Engaging Shoppers. Driving Sales. THANKS! show appreciation to your customers

Details Matter Boost your sales by paying attention to the nitty-gritty

PERSONALIZED HOW MARKETING: DO YOU USING TECHNOLOGY AND DATA TO REALLY CUSTOMIZE THE FEEL? IN-STORE Results from EXPERIENCE our readership survey–and you didn’t hold back! 1

Volume 3, Issue 11 | NOVEMBER 2013 THE GLOBAL LEADER IN RETAIL EVENT MARKETING

Engaging People. Driving Sales. Harnessing our knowledge and experience to bring innovative performance and superior ROI to your brands.

In-store Outdoor Insights Guerrilla Marketing Street Teams Lead Generation Collegiate Events Mobile Tours Brand Ambassadors Event Staffing Retail Grand Openings Branded Vehicles Inflatables and Exhibits

Product Sampling Customer Service Measurement Demonstration Events Customer Intercept Surveys

Coupon Concierge™ Mystery Shopping Taste Tests Web Based Surveys Brand Ambassadors Receipt Surveys Brands Patrol™ Retail Audits Grand Openings Competitive Analysis Grand Re-Openings Analytics Event Staffing Marketing Strategy POP Displays Field Agents

Visit us at InteractionsMarketing.com In This Issue

The award-winning Retail News Insider offers a look at the trends, best practices and news affecting today’s retailer as it relates to engaging shoppers and Welcome Letter driving sales. From the Retail Services Team 04

From Sacramento to Shanghai, the world of shopper engagement is an ever-evolving marketplace. Our team goes inside the stories to take a look at what’s happening in your aisles as well as those across the globe. Essentials to Engagement Giving Thanks for Your Customers Retail News Insider presents data, 05 editorial and analysis in a relatable format designed to help you engage consumers and drive sales.

Editorial Director Kelly Short From the Front Lines Success is in the Details Graphic Designer 05 Natasha DiMatteo

Advertising To learn about advertising in Retail News Insider, email Market Watch: Tech Buzz [email protected]. Personalized Marketing: Using Technology and Data to Customize the In-Store 06 Experience

Global Industry News The latest in retailer news and trends 08

Visit Us Online! By the Numbers Want more Retail News Insider? Find Planning to hit the online-only exclusives, browse previous sales before midnight on issues and more by visiting us at ? Find out if you’ll 08 be in the minority or just part of the usual crowd.

www.InteractionsMarketing.com/ RetailNewsInsider A Taste of the Season Wow your taste buds and your Thanksgiving guests with this 08 homemade sauce!

3 | November 2013 | [email protected] Welcome Letter

Thank You for Your Feedback!

With each issue of Retail News Insider, it’s or encouraged your team to do so. As Thank you again for participating in our our goal to engage and educate you, our you might expect, we’d like to see a more survey and for providing such valuable feedback. valued readers, on everything from the positive trend to the latter number. If you have any further comments or feedback, latest retail trends to front-line sales tips—all email us at [email protected]. in an effort to positively affect your bottom When it comes to our articles, the good line. To help us reach those goals, we sent news is that more than 90 percent of you As always, thanks for you all you do. Have a out a brief survey in September to see rated the majority of our regular features, great month and a very Happy Thanksgiving! where we’re doing well, what features you including “Market Watch,” “Essentials to enjoy most and where we still have room to Engagement” and “From the Front Lines” as Sincerely, improve. This month, I’d like to share with being important to you. The results for some you what we found. of our back-page features were, however, a Jeff Engel little lower. Over 18 percent of you indicated Jeff Engel Of the approximately 3,800 associates we our “Taste of the Season” feature was of Senior Vice President sent the survey to, 329 of you responded. little or no importance and nearly 13 percent I was pleased to see that 77 percent of you said the same for “Global Industry News.” Retail News Insider contains information are either satisfied or very satisfied with the that is relevant to me and for my position. publication (22 percent remained neutral). It I want you to know that we are taking these How You Answered was also encouraging to see that 75 percent results and your individual suggestions for 70.5% of you feel Retail News Insider strengthens improvements under careful consideration. Agree your connection to the company and 79 As we do so, we’d like to get more feedback percent either agree or strongly agree it has on the topics you would most like to see 23.5% improved your awareness of retail trends added to next year’s Retail News Insider. We Not sure and best practices. received a variety of suggestions in response to the initial survey, but many fell into three There were some areas, however, where main categories: expanded company news, 4.4% the results showed greater room for professional development and international Disagree improvement. For example, while 71 stories. Of these three, we’d love to hear Our goal for 2014 is to fill this chart with “agrees.” Let us percent of you agreed or strongly agreed what piques your interest the most. Please click know how we can do that by visiting our website and voting on what topics you would most like to see covered next year. that the publication contains information here to vote now—and make your voice count! relevant to your position, only 45 percent of you reported having put one of the sales tips Be sure to visit our website at www.interactionsmarketing.com/ included in the publication into practice— retailnewsinsider for some helpful Workday hints from the HR team and to vote in this month’s poll! The U.S. Retail Team

