Search for Shopping Tilting Back to Search Engines from Amazon

What happens when you open a search engine such as Google and type in a product you want to buy?

For many years now you've largely been provided links to related products on Amazon.com.

As the world has shifted to mobile consumption of the internet certain challenges and opportunities have presented themselves to digital companies.  Google has altered its approach to search to be far more mobile friendly.  The result?  Click-throughs are now much more likely to go to Google than straight to Amazon.

Read the full story here:

https://www.retaildive.com/news/amazon-slipping-in-search/513775/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Amazon is slipping when it comes to search. The e-commerce giant took 49% of consumers’ initial product searches, down from last year’s 55%, with search engines taking 36% (up from 28% last year) and other retail sites taking 15% (16% last year), according to a study by consumer research firm Survata first reported by Bloomberg.

It is important to note that Amazon is still getting about half of all such clicks.  Very strong, but declining and that is significant.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  This may be my final post from 2017.  Hope 2018 is a great year for everyone.

TargetPay is Here - Wallet

Following years of investment in mobile wallet through the now sold off MCX and the CurrentC mobile payments solution, and well after Walmart enacted its Walmart Pay solution Target has theirs in place. They call it simple "Wallet".

This is the beginning of furthering a huge divide between the top of the Tier 1 retailers and everyone else.  We may need to create a new designation like "Super Power" when mere "Major Power" was no longer enough.

The biggest merchants will have a strong physical presence, eCommerce presence, vertically integrated merchandising, strong mobile, and strong mobile wallet capability. Think Amazon and Walmart.  Now Target.

Everyone else?  Well, this speaks to the huge need for a white label solution for all of those merchants not big enough to handle all of this on their own.

Anyone?

Here is the story:

http://www.businessinsider.com/targets-mobile-wallet-is-finally-here-2017-12

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Target launched its long-anticipated mobile wallet for in-store payments on Monday, according to TechCrunch. The product, which will be barcode-based and housed in the existing Target mobile app, is known as Wallet. Two key features distinguish Wallet and could help optimize it for use:

The wallet is only available to store cardholders.

...

That’s especially true because it expands upon existing app functionality.

...

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Amazon - Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Two stories from Business Insider tell this story.

First up is how Amazon did on Black Friday and if you had any doubt, they rocked:

http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-dominates-thanksgiving-and-black-friday-online-sales-2017-11

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Amazon pulled in 45% of all online transactions — or purchases — on Thanksgiving Day, and 54.9% on Black Friday, according to Hitwise data cited in Dealerscope.

Next is Amazon on Cyber Monday ... and ... they rocked:

http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-says-cyber-monday-is-biggest-shopping-day-in-history-2017-11

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Amazon says Cyber Monday was its biggest shopping day in company history.

"Amazon customers shopped at record levels... ordering hundreds of millions of products from toys to fashion to electronics and Amazon devices," Jeff Wilke, Amazon's head of worldwide consumer, said in a statement. "Customers ordered nearly 140 million items from small businesses alone and this is just the beginning of the holiday season."

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Black Friday 2017

Business Insider is a site you should be checking out pretty much every day.  I'll be posting twice with three stories from them covering the holiday shopping season.

First up is Black Friday:

http://www.businessinsider.com/black-friday-2017-sales-surge-stores-remain-empty-2017-11

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Many stores were empty this Black Friday — but retailers have no need to panic.

Some shoppers were surprised to find empty Targets, Best Buys, and Walmarts when they showed up for Black Friday shopping.

When Business Insider's Sarah Jacobs arrived at the Atlantic Terminal Mall in Brooklyn early Friday morning, she found a meager line outside waiting for the mall to open, and even fewer people outside Target and Best Buy.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0255 Shopping Online Using What Device?

Best Reading of the Day

Forbes has a fantastic article for all of the holiday shoppers out there looking to browse online stores for their shopping needs.

Quick.  What device are you reading this on?  Desktop computer?  Is your smartphone nearby?

If you wanted to grab something off of eBay real quick which device should you use?

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Since the dawn of Cyber Monday, when consumers would come home from shopping in stores all Black Friday weekend, only to turn around and use high-speed connections at work on Monday to finish up their shopping lists, retailers have observed that consumers are using different digital channels for different objectives.

Over the past few years, holiday shopping has reflected some of these shifts. Online sales are growing far faster than store sales, and within online, mobile is capturing a larger share of traffic – but mobile still drags far behind desktop and even tablet experiences when it comes to sales.

Retailers also have not invested evenly across their digital channels. Just because a retailer's desktop website is a great experience, it doesn’t mean its mobile site – or app – has kept up.

Here is the whole story:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nikkibaird/2017/11/21/mobile-or-desktop-site-or-app-which-is-the-best-way-to-shop-this-holiday-season/#3be564c7214a

I wrote about these things a couple times here regarding retailer's digital strategies and here regarding the question of what is actually "mobile" and what isn't.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Walmart Pay Bests Apple Pay

Wait ... what?

Yeap.

The little app that could.  No.  This is Walmart after all.

That little pay in app feature by Walmart is doing more business than Apple Pay, or is about to. 

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Available in 4,774 stores, Walmart Pay is enrolling tens of thousands of new users a day, up from thousands four or five months ago, said Daniel Eckert, who runs the business. Two-thirds of the customers who try it also use it a second time within 21 days, he said, giving him confidence Walmart Pay will surpass Apple Pay in the U.S. in terms of use by shoppers in stores where they’re accepted.

Here is the full story:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-07/walmart-pay-threatens-to-surpass-apple-in-u-s-mobile-payments

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Learning More from Big Losers

If you aren't familiar with the TV Reality show "The Biggest Loser" by now you won't ever be. 

Heavy individuals participate in a program to lose weight through exercise and diet, and the cameras catch all of the "action". 

Okay, not my cup of tea either, but the science behind health & wellness does interest me.

Turns out the body turns itself in to a starvation mode conservation effort when we lose weight.  The result is the body pushes us to gain the pounds right back.  Contestants on the show had to triple, yes TRIPLE their weekly exercise over the average person to just break even.

Very interesting result.

Could you Apple Watch fitness tracker app help with that?  Yeap. 

Read more here:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/11/to-keep-the-weight-off-biggest-loser-contestants-must-exercise-like-crazy/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

How CPGs Can Thrive in the Digital Era

Great little story about the consumer packaged good brands and their efforts to interact with their customers through channels other than physical retail stores.

This is all about modern digital folks.  Very cool opportunity for these companies.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Consumer Packaged Goods companies are navigating a time where eCommerce is growing more popular than in-store experiences. But when your business model and KPIs are tied to store shelf sales, how can you get your foot in the door?

CPG marketers must go “beyond the shelf” – whether they offer on-site commerce or not – and deploy a strong cross-channel presence through store, website, email and social. This reflects the cross-channel nature of today’s shoppers and their demand for real-time connectivity.

Here are five simple strategies

Here is the full story, a short read:

https://www.chainstoreage.com/featured/five-winning-cross-channel-strategies-cpg/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Struggles with Supply of iPhone X

Reports indicate Apple has taken the path of “an aggressive design” with the iPhone X and is attempting to fulfill demand with “a very aggressive schedule”.

