall-shoppers

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Offer-driven mobile application The Coupons App revealed today that it is leveraging beacon technology to enhance the user experience by delivering location-based alerts inside malls from retailers, brands and restaurants.

The Coupons App, which provides more than 10 million users with deals and coupons from more than 100,000 retailers, has partnered with Mobiquity Networks to deliver offers in more than 475 malls equipped with beacons managed by the marketing firm. As a result, users will receive alerts when they are nearby stores and restaurants where promotions can be redeemed.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Quick Service Restaurant Mobile Ordering Continuing to Grow

Another QSR is doing major work in mobile ordering.

White Castle.

This phenomenon should continue as table stakes at this point.  If your company is a quick service restaurant and you aren't doing this you are not relevant to your customer.

Read more here:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/white-castle-ramps-up-mobile-ordering-efficiency-with-app-redesign

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Fast food chain White Castle is aiming to be a strong competitor in mobile ordering with a revamped application that pairs Apple Pay, order history, favorites and streamlined offer viewing to keep up with contenders.

As mobile apps have become a necessity for retailers, White Castle is hoping to stay competitive by updating its mobile app with a more efficient ordering system.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant