Macy's, Kohl's Lose as Amazon Wins

And the winner is?

Amazon.

Again and again and again.

Macy's just announced store closings and layoffs.  Sears is continuing to lose, huge, and Kohl's saw its stock drop as their holiday sales missed expectations (hopes).

Good piece by NBC News on this:

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/department-stores-are-paying-price-underestimating-amazon-n703596

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Industry observers blame online competition, as well as department store brands' own shortfalls in adapting to a fundamental shift in consumer behavior.

"For both retailers, the consistent themes of the shortfalls are weak traffic between Black Friday and Christmas," Goldman Sachs analyst Lindsay Drucker Mann wrote...

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

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

Macy's and New World Retail

A couple of stories about Macy's are worth looking at.  I've been following their work as a digital leader in retail.  Their physical stores aren't doing tremendously well though.

Here is news on that front:

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/macy-s-cut-thousands-jobs-major-restructuring-n491556

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Department store Macy's announced Wednesday it will cut thousands of jobs and close some stores as part of restructuring to trim costs and reverse what it called "disappointing 2015 sales and earnings."

Here is a great little story that puts their overall efforts in to perspective:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/macys-spurs-omnichannel-push-as-broad-physical-retail-contraction-looms

Here is a snippet from that piece:

With Macy’s online sales growing at a brisk pace during the recent holiday shopping season while in-store sales contracted even more than expected, the retailer is scaling back its bricks-and-mortar business and reinvesting the savings to accelerate its omnichannel strategy in 2016.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Macy's Bluetooth In-Store Game

Now this is cool!

I once worked to put together a QR Code based scavenger hunt for a trade-show event, enabled through the event app in the mobile devices of the attendees.  This takes is to a much higher level.

Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/macys-peps-up-black-friday-shopping-via-beacon-triggered-mobile-game

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Macy’s keen grasp of mobile’s significant role for Thanksgiving weekend shoppers is evident from a new in-store contest leveraging beacon technology, a focus on Pinterest for showcasing deals and a mobile-enabled shopping list.

The retailer, long a leader in mobile shopping, is offering in-store shoppers multiple chances to win prizes by playing the mobile enabled Macy’s Black Friday Walk In and Win game, which is triggered by beacons. Additionally, shoppers can get a sneak peak at Black Friday specials on the Macy’s Pinterest page and build a shopping list from their mobile phones on Macys.com that they can shop from directly on Thanksgiving Day.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

eCommerce by Macy's and Wal-Mart

Two stories show the rapidly heating up environment of eCommerce and how traditional brick & mortar players are moving in to the space. These stories follow the recent news of Jet.com launching publicly and even more news from Alibaba.  Very hot area.

First is news of Macy's expanding its same-day delivery service.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/22/us-macys-delivery-idUSKCN0PW14U20150722

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Macy's Inc (M.N) is expanding same-day delivery to several new U.S. markets this summer, one of the most aggressive pushes by a brick-and-mortar retailer in an area dominated by e-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN.O), according to a Macy's official.

Macy's, the nation's largest department store chain, already offers same-day delivery services in eight markets. By partnering with Deliv, an Uber-like startup that uses a fleet of contract drivers to pick up online orders from stores and malls, the retailer has found a cost-effective way to expand, said the Macy's official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Next is news of Wal-Mart opening a huge fulfillment center for its eCommerce capabilities:

http://supermarketnews.com/online-retail/walmart-opens-new-e-commerce-facility

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Wal-Mart Stores on Wednesday held opening ceremonies for a dedicated e-commerce fulfillment facility in Bethlehem, Pa.

The 1.2-million-square-foot center is part of a “next-generation” network to support Walmart’s rapidly growing e-commerce business. It features state-of-the-art automation and warehousing systems. Combined with another facility nearby, Walmart’s centers are expected to generate nearly 1,000 new jobs over the next few years.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Target News and Social Media Including Macy's

A couple of stories around Target have captured my eye today.  First is news of further layoffs as the company refines its strategy towards a new more digitally focused approach:

http://www.canadiangrocer.com/worth-reading/target-eliminates-140-jobs-in-latest-round-of-cuts-54685

Here is a snippet from that piece:

The retailer Target is cutting another 140 jobs at its headquarters and eliminating 50 other unfilled jobs.

The Minneapolis-based company says it is trying to simplify and streamline its organization.

Next is a great read comparing & contrasting Target and Macy's in social media:

http://risnews.edgl.com/retail-news/Mapping-the-Social-Media-Network--Target-vs--Macy-s100656

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Like Target, Macy's also has a big brand hub-and-spoke pattern, but, in contrast, it features a larger population of "isolates" — suggesting higher brand awareness for Macy's over Target. While the Target network is almost 40% larger than the Macy's network, Macys has a larger fraction of isolated participants (21% versus 10%). It has also attracted a handful of successful brand champions who have developed significant audiences of their own which responds to their mentions of Macys.

Is this the Age of the Customer?  Yup.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

The Macy's Mobile Wallet Grows

Macy's continues to make excellent strides with its mobile wallet showing there is plenty of room in the burgeoning space.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/macys-boosts-promotional-strategy-on-mobile-with-wallet-enhancement

Here is a snippet from the piece:

In reflection of how valuable mobile wallet users are, Macy’s is enhancing its own wallet, which was introduced last year, so as to better guarantee its place on shoppers’ smartphones in an increasingly crowded space.

Macy’s is enhancing its digital wallet with an eye toward reducing shopper dependence on paper coupons while boosting the retailer’s ability to optimize its marketing efforts.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0183 Macy's Restructuring

Just over a week after Macy's won mobile retailer of the year the company is in the news again for its omnichannel efforts.  14 stores will close, 2 stores will open, 150 people will be hired for digital in San Francisco, and more.

These two takes are quite different on this story and both are worth reading.

First is 'Internet Retailer' with this headline:

Macy’s steps up its online investments

https://www.internetretailer.com/2015/01/08/macys-steps-its-online-investments

Next is 'Chain Store Age' with this headline:

Macy's restructuring: 14 store closures, thousands of layoffs, perhaps an off-price focus

http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/macys-restructuring-14-store-closures-thousands-layoffs-perhaps-price-focus

Here is a snippet from that first piece:

Macy’s Inc. announced today that it will merge its online and store merchandising marketing teams, hire 150 more employees for its digital center in San Francisco, close 14 stores while opening two new ones, and trim the number of workers in each store.

"Our business is rapidly evolving in response to changes in the way customers are shopping across stores, desktops, tablets and smartphones,” says chairman and CEO Terry J. Lundgren.” We must continue to invest in our business to focus on where the customer is headed—to prepare for what's next."

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

In-Store Pickup Issues, Walmart Gift Card Program, and Macy's Award

Hello Everyone,

I hope 2014 has been a great year for you.  This will be my final research post of the year.

First up is an interesting study on in-store pickup issues.  Seems the checkout process is considerably longer when performing in-store pickup, vs. store shoppers who've done their own picking.  This matches my own experience recently at Best Buy.  After waiting more than the requested time to come to the store my order still wasn't ready so they sent the picker off to find and fulfill my order.  He couldn't locate the product.  After watching him wander around for a few minutes I went directly to the location I expected it would be at and found it on the shelf.  Seems the real problem for pickers is the lack of familiarity with products, each store having tens of thousands of SKUs. Whereas the customer knows exactly what they are looking for.

Here is the story:

http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/study-store-pickup-offers-slower-checkout

Next up is a Walmart gift card trade-in program they've recently launched.  Trade in cards from other retailers for Walmart credit.

http://www.progressivegrocer.com/departments/technology/walmart-launches-gift-card-exchange

Finally is the award to Macy's for best in mobile 2014.  They've earned it in my estimation.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/macys-is-2014-mobile-retailer-of-the-year

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Macy's and Target Omnichannel in the News

Two days in a row for Macy's.  Then again, they displaying a ton of activity over there in this space.

The CFO at Macy's made news by stating their recent efforts in omnichannel provide a differentiating capability for the retailer:

http://multichannelmerchant.com/news/macys-sees-omnichannel-day-offerings-competitive-advantage-13112014/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

In its third quarter earnings call this week, Macy’s Chief Financial Officer Karen Hoguet told analysts the company’s retail network gives it an advantage in the ever-more-crowded same-day delivery sweepstakes, as well as in omnichannel fulfillment.

“I think our store footprint gives us a huge advantage, given where the Macy stores are located and the technology that we have built and have in place to utilize our stores to fulfill internet orders,” Hoguet said on the call.

Target has made another acquisition and this one points directly to an in-store personalization strategy by Target.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/target-ramps-up-in-store-personalization-on-mobile

Here is a snippet from that piece:

In a reflection of the growing importance of mobile-powered in-store shopping experiences, Target has acquired Powered Analytics, a startup that focuses on personalizing in-store shopping through mobile technology, location data and predictive analytics.