Okay. Maybe I should wait to order mine?

Here is a snippet from the story:

As of early fall, it was clearer than ever that production problems meant Apple Inc. wouldn’t have enough iPhone Xs in time for the holidays. The challenge was how to make the sophisticated phone—with advanced features such as facial recognition—in large enough numbers.

As Wall Street analysts and fan blogs watched for signs that the company would stumble, Apple came up with a solution: It quietly told suppliers they could reduce the accuracy of the face-recognition technology to make it easier to manufacture, according to people familiar with the situation.

Here is the full story:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-25/inside-apple-s-struggle-to-get-the-iphone-x-to-market-on-time?utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  Apple has pushed back against this story.

Stranger Things at Netflix Personalized for YOU

Netflix is the king of data when it comes to people’s viewing habits and they are really, really good at using it.

How?

Personalization.

They know what images are most likely to attract you to watch a show vs. a different images for a different person and that is what is shown to you.

Personalization.

Binge on the hit show ‘Stranger Things’ yet?  You should.  First, though, read this fine article on how Netflix convinces you to watch their content.

https://www.cnet.com/news/stranger-things-addict-heres-how-netflix-sucked-you-in/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Netflix is in High Gear and Going Faster

… but it does come with a price tag.  They are burning a ton of cash on original new programming.  The winner in this?  You, the subscriber.  Just keep paying Netflix your monthly bill.

Here is a snippet from the story:

From Germany to Brazil, Netflix stormed ahead in its drive to create a global TV network, scoring the video-streaming provider's best third quarter on record and sending the shares to a new high.

Shows such as thriller "Ozark," starring Jason Bateman, "American Vandal," a spoof of true crime shows, and a Jerry Seinfeld stand-up special helped lure 4.45 million new customers abroad and 850,000 in the U.S., both ahead of estimates. 

Here is the whole story:

http://adage.com/article/digital/netflix-beats-subscriber-forecasts-spending-nears-8-billion/310915/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Experience Experimentation or Checkout Optimization?

Any time I read about a sophisticated experimentation effort to optimize some digital process or tool I get all starry eyed.

Yes, these are the things that keep me up at night wondering about the larger meaning.

The folks over at eConsultancy have another excellent entry that goes right down this rabbit hole.  Well worth the read:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/69447-ask-the-experts-conversion-rate-optimisation-trends-challenges-strategy/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

There is a divide taking place in the industry. The businesses at the strategic and transformative level of maturity don't even use the term CRO or conversion optimization. Experimentation is the mindset change they have adopted and made part of their DNA. Brands like Amazon, Skyscanner, Booking.com…

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Financial Services Technology

Also known by short as “FinTech” for Financial Technology. This is a good and short little read that should help everyone understand what this is, what is happening here, and where it might be going.  Worth the read.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3225515/financial-it/what-is-fintech-and-how-has-it-evolved.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Watch Caught Stealing Signs

RedSox baseball news, and Apple Watch news.

What?

Really?

Yes.

The world she is a changing.

Stealing signs in baseball is where a player somehow "read" the communication between pitcher and catcher to figure out what pitch is coming next.  This is a practice as old as the sport itself.

Do you ever wonder, or have you noticed, pitchers cover their mouths with their gloves when talking with their catchers on the mound?  That's because the San Francisco Giant great Will Clark read the lips of the pitcher and banged another great hit once upon a time.  Changed the game.

Now the RedSox have introduced wearable devices for the same effect, breaking the rules of baseball in the process:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/sports/baseball/boston-red-sox-stealing-signs-yankees.html?mcubz=1

The results?  They've been fined and the practice is discontinued. The amount of the fine is to remain undisclosed and will be donated to hurrican relief in Florida.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20716110/boston-red-sox-new-york-yankees-fined-separately-part-mlb-investigation-sign-stealing

Wow! Tech has taken over sports hasn't it?

Happy ... something,

J.W. Gant

This is Amazing!

Just … take a look.  You’ll like yourself for doing it.

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/this-guys-simple-looking-camera-tricks-are-actually-pre-1809074820

Happy Illusions,

J.W. Gant

PS  I'm labeling this under 'Cool'.  Yeap.

Drone Deliveries are Working Well

This little article tells a pretty compelling story.  If drone delivery can work well under the rather extreme demands of Iceland then maybe we should  be taking the concept seriously.

Yeah.  Just maybe.

Read on:

https://thenextweb.com/eu/2017/09/14/using-drone-deliveries-in-iceland-isnt-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/#.tnw_aU7AEwx2

Here is a snippet from the piece:

…upcoming drones will be able to handle any type of precipitation with simple modifications — and the wind isn’t as much of a problem as you’d think. It was quite windy when I went to AHA’s headquarters but the drone handled itself easily in the skies. The main concern is the windspeed at the landing sites, if it’s more than 4 m/s it could make the drone trip over during landing.

But despite the current drawbacks, the drone deliveries are already saving the AHA a lot of time and resources — drones actually make more sense to use than cars.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Why I’m Going to Buy the New iPhone X

What matters to you when it comes to smart phones?  Latest and greatest?  Well, okay, but what does that do for you?  Why does the latest and greatest matter to you?  Utility then?  Okay.  What does this new gadget do that I need and wasn’t available before?

What if it’s just better?

That’s why I’ll pick up the iPhone X when it comes out.  Forget about the silly (but perhaps hyper futuristic) “Face ID” capability where you unlock the device with you face.  This new beauty has the very best screen, OLED, and the best camera, and is in the form that I prefer.

Here’s what sold it for me: the dimensions of the device.  I’m going to boor you a moment with some numbers.

Dimensions of previous iPhones:
iPhone 6S – 5.44” x 2.64”
iPhone 6S Plus – 6.23”x3.07”
iPhone 7 and 8 are similar to the 6S
iPhone X – 5.65”x2.79”

Let us take a look at that.  Starting with the 6S series the camera was improved in the “Plus” version over the smaller phone.  This has continued through the 7 and now 8.  Want the nicer camera?  You have to get the much larger device.  This has bothered me, but Apple just changed that.

They took the hardware of the larger “Plus” models and put it in to the much smaller iPhone X, plus they  greatly improved the screen to OLED technology, and only had to make it slightly bigger than the smaller non-Plus phones. That’s what I’ve wanted all along.  The quality phone of the “Plus” with the form factor of the non-Plus.

That’s it.  I’m in.

Prediction time.  We’ll see the iPhone X sell well and the next generation will bring back the “Plus” concept to the premier level phone.  We’ll get something like an iPhone 8S with 8S Plus and a premium iPhone XI with XI Plus.  Coming to your local Apple store in 2018.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Event 2017

I actually wrote this up quite a while ago but then needed to transfer it to my blog.  Ugh.  My new workflow for this is not pretty, but I'll find a way.

Here goes...

iPhone
Three new phones: the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and … the iPhone X (or “ten”).  I’ll pop an article or two at the bottom of this entry.