Jeff Engel Shari Robinson Deborah Michaels Denise Decker Tonya Alter LeAnne Heckenlaible Steve Glock Senior Vice President Vice President Senior Director Senior Business Account Executive Business Manager Business Manager Manager 4 | November 2013 | [email protected] Essentials to Engagement

Giving Thanks for Your Customers

With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away To further strengthen your connection, All of this not only helps you develop and the official holiday shopping season try to remember and comment on these an ongoing, positive relationship with starting the very next day (or even late details for regular customers you see week customers, it also helps create loyal Thanksgiving night!), it’s the start of a very after week. This can help your customers customers for our retail partners. And when busy time in the retail world. There will be come to see you as a friend and your our retail partners succeed, we succeed! lots of promotions for Sales Advisors to product recommendations as personalized, play up on to capture customers’ attention trusted advice. and boost sales, but this month is also a good time to reinforce our gratitude for the customers we engage and the retailers we From the Front Lines work with every day. Quality customer service is becoming ever Success is in more important in the retail industry as competition increases for consumers’ hard the Details earned dollars. Sales Advisors are in the perfect position to not only deliver superior As a former Sales Advisor recently service during every interaction, but also turned Event Coordinator, Dorie to develop a rapport with customers that DenBesten understands in-store keeps them coming back for more. events inside and out. From her perspective, the secret to success One of the simplest ways you can do this as comes down to paying attention to a Sales Advisor is to thank each and every the details from the moment you start customer you talk with—whether they your shift to the very end. sample or buy your product or not. Being polite and offering your sincere thanks “Start with a well-organized cart,” makes customers feel valued. In turn, this Event Coordinator Dorie DenBesten says Dorie. “Make sure you have makes it more likely they will come back to everything you’ll need to get through your station in the future to see if you have make another batch. Let them know the day, like cups, forks, napkins and something they may be interested in. when the samples will be ready and paper towels. Also, when setting up invite them back.” your cart with product, don’t be afraid Another good strategy for showing your to add extra. If your event calls for appreciation for and interest in your The devil is in the details up to the two flavors, but the vendor sells five, customers is making an effort to engage very end, says Dorie. “When you show all five. A customer might not in meaningful conversations. Go beyond go on break, make sure your cart is like what you are serving, but would the simple “how are you doing today” clean and full. We want to promote be willing to buy a different flavor.” and show customers you are interested the product at all times. That includes in them as individuals. For example, ask the last hour you are there. We still “Throughout the day, stay positive about their Thanksgiving plans or favorite need to look and feel like we just and keep smiling,” she adds. “If you holiday treats. Or, for parents with children opened for business up until the very run out of samples, continue to smile in tow, talk to and ask about their little ones. last sample!” and greet your customers as you