The Pittsburgh, PA-based Powered Analytics offers a platform called Fabric that promises to bring an Amazon-like shopping experience into physical stores.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Macy's and Kohl's OmniChannel in the News

Two brief stories on Retail Information Systems caught my eye.

First is news of Macy's working with Google for direct product results through Google Search.

http://risnews.edgl.com/retail-news/Macy-s-Launches-Google-Product-Search96371

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Beginning this month, Macy's shoppers can now Google search for an item on their phone and see what's in-stock at the closest Macy's location. The search will provide a product image with details such as color, size, price, store location information, and directions to the store and a link to the item on Macy's website. The platform works with Google's proximity marketing platform in an effort to drive sales in stores and online during the biggest shopping season of the year.

Next is news from Kohl's on how they are opening their supply chain for omnichannel needs:

http://risnews.edgl.com/retail-news/Kohl-s-Overhauls-Merchandising,-Inventory-and-Pricing-Systems96482

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Kohl’s is transforming many of its core retail operations to accommodate recent growth and ensure that both its store and online shopping experiences reflect the unique preferences of consumers, no matter where they live and shop.

Kohl’s has recently overhauled its core merchandising, inventory, and pricing operations with the launch of a new Oracle Retail Merchandise Operations Management solution, allowing the retailer to coordinate a unified system of record for inventory to better serve customers across channels, and to simplify its business user experience.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0165 Google's Views on Omnichannel

Google Research is out with a couple pretty good pieces: an article and an infographic.

The research article can be found here:

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/3-new-realities-of-local-retail.html

Here is a snippet from that piece:

The relationship between digital and local stores is changing—something we learned from our new Digital Impact on In-Store Shopping study, commissioned from Ipsos MediaCT and Sterling Brands. From it, we identified three new realities of retail: digital drives in-store traffic; smartphones are in-store shopping assistants and varied shopping habits call for a holistic approach to measuring retail success. Savvy retailers are learning how to reach customers by better connecting the online to the offline and by caring less about where a sale happens and more about how to help shoppers convert. Some brands, such as Macy's, REI and Sephora, are already doing so. Find out how.

The infographic can be found in this article:

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/how-digital-connects-shoppers-to-local-stores.html

I see nothing ground breaking here as the summary states what we've mostly come to believe in retail the last couple of years.  The rules have changed and the traditional brick & mortar retailer must change with the changing times.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  For another real-world example of this thinking in action look to Starbucks:
http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/how-starbucks-is-leveraging-mobile-to-drive-holiday-foot-traffic

MS Windows 10, Beacons, PayPal, and the New York Times

Quite a few pieces of news.

First is word on the next iteration of Windows, dubbed "Windows 10" by Microsoft recently (yes they jumped from Windows 7 to 8 to ... 10).  I'm on record saying Microsoft badly handled the advent of tablets with Windows 8, leaving desktop users and the Enterprise out of consideration.  Here is a good article on Windows 10:

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/windows-10-undoes-the-disaster-of-windows-8-mostly-98835840904.html?src=rss

Next is news on eBay spinning off PayPal.  Looks like the move to integrate PayPal with Samsung TouchID technology spurred Apple to kick PayPal out of Apple Pay.  The NYT is stating Apple Pay is changing retail permanently.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/technology/apple-pay-signals-new-era-at-cash-register.html

Beacons are in the news again in a few ways.

Beacons deliver for Marriott Hotels:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/235116/beacons-deliver-local-perks-at-marriott.html?edition=76551

Shopkick is acquired:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/shopkick-acquired-amid-growing-importance-for-beacon-enabled-shopping

Macy's doing much more than just Beacons:

http://risnews.edgl.com/retail-news/Macy-s-Rollout-Goes-Beyond-Beacons95568

Facebook has added the ability to purchase items directly from your news feed.  As someone who cut back to weekly or monthly visits to Facebook I view this as one more bad idea from Facebook.

http://www.mobilepaymentsinsider.com/2014/09/26/facebook-adds-buy-button-to-news-feed/

Finally is a bit about the continuing problems traditional printed news is having. The New York Times is laying off staff to cut costs.

http://recode.net/2014/10/01/the-new-york-times-app-plan-isnt-working-so-its-laying-off-staff/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0152 Macy's Back for More

Macy's is a company I have identified as a leader in omnichannel efforts.  Their work in mobile, in-store experience, online, loyalty, and more continues to lead retail forward.