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
Think iPhone 7 improved.  Or as one writer noted about the new glass backed phone “now you can shatter the glass on the front AND back of your expensive new phone”.  It is necessary for wireless charging introduced with this version so … okay, fine it looks good too.

iPhone X
This is the one we had heard about and were waiting for and it mostly lived up to the hype.  They basically took the guts of the iPhone 8 Plus and put it in to a form factor like the plain ole 8.  Not huge like the Plus, but with the excellent camera and a greatly improved screen with (finally) OLED technology.  This is a really great phone.

Apple Watch
Fitness and health is the mantra for these wearables and with good reason.  The series 3 mostly improves the software around those with version 4 of the software but also adds an option for LTE connectivity so you can leave your phone at home and still get data, phone calls, etc.  The first time you hail a Lyft ride from your watch you’ll gasp I’m sure.

Apple TV 4K
So now that the whole world of television has gone to 4K resolution Apple is finally following.  Great.  Next.

Not a bad event this year, but, these keynotes are really feeling unnecessary to me.

Here are the articles:
Wired.com has a page with links to a few articles, one for each new product line.
https://www.wired.com/2017/09/apple-iphone-2017-liveblog/

Want to save some money on the new iPhones?
http://fortune.com/2017/09/14/apple-iphone-x-black-friday-deals/

Did Face ID fail on stage?  No, the rehearsal failed, according to Apple
https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-face-id-didnt-fail-during-iphone-x-demo/

Kellogg Cereal Cafe

Is anyone talking about brands working on their direct to consumer approach?

Me?

Others?

Yeap.

Kellogg's has opened a "Cereal Cafe" to very positive word of mouth (so the story says).  Wow.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Kellogg's expanding cereal cafe concept in New York City is part of a larger trend of CPG companies opening stores in order to market their products directly to consumers.

While traditional methods of CPG brand extension may involve, say, developing new products, this new form of extension calls for brands to extend into a service experience at a store. This type of branding can be beneficial for CPG companies looking to stay ahead of evolving consumer preferences.

Here is the whole story:

https://retailleader.com/kellogg-takes-cpg-brand-extension-new-level

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

67% eCommerce Growth at Walmart

Now that's news for the day!

Huge growth at Walmart online.  Think the Jet.com acquisition is paying off?

Maybe?

Yeap.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Walmart continues to invest heavily both in-store and out to redefine the shopping experience and blur the distinction between digital and physical retailing.

As the world’s largest retailer continues its fight with Amazon for consumers’ hearts, minds and wallets, the customer ultimately wins ― new solutions provide a seamless path to purchase and bring a new level of excitement to the shopping experience.

Here is the whole story:

https://risnews.com/walmart-posts-enormous-67-e-commerce-growth

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Payments in Chicago Mass Transit

Wow!

2 million downloads.  That's moving along.

Great little piece on mobile payments in Chicago.

A pioneering mobile-payment wallet for mass transit has reached a milestone. Chicago’s Ventra app has been downloaded more than 2 million times since it became available in November 2015, according to an announcement Monday from Cubic Transportation Systems, the San Diego-based company that developed the app. Commuters have bought almost $250 million in fares on the app in that time, Cubic added.

Here is the full story:

http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/At-2-Million-Downloads_-Chicago_s-Transit-System-Sees-an-Appetite-for-Mobile-Payment

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Sears - A History

I thought I had nothing else to say, or read, about this story except the (surely soon to happen) looming bankruptcy.  Then I found this little piece by the New York Times that tells their whole story in brief.

Great little read.

Here is a portion of the piece:

Imagine a retailer that began by specializing in just one product, then grew into a mammoth that redefined the American shopping experience.

Among its innovations: No matter where you lived, it shipped your order directly to you, whether you were looking for cast-iron cookware, a mandolin, the newest technological marvel, or the latest in petticoats.

Amazon, right? Actually, it was Sears — a century ago.

Here is the full story:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/11/business/the-incredible-shrinking-sears.html?mcubz=1

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Small Towns and Walmart

The story of this little Massachusetts town really caught my eye.  Not only for the urban planning aspect but for the small business savvy and differentiating strategy.

Well worth the read.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Downtown Hudson was quiet when Michael Kasseris stepped out into the late night air in 2012.

Behind him was a Main Street space that had once housed a printing shop, a bagel shop and a gifting shop.

His uncle owned the building. Kasseris and his two business partners had just opened Rail Trail Flatbread Co. -- a trendy new restaurant featuring wood-fired pizza and craft beer.

He looked around. The downtown stores, tucked inside historic brick buildings, were empty. The parking spaces were empty. There was no foot traffic.

He and his friends were investing everything they had into this place.

In a moment of panic, Kasseris thought, "What are we doing building a restaurant?"

Here is the full story:

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/08/hudson_how_this_small_massachu.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0254 Consumer Brands and Their Customers

Best Reading of the Day

This excellent article on HBR.com is well worth your time.

As I wrote about some time ago the new digital era creates risks and opportunities for a shifting landscape.  This is the first solid analysis I've seen on Amazon's recent moves to help Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies interact more directly with customers.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

When news broke earlier this year about Amazon’s courtship of some of the world’s biggest consumer packaged goods ... brands, it touched off a wave of speculation. Was the e-commerce giant engaged in a long game to alter the relationships between consumer goods makers and their brick-and-mortar retail partners?

However it plays out, Amazon’s outreach exposed a digital divide in the consumer products world. On one side is the growing interest of brands in direct-to-consumer (D2C) models. On the other side are persistent worries about conflict — not just with traditional distribution channels but also with retailers carrying the brand.

Here is the full article (you may have to create a login to view it):

https://hbr.org/2017/08/how-consumer-brands-can-connect-with-customers-in-a-changing-retail-landscape

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

AI Comes to Online Retail

What's the next big thing?

Artificial Intelligence, or machine learning, is definitely coming as big wave of impact.

This little article caught my eye for that reason.

https://econsultancy.com/blog/69292-this-online-retailer-uses-ai-for-product-categorisation-here-s-how/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

LovetheSales.com was founded in 2013 and is a retail sales aggregator where consumers can find more than a million sales items from hundreds of retailers.

Machine learning is used to classify these products, tagging them to enable the website to sort them into the right categories and to show a user products they may be interested in.

[Founder Stuart McClure] explains the need for a machine learning-led approach:

“Given that we’ve got that massive catalogue of products that can change and shift very quickly - as products on sale can change in price or sell out - we recognised that we needed a pretty clever tool."

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Which Retailers are Mobile?

The advent of the smart phone has done two things that require retailers to respond: taken away some traffic from older internet sources, and opened a new type of opportunity for mobile interactions.

Initial offerings were essentially to offer the same online web experience but in mobile.  Going way back to the introduction of the first iPhone one of the enormous selling points was the ability to view the full New York Times website on your phone.

Wow!

Quickly the limitations of that experience became clear.  A tiny screen you hold in your hand requires a different approach from the interactions one has with a full PC screen.

A few retailers really really get that.  Here is a story on the best experiences:

http://www.mytotalretail.com/article/mobile-cx-study-gives-best-buy-home-depot-and-target-top-marks/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

As consumers spend more time shopping on smartphones, their expectations for mobile experiences have soared. With mobile interactions influencing $1.05 trillion in offline sales in 2016, the successful retailers of 2017 will be those that offer consumers mobile sites with a frictionless path to purchase that also integrates into omnichannel shopping experiences.