5 | November 2013 | [email protected] Market Watch: Tech Buzz

PERSONALIZED MARKETING: USING TECHNOLOGY AND DATA TO CUSTOMIZE

THE IN-STORE 1 EXPERIENCE

By Retail News Insider

If the importance of personalization hasn’t “Personalized marketing seeks to meet Whether integrated into an omnichannel hit you yet, consider this your wake up call. consumers’ demands to be separated from strategy or used on their own, mobile the masses and recognized for their unique apps are another powerful platform for “Not only do I like getting offers that are needs and wants,” says Giovanni DeMeo, personalized marketing. Retailers have personalized just for me, I expect it. I don’t Interactions’ Vice President of Global already responded to the growing number want to be bothered with ads from retailers Marketing and Analytics. “With the help of of shoppers using smartphones and other who don’t know my preferences. If you’re Big Data and cutting-edge technologies like digital devices in-store by designing apps sending me offers for things that have no real-time and predictive analytics, retailers to push ads, item location within stores relevance in my life, that scream you don’t can now deliver on these expectations— and special offers to consumers via these know me, you are wasting my time.” This and in the process, further transform the devices. Typically, these are based on quote from a recent conversation with in-store experience.” previous purchase or basic demographic U-T San Diego Retail Reporter Katherine information. But the real leaders in the Poythress reflects what many millennials Personalization forces retailers to progress industry are pulling to the front of the pack and other shoppers across generations are beyond the shotgun approach of the past, by integrating predictive analytics and craving. They want you to get personal. where every consumer received the same modeling with their mobile offers. coupon, flyer and email regardless of his or While you may think it is not possible or her unique characteristics or buying habits. practical to personally know each shopper who enters a store or each individual Personalization is a key element of an “Although we’re not at the who approaches an event, the technology omnichannel approach, where retailers that is available now is quickly making are able to capture information, including point where every single this a reality. These technologies, and the browsing and purchase habits, from all message is personalized, topics that have been covered in issues of channels. They can then use this information Retail News Insider throughout this year, to provide targeted communications and we’re moving in that are the conduits to the next evolution of customized offers for individual consumers direction.” personalized marketing. They will give via multiple channels (such as email, social retailers the advantage that is essential media and in stores) that recognize and –Giovanni DeMeo, Interactions’ Vice President to meeting consumers’ needs for a build upon each consumer’s interaction of Global Marketing and Analytics personalized experience while also aiming with the retailer or brand at all levels. to positively affect sales. 6 | November 2013 | [email protected] Today’s predictive tools enable retailers and be of interest based on the individual user’s The customized service itself may be enough advertisers to go beyond backward-looking typical shopping behavior and/or predicted to incentivize some shoppers. Others, analyses and send customized marketing buying habits. This can also help recapture however, may be swayed by targeted communications based on individual a potential lost sale—for example, if a discounts, perks that make shopping easier behavioral patterns that indicate what a shopper spends more time in a certain area, like enhanced store navigation or features consumer’s future purchases will likely be, indicating some hesitation on whether that save time, like the ability to instantly even if those items appear to be completely to buy. order an out of stock item for home delivery unrelated. For example, data mining may the next day at the same price. reveal that shoppers who buy a certain Not all personalized marketing methods brand of pet food are also more likely to rely on consumers to provide part of the “Although we’re not at the point where purchase paper towels during the same technology being used. Some cosmetics every single message is personalized, shopping trip. Discovering this connection companies have started using interactive we’re moving in that direction,” says would then allow retailers to cross-promote displays that allow shoppers to “try on” DeMeo. As such, personalized marketing the two seemingly unrelated items makeup virtually. Facial recognition is quickly becoming a must-have instead or advertise to target a previously software determines how a particular of a nice-to-have. By evolving to deliver untapped audience. product and shade will look on an individual a more customized and individualized shopper based on her skin tone, eye and marketing, retailers stand not only to meet Layering in additional data and applying hair color and other factors. These displays the demands of an ever more powerful carefully crafted predictive models may then deliver targeted advertisements customer base—but also to revolutionize further reveal when a targeted offer is and special offers based on a user’s the in-store experience as a whole. most likely to push a consumer to buy and customized results. what type of promotion he or she will best respond to. For example, some shoppers “In the near future, these displays might may be more likely to act on—and integrate voice recognition and talk directly therefore receive—buy-one-get-one offers with the consumer, further personalizing the MARKET WATCH on weekends, while others receive cents-off message and even helping the consumer 2013 CALENDAR coupons on weekdays. locate and pick out the product in-store,” The World of Big Data: says DeMeo. With greater advancements JANUARY Reshaping the Retail in technology, experts also believe such Landscape platforms could be expanded to link to FEBRUARY Marketing to Millennials: other databases detailing Internet browsing Retail Buzz Engaging Digital Natives history, social media presence and other elements of big data—and potentially even MARCH Futurists: Predicting the New Retail Buzz Vision of Retail pinpoint individual identities. This would allow for even greater personalization in APRIL The Showrooming Effect: marketing messages. Retail Buzz Is All Shopping Going Cyber?