Last week Apple announced Apple Pay and stated Macy's would be a part of the initial wave of retailers to accept this new payment mechanism.

We have more news from Macy's this week.  They are expanding their beacon usage through Shopkick and much more:

http://chainstoreage.com/article/macy%E2%80%99s-unveils-new-omnichannel-initiatives?ad=technology

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Macy’s Inc. is launching a large number of omnichannel strategies and technologies encompassing stores, online and mobile. In addition to supporting the new Apple Pay mobile payment system, the department store retailer’s new moves include piloting same-day delivery, testing new POS technology and customer service enhancements, and expanding its use of RFID to fashion categories.

Mobile Commerce Daily has a story on Macy's firing back at the Amazon Fire product photo capability:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/macys-significant-omnichannel-push-includes-showroom-busting-image-search-app

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Macy’s is the latest retailer to fire back at Amazon with its own image recognition mobile application designed to simplify searching for items on its ecommerce site by submitting a photo of an item from daily life.

They remain a company to follow in the world of omnichannel retailing.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE** Macy's, along with Sears and Nordstrom, have been named digital retail "geniuses".
http://www.retailonlineintegration.com/article/sears-a-digital-retail-genius/1

Macy's Digital Wallet

Big news for you if you are a loyal shopper of Macy's.  Their new digital wallet looks like a tremendous leap forward to true omnichannel capability.

Read a brief story on it here:

http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/macys-offers-digital-wallet-option-7850439?src=rss/fashion/

Here is the official Macys.com introduction:

http://www.macys.com/m/campaign/splash/wallet/faq

Here is a snippet from that piece:

My Wallet allows you to manage payment options, Macy's deals & promotions and more. You can use it when you shop on macys.com or with your Macy's Credit Card in your local Macy's store.

When signed in to your Macy's profile, choose My Wallet from the left navigation menu and follow the instructions.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0078 Retail Death Spiral

Karen Webster over on pymts.com has an analysis on physical retail stores and the impact eCommerce is having and will continue to have on those stores:

http://www.pymnts.com/briefing-room/acquiring/merchant-solutions/2014/the-coming-physical-retail-death-spiral

Here is a snippet from that article:

It’s the 1950’s, and the birth of the shopping mall. Before then, all shopping was done at local merchants. Malls changed all of that, making the shopping experience efficient (lots of stores under one roof), social (it was something women and friends and families did together) and fun (there was lots to do). All shopping was done in physical stores and, increasingly, away from the local merchant scene that had defined retail for centuries.

In 1999, five years after the launch of Amazon.com and the year in which Jeff Bezos was namedTime magazine’s Person of the Year, eCommerce accounted for only 0.5 percent of retail sales. Even today, with the diffusion of the Internet and mobile devices, eCommerce accounts for less than 6 percent of all sales, but it’s growing rapidly.
Happy reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Stores Roll Out iBeacons

POST NUMBER 100

I missed it as it was happening.  This was post #100, a mere 8 months after launching this blog.  Hope you have enjoyed the reading and found it to be valuable at times.

Now back to regularly scheduled programming...

Apple Stores Roll Out iBeacons

According to reporting by the Associated Press (AP) Apple will turn on iBeacon technology in all of its 254 retail stores today.

Using the iBeacon feature, the app will notify you if the computer you ordered is ready to be picked up, for example. Show a clerk your screen with the order number, and the clerk will get it for you. Walking by an iPhone table? You may get a message asking if you want to upgrade, check your upgrade availability and see if you can get money for trading in your old phone.

ABC has the AP story here:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/apple-guides-shoppers-inside-stores-ibeacon-21120351

This will be worth following in the days to come.  If you have the opportunity to pop in to an Apple store this weekend be sure to download the "Apple Store App" from the app store and enable Bluetooth.

Here are several more stories on the subject:

http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/06/apple-ibeacons-u-s-retail-apple-store/

apple-stores-fire-up-ibeacon-to-track-you-while-you-shop/

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2013/12/06/apple-stores-fitted-ibeacon-transmitters-us-optional-store-notifications/

Also we have our first glimpse of the Shopkick beacons to be used in Macy's:

Happy reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0035 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

The latest iteration of Bluetooth technology goes by a few names:

• Bluetooth 4.0
• Bluetooth Smart
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

Now two companies are referring to it as "Beacon" technology.  Actually Apple is calling it iBeacon but that is pretty much the same thing.  PayPal is working on Beacon technology as well.  What is Bluetooth and what is BLE?