Which omnichannel retailers are doing it right and setting the bar the highest for merchants looking to deliver a seamless mobile customer experience (CX)?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Starbucks Mobile Payments at 30%

Holy moly!

I was surprised by this one, but then, not.

They do this all so well.  Fully integrated top to bottom and left to right their digital relationships with their customers are second to none.  Full stop.

Here is a snippet from the story:

http://bankinnovation.net/2017/07/nearly-one-third-of-all-starbucks-payments-are-mobile/

Here is the full story:

What makes the Starbucks mobile wallet such a popular option when it comes to paying for that morning coffee?

Mobile payment at the coffee company’s U.S. stores increased to 30% of all stores, according to the earnings Starbucks reported yesterday, meaning just under a third of customers are now paying via mobile.

Meanwhile, Starbucks Mobile Order & Pay transactions increased as well to 9% of all transactions in U.S stores.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Who Is Innovating in Personal Computers?

iPhone

Tablets

Laptops

Computers

While Apple is frequently pushing the edge with its iPhone its play in the PC space is lagging substantially.  Who is the leader now?  One article says it is Microsoft.

The software company that ruled the world once upon a time is doing pretty well with hardware today.  Worth a read.  Here is a snippet from the piece:

...today, the company is making the most visionary computers in the industry, if not the best machines, period. In the last two years, while Apple has focused mainly on mobile devices, Microsoft has put out a series of computers that reimagine the future of PCs in thrilling ways.

Here is the full story:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/technology/microsoft-pcs-apple.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Why Are Some Restaurant Chains Struggling?

It isn't technology.

Some of the smartest folks I've met in retail are involved with loyalty programs for one or more chains.  Using technology at the table to enhance the relationship between the retailer and the customer.

These chains are struggling because their menus are too loaded in fat, salt, and calories according to one analysis.  Worth the read.  Here is one revelatory quote:

While fast food has received plenty of flack from nutrition-savvy critics, the biggest culprits when it comes to calories, salt, and fat are often sit-down, casual dining joints.

A Big Mac contains 540 calories. Buffalo Wild Wings' Cheese Curd Bacon Burger contains 1,620 — before you add fries or sides.

Read that again.  The burger alone is 1,620 calories.  You only need about 2,000 calories in a day.  What in the world are they doing over there?

Here is the full article:

http://www.businessinsider.com/health-concerns-show-why-casual-dining-is-failing-2017-7

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Payments - Wearable Payments Becoming Standard

I have an Apple Watch and have been using it to make payments for years now.  Starbucks, Dunkin, or using Apple Pay at various retailers who accept it through NFC.

Very cool and I always seem to get a reaction from the people around me too.

Well, this is slowly building up and becoming more common.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

It seems like only yesterday the industry first began mulling in-store, in-app and online payments via mobile devices. Now wearables, including smart watches, fitness trackers and other tags, introduce a whole new wrinkle in the space.

The concept of a wearable as a payment system is not new; Wearables enabled with payment capabilities in closed-loop scenarios, like Disney World's Magic Band or similar wearables associated with cruise ships or music festivals, accounted for 82% of wearable-device payments back in 2015. Visa also had a high-profile rollout of NFC payment-enabled bracelets during the 2016 Summer Olympics last year.

Here is the full story:

http://www.retaildive.com/news/study-wearable-payments-on-the-way-to-mainstream/447879/

Happy Reading

J.W. Gant

Payments - Chase and PayPal Join for Mobile Payments

I have no direct knowledge here but I find it curious these two would partner up for mobile payments.

What is the connection between them?

MCX or the Merchant Customer Exchange, recently acquired by Chase.  The technology piece to MCX largely came from Paydiant, purchased by PayPal.

Ding ding.

Read on:

http://www.qrcodepress.com/j-p-morgan-chase-paypal-mobile-payments-deal-announced/8533580/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The Chase Pay service is a form of mobile wallet app launched near the end of 2016. It was released for the purpose of boosting in-store and online purchases using credit and debit cards. The new deal with PayPal mobile payments will have a phased roll out which will be complete by 2018. The two companies are working together to simplify loading J.P. Morgan issued cards into PayPal’s app. It will also make it possible for J.P. Morgan Chase customers to use their rewards points when they use PayPal to pay for their purchases of products and services.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Payments - Is Fast ACH Good for Acquirers?

This week found me with 3 stories in payments that caught my eye.  Here is the first.

Automatic Clearing House or ACH is a way to move money.  Does making that faster help merchant acquirers?

Interesting read:

https://www.paymentssource.com/news/is-faster-ach-a-gold-mine-or-a-minefield-for-acquirers

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Same-day Automated Clearing House transactions exist, in part, as a first step in the faster payments initiatives taking place in the U.S. But are they lucrative enough for acquirers to add to their portfolio?

Even though ACH costs less than credit card interchange, the difference may not be compelling enough to win over merchants that are happy with cards and mobile wallets. But same-day ACH does have a devoted audience — delivering 13 million transactions in the last three months of 2016 — and a growing interest among government agencies and businesses.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0253 Next Generation Stores Today

Best Reading of the Day

Always remember, the folks who want to sell you something will often be willing to write studious analyses to help persuade you to but it.

With that in mind you really should read this, the best read of today, or the month really.

Forget everything we know or think we know about the retail store.  Given the technological shifts we've seen in recent decades with online, social, integrated fulfillment, seemless customer service through digital, mobile, and more, what should the store look like today.

Here is a snippet that provides one view:

Over the next three years, outdoor lifestyle apparel retailer Toad&Co. plans to open 20 new brick and mortar stores.

With news of store closings by powerhouse brands likely swirling around in your head, you may be tempted to make sure you read that number correctly. It’s been dizzying for sure. So why would an apparel retailer be looking to expand its brick and mortar footprint in this environment?

Santa Barbara, CA-based Toad&Co. lives by a simple truth: People enjoy shopping and being in the store, and still want that experience. They just don’t want it to be disconnected from the rest of their purchasing journey.

“We don’t believe brick and mortar is dying,” explained Kelly Milazzo, VP of operations for Toad&Co. ”But we do believe that the consumer expects, and will soon demand, a seamless interaction with the brand.”

Here is the full article:

http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/how-make-next-generation-store-right-now-store

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

NewStore of Boston Uses Tech to Help Against Amazon

The next generation store, according to some, is fully integrated with technology.

Demandware eCommerce founder Stephan Schambach is back with a new creation that is mobile first.  Forget eCommerce, it is now all mobile all the time. Everything done on your phone.  Pay, order, delivery, all integrated for the convenience of the customer and whatever retailers or manufacturers sign up.

They just earned a big round of funding so keep an eye on them.

Read more here:

http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2017/07/18/newstore-rings-up-50m-to-help-retailers-win-mobile-influence/

Next up is some thoughts on what the next generation store looks like.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

... and Costco Tames the Amazon Beast ...

Is it possible to "Amazon Proof" your offering?