As much as this last example highlights the Predictive Analytics: The New M AY power of data and the incredible potential of Retail Currency personalized marketing, it also exposes one Social Media Marketing: of its biggest challenges: avoiding the “creep” JUNE Harnessing the Power of the factor that can result when personalization People crosses too close to privacy invasion. However, The Mobile Moment: this challenge can be overcome. JULY Satisfying Shoppers’ Appetite for Apps

For starters, retailers have to build a Omnichannel Retailing: basic level of trust by making it clear to AUGUST Capturing the Connected consumers exactly what information they Customer are collecting and why. They also need to SEPTEMBER Surviving Extinction: Taking Some retailers are taking things one step give consumers the choice of whether to Tech Buzz Checkout Into the Digital Age further by incorporating in-store tracking participate—for example, by only offering into their mobile apps. When a shopper the service to shoppers who deliberately Consumer-Centric Pricing: OCTOBER Adapting to the Shifting launches the retailer’s app, the app can opt-in (such as by downloading an app). Tech Buzz then tap into the GPS and/or WiFi sensors “To convince shoppers to opt-in, retailers Control of Retail in the shopper’s mobile device and follow and brands have to build loyalty with them Personalized Marketing: his or her movements inside the store. As and offer a clear value,” says Abhi Beniwal, NOVEMBER Using Technology and Data real-time data is collected about shoppers’ Interactions’ Senior Vice President of Tech Buzz to Customize the In-Store Experience movements, retailers can push timely and Global IT. relevant offers for nearby items that might Holiday Shopping: Big Data’s DECEMBER Big Predictions

Past Issues 7 | November 2013 | [email protected] By the Global Industry News Numbers • With food prices expected to double in the next 20 years, 85 The number of current percent of shoppers worldwide plan to change their spending 21.5 habits. In Europe, 35 percent plan to purchase more private- military veterans label brands, while in South Africa, 80 percent plan to cut back Million on discretionary items, like cookies, candy and soda. The weight in pounds –The Nielsen Company of the average • Diet sodas sales for the 3 largest U.S. brands have gone on a 15 Thanksgiving turkey diet in 2013, dropping nearly 7 percent. Experts predict sales could drop as much as 20 percent by 2020, due in large part The percentage of to consumer concerns about artificial sweeteners. –Food Navigator Black Friday shoppers 28% who arrive at stores • In-store mobile apps are gaining in popularity in the U.K., before midnight with 46 percent of smartphone users and 62 percent of tablet users reporting they’ve used their devices to research in-store The number of gallons purchases. –Deloitte 5.1 of cranberry sauce eaten Million each year A Taste of the Season:

Ditch the can opener and wow your Thanksgiving guests with Cranberry this delicious homemade cranberry sauce! Orange Sauce Adapted from Pillsbury.com INGREDIENTS: 1 bag (12 oz.) fresh 1/4 c. water 1 1/3 c. 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tbsp. finely shredded 1/4 c. orange-flavored orange peel liqueur or orange juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a 4-quart saucepan, mix cranberries, sugar, orange peel, water and lemon juice. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until juices start to flow and sugar is dissolved. 2. Cover saucepan, increase heat to medium and simmer 6 to 8 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop. 3. Remove from heat and stir in liqueur or orange juice. 4. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until completely cooled.

Interactions U.S. Retail Division

8 | November 2013 | [email protected]