Bluetooth is a wireless technology for exchanging information over short distances.  This is similar to Near_Field_Communication but is now available in most phones on the planet in one form or another.

A key strength of Bluetooth relative to NFC is the range of functionality.  This has also been an area of weakness as Bluetooth commonly drew heavily on battery power and raised security concerns.  With Bluetooth Low Energy, a subset of Bluetooth 4.0, these concerns seem to have been addressed.

PayPal - Beacon

The eBay owned payments company has publicly announced plans for an in-store payment mechanism using BLE.  Here is an excellent article on the subject, though the title quite overstates the case:

http://www.internetretailer.com/2013/09/12/paypal-and-apple-drop-mobile-payments-bombshells

Here is a snippet from that article:

“PayPal Beacon opens the door to a fundamentally different way to use technology to make shopping more valuable and more personal for consumers and retailers,” says David Marcus, president of PayPal, which is owned by eBay Inc. “We challenged ourselves to find a better experience than swiping a credit card. We figured the only better way to pay would be to do nothing. Just walk in a store, and, like magic, when you’re ready to pay, money is transferred securely. No wallet. No card. Nothing to do. Not even touching your phone.”

Apple - iBeacon

Apple's announcement of iOS 7 very quietly pointed to iBeacon.  The September 10 keynote made no mention of the technology.  However, it may become something as big or bigger than the features and functionality highlighted in those announcements.  This article speaks well to Apple and how this decision completes the company's dumping on NFC:

http://gigaom.com/2013/09/10/with-ibeacon-apple-is-going-to-dump-on-nfc-and-embrace-the-internet-of-things/

Here is a snippet from that article:

Using Bluetooth Low Energy(BLE), iBeacon opens up a new whole dimension by creating a beacon around regions so your app can be alerted when users enter them. Beacons are a small wireless sensors placed inside any physical space that transmit data to your iPhone using Bluetooth Low Energy (also known as Bluetooth 4.0 and Bluetooth Smart).

For example, imagine you walk into a mall with an iPhone 5s (comes with iOS 7 and iBeacon). You are approaching a Macy’s store, which means your iPhone is entering into Macy’s iBeacon region. Essentially iBeacon can transmit customized coupons or even walking directions to the aisle where a particular item is located. It can prompt a customer with special promotions or a personalized messages and recommendations based on their current location or past history with the company. 

NFC and iBeacon

One more article speaks to this subject and is also worth reading:

http://www.retail-week.com/

Here is a snippet from that article:

NFC may yet take off with or without Apple - most other mobile devices on the market contain the technology. But having Apple on board would certainly make things easier for NFC’s proponents.

Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at Ovum says: “Apple still doesn’t have NFC in its phones, which is how other device vendors have supported payments, and it looks like it won’t anytime soon.”

Excellent reading overall.  I hope you will take the time to scan through all 3 articles.

Final Thoughts

The mobile internet is in its infancy.  The changes we are seeing are going to continue and are going to impact the way we do things every day, often every moment of every day.  Mobile payments is coming, the so-called "internet of things" is also coming (more on that later).  This past week we learned a bit about what the next few years will look like (iBeacon, M7 chip, Touch ID), and what it won't look like (NFC).

Have a great weekend.

Happy reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE**

This article is a good addition to the above reading list on the topic.

Why Apples Indoor GPS Plan is Brilliant

Happy reading.

**UPDATE #2**

Third party vendors are working on solutions to provide "beacons":
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1518059

**UPDATE #3**

EConsultancy has some information on how marketers can use iBeacon technology:
http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/63633-a-marketer-s-guide-to-ibeacons-and-bluetooth-low-energy

**UPDATE #4**

Aisle411 is using beacon technology for in-store mapping:
aisle411-partners-estimote-indoor-retail-mapping

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0033 Macy's Game Advertising

Mobile Commerce Daily has a brief article on a recent advertising campaign by Macy's using a game combined with advertising, and more.  Ads ran with the Pandora iPhone app:

The copy for the ad read, “Play this game while you listen to music.” Below, a banner indicates that the game is sponsored by Macy’s.

When consumers clicked on the ad, a landing page brought up a picture of clothes next to the retailer’s famous star logo.

The landing page also features a box where consumers were required to type in the word associated with the picture in 30 seconds. The correct answer for the word was “Macy’s.”

Here is the complete article:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/macy%E2%80%99s-gamifies-mobile-commerce-efforts-via-interactive-ads

Happy reading,

J.W. Gant