Maybe.

Maybe Costco has some lessons to teach us.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Costco's June comps show that the retailer is continuing to successfully deflect e-commerce pressure and ride strong momentum as food deflation abates.

For the forty-four weeks ended July 2, the company reported net sales of $104.28 billion, an increase of 6 percent from $98.51 billion during the similar period last year.

U.S. comparable sales in June rose 6.3%. Total worldwide comps were 6.5%.

Costco has been steadily adding locations, growing its membership base (despite fee hikes), and increasing its sales.

Here is the full story:

https://retailleader.com/costco-knows-how-be-amazon-proof

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Amazon Strikes Again ... at the Geek Squad

Best Buy took a big hit, $1B, through its technology service known as Geek Squad when Amazon announced they were launching a competitor.

Call this the Amazon Effect.  When Amazon comes in they blow the doors off the hinges.

Read on:

https://www.recode.net/2017/7/10/15947690/best-buy-stock-drop-amazon-geek-squad-competitor

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Vendor Management for the Cloud World

Cloud based services mean less in-house IT work and more vendors to deal with.

This little article caught my eye as extremely relevant in today's world.  Maybe you'll find a nugget from it that you can use.

I have tons, tons, of vendor management experience for exactly this reason.  If your company doesn't do it in-house you'll be managing a vendor.  Chances are you'll need at least one vendor to help with some competency the in-house team is lacking. If you're a startup or launching a new area in a legacy company, chances are you'll need the help of one or more vendors.

Everyone in tech can get something from this article.

Read on here:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-manage-vendors-in-a-cloud-first-world/

There is an emphasis on service level agreements in this article that is dead on. Read this entire article and think about it a bit.

You get what you pay for, no doubt.  How does the famous project management saying go?

Good.
Cheap.
Fast.
Pick any two.

Yes.  Yes indeed.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Payments Acquisitions - Vantiv Gets Worldpay

In the world of payments this is a huge deal.

How much do you ask?

$10B

No biggie if you want to be positioned for international payments in mobile and P2P and merchant services and more.

Huge news in finance tech.

Here is a piece of the story:

The transaction, valued at about $10 billion, is one of the most significant in the field since the financial crisis. Payment processing has become increasingly important for financial institutions as more people shop online and move money using cellphones or other digital devices.

Here is the full story:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/05/business/dealbook/worldpay-vantiv

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Facebook Acknowledges Election Manipulation

This is pretty enormous news in the tech world.  I think this is an existential threat to the existence of Facebook and that might be why the Zuck is travelling around the country meeting every day people.  If the Facebook marketing systems can be used in a devious way to push outcomes of Democratic elections that is ... a problem.  Now Facebook itself is stating this happened.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Without saying the words "Russia," "Hillary Clinton," or "Donald Trump," Facebook acknowledged Thursday for the first time what others have been saying for months.

In a paper released by its security division, the company said "malicious actors" used the platform during the 2016 presidential election as part of a campaign "with the intent of harming the reputation of specific political targets."

Here is the entire story:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-for-the-first-time-acknowledges-election-manipulation/

My thoughts are this fits with the pattern we continue to see in history, as I've written about previously.  Any new technological advancement will take time before all of the opportunities around that advancement can be figured out.  If nefarious uses are available folks will figure it out and begin using it to advance their interests.  There is no going back, of course, rather we must learn, acknowledge, and adjust.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

How to Use Social Influencers to Help

Keeping with the topic of social media I saw a great read on influencers and how to get their help with marketing campaigns.

In social media there are folks who act as hubs to the spokes of a tire where they have many connections and contacting them means you might be able to reach those folks as well.

Those folks are called influencers.

This article helps marketers understand how to interact with and get help from those folks.  Good read:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/69196-11-impressive-influencer-marketing-campaigns/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Daniel Wellington is a watch brand that has chosen to completely bypass traditional marketing to focus on influencers. The brand pays celebrities for sponsored posts and gifts watches to lesser-known micro-influencers. In exchange, they post photos of themselves wearing the watch, accompanied by a unique money-off code for followers.

It’s a simple formula: beautiful images of minimalistic jewellery, which serve to promote a lifestyle as well as a product. There are over 1.3m Instagram posts using the #danielwellington hashtag, with the brand’s main account amassing over 3.2m followers. 

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Facebook at 2 Billion

2 Billion.

With a B.

As in a big, Big deal.

So a third or slightly less of the world population uses Facebook in one form or another to stay in touch with others.  Kind of something to keep an eye on.

Read more here:

https://www.recode.net/2017/6/27/15880734/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-two-billion-monthly-users

I think Zuck and crew have their work cut out for them after 2016.  Their marketing tools can be used for insidious purposes and that really shook them. We'll see this come out more broadly soon I'm guessing but suffice to say it is possible to "weaponize" marketing through social media.  That certainly puts a lot of responsibility on Facebook to get it right doesn't it?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

The iPhone at 10 Years Old - It Begins

We will be seeing a bunch of these articles as the 10 year anniversary approaches.

I have one phone from each major update, including a working original iPhone.  I have the Game 4 from the 2004 ALCS MLB game between Boston and New York on it that I pull up some times.

Good little read here to see how far the smartphone has come:

https://www.cnet.com/news/using-the-2007-iphone-in-2017/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Choose Your Own Adventure Goes Digital

Do you remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books?

Pick any theme you can think of.  Pirates.  Lost Treasure.  Dragons.  Princesses.

Pick up the book, start reading, and within a few pages you were asked to make a decision.  Something like this:
"If you choose to take the red brick path turn to page 23.
Take the blue brick path instead turn to page 37."

There were always paths to put you in a straight line to disaster, and you quickly learned through repetition which ones put you on that path, and only one "best" ending, with multiple endings.  Fun and immensely re-playable.  I used "play" because it was an interactive experience, not just a reading experience.

Fun fun!

So, Netflix is in the same game now.

Yeap.  Choose Your Own Adventure for movies and TV.

Super cool!  Don't you just love digital technology in the 21st Century?

Read more here:

https://www.wired.com/story/netflix-branching-narratives/

Happy ... Choosing,

J.W. Gant

App Marketing in 2017

Great little read that should help update your (and my) understanding of how to market mobile apps today.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

In the early days of apps, life used to be so simple. You built it, released it into the app store(s), spread the word about it and waited for the downloads to roll in. That was in the days when apps were novelty items and people were still amazed at the utility and functionality that could be coded into something they could keep on their homescreen and use whenever they wanted.

Fast forward a few years – nine to be exact – and things look somewhat different. While mobile phone OS fragmentation has eased somewhat, leaving iOS and Android as virtually the last men standing, the fact remains that there are more than 2m apps in Apple’s App Store, and another 2m+ in the Google Play store.

Here is the article:

http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/app-marketing-101

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Amazon Acquires Whole Foods - What Does It Mean?

When the news broke that online retailer and all-around everything super-center Amazon was acquiring Whole Foods my instinct was to get straight to my blog.  I have thoughts on this, of course, but I also knew there would be a slew of industry leaders leaning in on this deal.  So I decided to wait a bit and gather the best articles in one place.

