Shift Happens
Think for a moment about all the radical shifts we are experiencing in this age of digital disruption…
The shift from largely siloed experiences to those that are cross-channel and demand well-harmonized integration.
The shift from going online to living online.
The shift from traditional media consumption to a mostly digital-first model.
The shift from the best location being a well situated and designed brick-and-mortar store to it being wherever our customer happens to be with their smartphone.
The shift from being weapons of mass consumption and disposable fashion to more conscious consumerism.
The shift from highly intentional shopping to more spontaneous and impulsive buying.
The shift from isolated customer journeys to those that are deeply connected.
The shift from brands being in control to empowered consumers who are increasingly dictating their requirements.
The shift from merchandising strategies of piling it high and watching it fly to the endless aisle and more intelligent curation.
The shift from one-size-fits-all, batch, blast, and hope marketing to highly personalized interactions and precisely targeted offerings.
The shift from marketers’ push to consumers’ pull.
The shift from wanting ever more stuff to desiring memorable experiences.
The shift from getting by with merely good enough to the need to become truly remarkable.
And on and on.
Confronted with these profound shifts, the tendency of many organizations is to go on the defensive. Overwhelmed by the shifting tides—and afraid to take risks in a fast-moving and highly uncertain environment—they circle the wagons to fight the changes, defend the status quo, or develop plans to merely soften the blow.
But survival is not enough.
This post is an edited excerpt from my new book Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Digital Disruption available for pre-order at Amazon, most other major booksellers and remarkable independent stores like Powell Books.
Hope and Fear
It's hard to imagine a time filled with more fear and less certainty. Our daily routines are now anything but. Markets are in turmoil and job losses are mounting. Some of the businesses and organizations we love edge ever closer to the precipice and there is a growing...
Curbside Enthusiasm: Retailers Adapt In A Time Of Crisis
Confronted with the escalating coronavirus crisis—and the shockingly dramatic sales declines many brands are experiencing—companies need to re-think their ways of doing business. In some cases, these new efforts are in direct response to the specific challenges posed...
The Coronavirus Will Accelerate Retail’s ‘Collapse Of The Middle’
For retailers struggling with failing consumer value propositions, the coronavirus pandemic could not have struck at a worse time. Just as many are running out of meaningful cost reduction moves and are in desperate need of profitable top-line growth (and the cash it...
"The Store Operations Council enjoyed every minute of Steve Dennis's presentation on retail's future. He always keeps it real and speaks the language of retail experts."
Cathy Hotka
Principal
Cathy Hotka & Associates
"The Store Operations Council enjoyed every minute of Steve Dennis's presentation on retail's future. He always keeps it real and speaks the language of retail experts."
Cathy Hotka
Principal
Cathy Hotka & Associates