First, my thoughts.

Clearly Amazon wants to become more like Walmart as Walmart continues to try to be more like Amazon.

If I were to look in to the future of retail and how digital will ultimately impact it I think we'll see a new normal settled upon in the very near future.  Within that normal there will be room for all kinds of players so long as they define a clear space that differentiates them from others.  Pure online, pure mobile, pure physical retail, and everything in between will be the new reality.  The largest players will be heavy in physical AND digital, while smaller players will excel at only one or the other.

So Walmart might one day be 70/30 physical to digital and Amazon might become 30/70 physical to digital.  Something like that.  You'll still see the mom & pop shop on Main Street, and the little niche mobile-only player that gets the job done too.  Great time to be a customer huh?

The Food Marketing Institute back around 2012 was predicting roughly 10% of current Supermarket business would shift online.  Most of that, 80%, would be taken from packaged center store goods that were easily shipped and often good targets for subscription models (such as diapers).  Don't see any reason this prediction was off and that means big changes for Supermarkets across the country.  They are suddenly too large for their needs.  We should see stores removing aisles to make room for more fresh and prepared in-store options.  Combined with a robust digital presence the best Supermarket chains will survive and thrive (Wegmans).

Now to it and there is a lot of reading for you should you choose to do so.

RIS weighs in with their slew of experts:
https://risnews.com/experts-weigh-amazon-snatches-organic-grocer-whole-foods-137-billion

Re/Code tell you how to keep Amazon from swallowing your business too:
https://www.recode.net/2017/6/19/15832958/amazon-whole-foods-jeff-bezos-acquisition-aws-vendor-tips-cloud-open-source

RetailDive tells us how the war between Amazon and Walmart is accelerating:
http://www.retaildive.com/news/amazon-vs-walmart-why-the-whole-foods-deal-escalates-the-war-for-the-amer/445294/

Bloomberg tells us Amazon is after every single thing you buy (which is exactly what Walmart is after by the way):
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-06-20/amazon-s-real-target-isn-t-whole-foods-it-s-everything-you-buy

Digital Transactions tells us why Amazon is changing the checkout (payment) process with this acquisition:
http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/With-Its-Deal-for-Whole-Foods_-Amazon-Could-Usher-in-Seismic-Change-for-the-Checkout

Business Insider is always a good read and they say Walmart and Kroger (supermarket) should be terrified by this deal:
http://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-whole-foods-acquisition-should-terrify-walmart-kroger-2017-6

Finally the NRF (National Retail Federation) tells us the retail reinvention is just getting started but also cautions against the belief that traditional retail is imploding (correct):
https://nrf.com/news/retails-reinvention-story-is-just-getting-started

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Target to Incorporate Cartwheel in to their Core App

Bye bye Cartwheel.

If you aren't familiar with it, and shop at Target, you should be.  This great little experiment really opened up Target as a leader in digital interactions with customers, especially in-store.  I've also spent some time with the Cartwheel team and can say they are passionate about what they do, and do it well.

Well enough it is time to pull it up to the mothership.

Target is pulling Cartwheel in to the main Target App and will sunset Cartwheel as a stand-alone.  This was inevitable if Cartwheel were a success so I'm sure this is bitter sweet for the team.  Better for the average Target customer, to be sure.

Read on:

https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/09/target-and-cartwheel-apps-to-merge-starting-this-summer-mobile-payments-and-improved-maps-to-follow/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Walmart Combines its Credit Cards with Walmart Pay

Why not put it all together?

Get a Walmart Credit Card and instantly begin using it in store with Walmart Pay.

Cool right?

Anything that reduces friction between customers and ... buying things will be adopted.

Read on:

http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/Wal-Mart-Entices-Credit-Card-Applicants-With-Instant-Access-Via-Walmart-Pay

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0252 Google's Mobile Behaviors Analysis

Best Reading of the Day

Google is out with another excellent study that is worth your time.  Here's the title:

The Consumer Behaviors Shaping the Next Generation of Mobile Experiences

Now if that doesn't sell you on the read I ... why are you here?

No reason to quote more on this one, just go read it:

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/advertising-channels/mobile/consumer-behavior-mobile-digital-experiences/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple's WWDC 2017

The Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) Apple holds every year is an opportunity for the folks in Cupertino to showcase their software work, but has recently been a source for hardware announcements as well.

I think we are seeing the end of the big event announcements from Apple as their new products have been underwhelming year after year.

At this year's conference we saw a slew of software updates such as the new iOS as well as upgrades to hardware and Apple's first new hardware in over 2 years.

I'll capture a bit of the news and provide links for further reading.

The biggest news is a great point of focus to help us see how different Apple is under CEO Cook vs. the days under Jobs.  Cook was the supply chain guy at Apple so why should we expect great creative new product breakthroughs?  Incremental work is what you'd expect from such a leader and that's what we've seen.  Take, for example, the announcement of the Apple HomePod.  This is their competitor to the Amazon and Google devices, the Amazon Echo and Google Home, that have both been quite successful.

Apple HomePod

In the old days under Jobs Apple would have been 2nd or 3rd to the market, exactly as they've done here, but they would have taken the time to learn what works & what doesn't to provide an entry that blows away the competitors.  This device is underwhelming in every way including the name.  Only in one way does it retain the Apple method of old: its the most expensive version of such devices.  This time, however, it isn't nearly worth the price.

Anything Else?

Sure.  Updates to iOS.  An incremental set of changes to the iPad Pro that make it more like the Microsoft Surface tablets (yet still well short).  A super expensive MAC and new MacOS.

Anyway, to read on check out the folks at Re/Code.  As usual their write-up is excellent:

https://www.recode.net/2017/6/5/15740882/wwdc-2017-need-to-know-apple-ios-watchos-mac-ipad-siri

You should read this piece on why one analyst misses Steve Jobs:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/i-miss-steve-jobs-and-his-reality-distortion-field/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

The New Wave of Retailers

There is some tech news in this as well as pure retail news.

We are seeing eCommerce 2.0 happening everywhere as smaller niche players fill vaccums Amazon hasn't taken.  One is for pets.  The company's name is Chewy and they are now nearly a $1B company 5 years after launch.

Here is a snippet on that one:

The online only pet food retailer operates a 365-day 24/7 help service and offers hassle-free returns. Forbes reported in January 2017 that Chewy employed '416 of its 3,400 staffers to answer phones and texts in round-the-clock shifts'.

But its commitment to customer love is most impressive when you look beyond the numbers at how Chewy treats its customers.

Those few that receive a mistaken or damaged order are told they are welcome to donate the order to a local animal shelter and Chewy will send a new order straight away.

Read the entire story here:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/69136-six-emerging-retailers-with-effective-strategies/

A common thread in these companies is their responsiveness to the needs of their customers.  Welcome to retailing in the early 21st Century.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Watch is the Best Fitness Tracker

Well, specifically best at a couple things.  Namely heart rate and calorie burn measurements.

I can state I rely on mine for the calorie burn feature and have seen a few studies supporting this conclusion.

What you should know is some of these devices do a really poor job at this.

Read more here:

https://watchaware.com/post/20292/study-apple-watch-best-measures-heart-rate-calorie-burn

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0251 The New eCommerce

Best Reading of the Day

This great little article talks about the mid-tier eTailers and how they are filling up niches around Amazon.

Really worth taking a look at.

https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2017/05/23/meet-the-fearless-upstarts-boldly-crashing-amazons-party/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

These Mid-Market 500 companies include 43 e-retailers making their first appearances in the Top 1000 rankings. Many of the newcomers appear in the rankings after having been in business just a few years. Of the 43 newcomers, 26 are digital natives that sell exclusively online. And they’re also the fastest growers: Those 26 e-retailers increased their web sales better than 45% in 2016, versus less than 34% for the other 17 newcomers.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

When Should You Buy ... Anything?

This is really cool.

Business Insider has mapped out the time of year to buy a huge variety of products.  Basically, when are "things" at their best price?

So cool!

Check out the first month:

New furniture models come out in February, so bargains arrive in January. Keep an eye on office furniture, as retailers target entrepreneurs launching new ventures in the new tax year. With the holidays over and winter setting in, department stores lure shoppers with "white sales," making this the best time to buy linens.

Here is the full article:

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-time-to-buy-almost-anything-in-2017-2016-12/#january-1

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Too Good, Too Efficient?

Is this possible?

Have you ever used a physical typewriter before?  If so you may know a bit more than the current generations know about this question.  The old long-handed key typewriters had one problem when the first "keyboard" was laid out: it was too fast for the physical hands to keep up.  The reason the letters were jumbled up a bit in to the current version of a keyboard is because the typists were too fast on a more straight-forward set of keys and the old typewriters couldn't keep up.

Fast forward to today with modern UI work for websites, mobile apps, etc.  Can these interfaces be too fast and efficient? Is there ever a benefit to slowing down?  That is the question posed in this excellent article:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/69101-why-increasingly-efficient-ux-might-not-always-be-a-good-thing/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

A recent leader in The Economist raised my interest in the little discussed area of ‘facile externality’.

The Economist summed up the concept as follows:

"Efficiency is at the heart of progress. Yet just as too much of a good thing (travel, say) can yield a bad (congestion), so excessive ease in transactions can generate costs, known in the jargon as a “facile externality”, such that less efficiency would actually be more efficient. In academic circles…. the notion is well established that innovations which eliminate too much hassle could do society harm."

The article continues, stating that "a few companies have recognised the benefits of restoring friction. Research into “the Ikea effect”, named in honour of those happy hours spent with an Allen key, a Billy bookcase and a rising hatred of Sweden, shows that people put extra value on things when they devote their own labour to them."

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

eCommerce Surging

All Amazon all the time right?  Sure but everyone else is getting better at the game too and the numbers tell it.  I'll share one story but a couple other highlights stand out.

Wayfair.com the home furnishings company is the fastest growing retailer in the U.S.

The top 500 retailers got there by seeing their eCommerce grow 15%.

Here is Walmart really getting in the game with a 63% increase in eCommerce.  Read more here:

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/301466/walmarts-e-commerce-surges-63-as-new-strategies.html?edition=103172

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Txt Message Fiction

Yes that is a thing and is there really anything wrong with that?

Hey, so long as folks are reading it is okay with me.

What is especially cool is the way this little startup used A/B or "split" testing to develop this form of fiction.  Cool read,

https://medium.com/@prernagupta/how-we-got-10-million-teens-to-read-fiction-on-their-phones-19a2a475084c

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Three years ago, I was living in a small surf town in Costa Rica and writing my first novel, when I had a panic attack.

The novel was a sci-fi fantasy trilogy for young adults, set in Silicon Valley a hundred years in the future. I’m a tech entrepreneur, so it’s not surprising I chose this theme.

But there was something unusual about this sci-fi story — my protagonist was a dark-skinned Indian girl, like me. And that was what caused me to panic.

Would anyone read a sci-fi story with a dark-skinned, female protagonist? How was I going to convince an agent to take a book like this seriously? Would a publisher be able to find an audience for my strange story? And, do teenagers even read?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Direct to Customer With Adidas

As I've written about previously the manufacturers of today have a shot at a new golden age by crafting direct relationships with customers.

Here is how Adidas is using mobile to do exactly that:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/69086-how-adidas-uses-digital-to-enable-powerful-experiences/

Here is a snippet from the story:

According to John Mellor, the VP of Strategy and Marketing at Adobe, emotion is the currency of experience. Ultimately, this means it helps to create a stronger and more loyal connection with consumers – even inspire personal achievements and goals.

This might sound like a rather lofty notion, but when it comes to a brand like Adidas – whose core belief is to inspire individuals to harness the power of sport – it’s slightly more believable.

At Summit I also heard Adidas’s VP of digital strategy & delivery, Joseph Godsey, speak about how the brand uses digital to enable powerful experiences. Here are a few key points from what he said.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Boston Mobile Payments Company LevelUp Gets $ From Chase

Looks like Chase is very, very serious about mobile payments for physical retailers.  After first acquiring the tech from retailer owned mobile payments company MCX they then took the next step and acquired the entire company and are now pouring a few bucks in to LevelUp.

A few?  $50M few in total from multiple sources.

LevelUp specializes in quick service restaurant rewards-based mobile payments.

Here is the story:

http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2017/05/16/levelup-bags-50m-from-jpmorgan-chase-others-for-mobile-payments/#

Here is a snippet from the piece:

LevelUp’s story is one of twists and turns and ups and downs. Right now, it looks like the company is on an upswing.

Today the Boston-based mobile payments firm announced a $50 million funding round, which includes $37 million in equity funding and $13 million in debt financing, according to an e-mailed statement attributed to Alex Shuck, LevelUp’s director of marketing and analytics. Investors in this round include earlier backers JPMorgan Chase and U.S. Boston, as well as new investors such as CentroCredit Bank, according to a news release.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Strikes at eTailers

We are seeing a new wave of eCommerce as the niche players gain strength.  How mobile impacts this is an interesting and developing question.  One fellow thinks he has the answer and it is worth reading.

https://www.retail-week.com/analysis/opinion/opinion-why-mobile-will-kill-the-multi-brand-etailer/7020827.article

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The number one reason mobile threatens to disrupt multi-brand ecommerce retailers is linked to discovery, as it changes the rules and the power dynamic shifts back to direct to consumer brands considerably.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Is B&M Retail Collapsing?

Why not ask the banners that are opening countless new locations.

Yeap.

All of the doom and gloom we keep seeing in the news around brick & mortar retailers misses some important news.  Some retailers are doing exceptionally well (plus the U.S. is way, way over saturated with retail locations so much of this is just folks coming back to planet earth).

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The retail consulting firm IHL Consulting Group compiled a list of 22 retailers bucking the retail apocalypse by growing their store counts.

The list, which includes plans for nearly 3,000 new stores this year, is dominated by discount stores and grocery chains...

Here is the full article:

http://www.businessinsider.com/retailers-opening-new-stores-this-year-2017-5

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  Shoot, I just noticed I wrote a portion of my blog post almost identically to the original, before reading the entire article.  Oh well.  Brilliant minds ....

Grocery Delivery 2.0

Interesting approach:

http://www.retailleader.com/top-story-tech___logistics-coming_soon__grocery_delivery_2.0-6207.html

Here is a snippet of the news:

According to the Sacramento Bee, Instacart has teamed up with personalized nutrition service provider PlateJoy to offer same-day delivery of groceries tailored to individual nutrition requests.

That fits.  The hyper-personalization approach opens doors to anything imaginable.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Wayfair Crushes Short Sellers

As an old hand in the investment game I love a lede that says short sellers got crushed.

Love it!

The little eCommerce company that could keeps on doing.  Not so little any more.  These companies are the future of eCommerce.  Amazon is huge and getting bigger.  A few big retailers will be able to play the game too (Walmart).  The rest requires strong understanding of a particular niche.

Here is a snippet from the news:

Wayfair shares spiked Tuesday after the online furniture retailer reported better-than-expected first-quarter results.

The stock was up 23 percent as of midday Tuesday. Wayfair is one of the market's best performers this year with its shares up 79 percent year to date versus the S&P 500's 7 percent return.

Here is the full story:

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/09/short-sellers-annihilated-after-wayfair-surges-more-than-20-percent.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Where Global Ad Spending is Going

Facebook and Google.

Done.

Well, there may be a bit more to the story.  Those two account for 20%.  Huge.

Read on:

https://www.recode.net/2017/5/2/15516674/global-ad-spending-charts

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Global ad revenue is growing and the top earners are taking an increasingly bigger cut.

Google is the largest recipient of global ad revenue, taking in $79 billion in 2016, according to new data from media agency Zenith. That’s three times as much as the No. 2 biggest ad revenue recipient, Facebook, which raked in nearly $27 billion in ad revenue last year.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0250 Mobile App Marketing

Best Reading of the Day

Great article, yet again, from the folks at Google.

Never forget however they are looking to sell you something.  Don't let that stop you from reading this if you are in to mobile apps.

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/app-marketing-new-download-growth-engaged-users.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

App marketers may be flush with new downloads, but not everyone is equipped to make loyal users out of them. Ken Rudin, director of growth and analysis at Google, shares tips on how data can provide the insights needed to keep new users engaged and loyal.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Augmented Reality for HBC

I think this is very cool.

We've seen something like this in the world of Lowe's and Home Depot.  Virtual assistance on remodeling efforts or the like.

How about a personal assistant to try on beauty products, through your smart phone?

Read more:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/69016-why-beauty-brands-are-betting-on-augmented-reality/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Sephora is the latest brand to introduce AR into its app, with its ‘Virtual Artist’ feature allowing users to ‘try on’ different looks by overlaying make-up onto photos. A tutorials feature also demonstrates exactly how to achieve specific looks.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Fake News? There is a Wiki for That

Well, not exactly, but a co-founder of WikiPedia wants to make strides in this department.

One of the greatest challenges the western world faces today is "fake news" and this is mostly a technology problem.  How to solve it without stifling free speech?

Here is a bit of news:

https://www.cnet.com/news/wikipedia-jimmy-wales-wikitribune-fighting-fake-news/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Jimmy Wales is hoping the formula that made Wikipedia popular will have the same effect for battling fake news stories online.

The Wikipedia co-founder is launching "Wikitribune," an open collaboration featuring professional and community journalists as well as other contributors creating fact-checked stories for the web.

The new site seemingly is going to be different than WikiNews, the Wikimedia Foundation's free longtime crowdsourced news site. A crowdfunding campaign on Wikitribune's page Monday said enough money has already been raised to hire at least five journalists.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE** Google is updating its search engine to demote fake news:
https://www.recode.net/2017/4/25/15415428/google-updating-search-flagging-fake-news

United Airlines the Most Engaged Post on Facebook Last Week

In the realm of how not to do things we present ... United.

http://adage.com/article/digital/marketer-mvps-social-media/308648/

That headline pretty much tells you all you need to know, however, it is worth reviewing a few points.

After the "incident" on the plane where the 69 year old doctor was forcefully removed from the flight to make room for United employees, the CEO came out multiple times to defend the action and his employees.

Then the stock dropped nearly $500 Million dollars before recovering to only a $255 Million loss and suddenly the CEO changed his tune.

Hmmm.

So United could have offered every person on that plane an 8 figure option and they would have made out about the same as they did. I think there is a lesson in there for brands, somewhere, but I'm just not sure.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Comcast Teams with NBC to Battle Netflix

The online streaming wars are heating up.

Read more:

http://adage.com/article/media/comcast-plan-online-rival-netflix-nbc-shows/308616/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Comcast Corp. plans to introduce an online video service offering hit shows from its NBC Universal TV networks in the next 12 to 18 months, an effort to compete with rivals Netflix and CBS Corp., according to people familiar with the matter.

The new service will include programs from the NBC broadcast network, and could include shows from Comcast cable channels Bravo, Syfy and USA...

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Do Customers WANT to Engage With You?

This headline really caught my eye.  Plenty enough to get me to read it and so should you.

Newsflash From Big Nerd Ranch: ‘Customers Really Don’t Want To Engage With Your Brand’
Here is the story:

http://www.cmo.com/interviews/articles/2017/3/20/the-cmocom-interview-aaron-hillegass-big-nerd-ranch.html#gs.vV1TDPM

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Aaron Hillegass, founder and CEO of Big Nerd Ranch, was involved in one of the most important mergers of our lifetime: He was working at NeXT when it was purchased by Apple. Eventually, though, he left Apple to create Big Nerd Ranch, a training and consulting firm that specializes in creating mobile apps and other emerging technologies.

Nineteen of the top 25 most popular apps, such as Facebook and Spotify, were created by teams who got their training from Big Nerd Ranch. Based in Atlanta, Big Nerd develops native mobile apps and web apps for some of the world’s most respected brands, including Airbnb, Smithsonian Channel, and Nextdoor.

Hillegass is the author of three popular books on software development, including “iOS Development: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide."

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0249 Microsoft vs. Apple

Best Reading of the Day

The never ending war continues.  It is as if the novel "1984" was actually about computer wars struggling for the hearts and minds of customers everywhere (not to belittle the tragedy of war).

Great read though:

http://www.cio.com/article/3188853/it-industry/microsoft-vs-apple-strategies-change-but-the-battle-continues.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The Microsoft vs. Apple argument is getting old. At this point, it's safe to say there's enough room in the enterprise for both tech giants. Still, it's difficult to ignore when one starts to surpass the other in either enterprise or consumer popularity.

Earlier this month, Apple revealed to TechCrunch that Windows 10 is four times as popular as macOS or OS X, with 400 million estimated devices running Microsoft's OS. And earlier in 2016, Microsoft claimed that disappointment over the MacBook Pro drove sales of the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4.

Although the numbers suggest Windows 10 is more popular, it's also important to note that Windows 10 is available on more tablets and laptops than macOS or iOS, with greater options for entry-level and budget models. It's easier to own multiple Windows 10 devices on a budget, compared to Apple's smartphones, tablets and notebooks.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant