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Building a 360-degree Christmas marketing strategy in retail

November 26, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

Throughout the year, seasonal marketing campaigns can be a great way to engage your audience and achieve a higher revenue on your products. There’s no time this rings more true than during the Christmas season. On average, retailers count on approximately 20% of their annual sales to take place in November and December. If you want to make the most of the holiday season and increase traffic in both your physical and online stores, you’ll need a strong Christmas marketing strategy — and we can help. Table of Contents > Why a Christmas marketing strategy is critical for retailers > The

Retail customer experience best practices in the post-COVID-19 era

November 18, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

Providing an assistive customer journey and foretelling customer needs is a catalyst for exponential growth, as 89% of profitable companies say. To thrive in retail, you must continually improve customer touchpoints throughout the purchase journey to earn and keep loyal customers. Building on customer experience best practices will fortify the customer journey and refine your overall customer experience quality. ‌Considering that 73% of customers prioritize customer experience over price and product quality when making a purchase decision, it’s clear that a successful customer experience is the lifeline of retail brands. To keep turning profits, you need to implement and maintain

Black Friday statistics: The 80 most important stats for retailers

October 29, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

‌In retail, Black Friday remains one of the most critical days in the fiscal year for connecting with customers and generating sales. Even with COVID-19 related shutdowns impacting the economy and shopping patterns, Black Friday sales grew by 22% in 2020, totaling about $9 billion in the United States. ‌In 2021, things will be surely different, but knowing key Black Friday statistics will help you prepare your marketing strategy using data that will drive results. ‌ Although Thanksgiving in November is unique to the United States, the Black Friday shopping frenzy has caught on worldwide, especially with the rise in online

The new Apple MPP and its impact on Email Marketing

October 22, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

In September 2021, Apple launched its new privacy functionality embedded in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS 8. This update includes the notorious Apple MPP (Mail Privacy Protection), a feature destined to alter Email Marketing practices as we know them. In this article, we will analyze thoroughly the changes this new development brings and propose alternative ways to adapt your email marketing strategy to the new reality. What does the new Apple MPP include and how will it work In order to fully understand how this policy will define email marketing, first, let’s take a deep dive into

The 28 Best Customer Experience Examples in 2022

October 7, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

The focus of retail businesses has shifted in recent years from traditional “customer service” to learning how to create memorable customer experiences. Increasingly, the emphasis is on expanding omnichannel interactions across platforms, mobile devices, online checkouts, brick-and-mortar locations, and anywhere else customers and businesses interact. ‌ eCommerce’s trajectory brought about new and improved ways of conducting business and enhancing the omnichannel experience. Statistics have a funny way of showing retailers and marketers the right way, proving what we already know. That a good customer experience is mandatory for the nurture of brand-consumer relationships; brand loyalty may be hard to come by,

The 12 best Black Friday campaigns of all time

October 1, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

The post-Covid-19 landscape can be described as a transitional state where everything is in flux. Retail in the last quarter of 2021 seems to be returning, slowly but surely, to its former glory, although nothing is quite the same. eCommerce went through a tremendous evolution that altered not only the course of history but also us as consumers; so to make sense out of this constant change, every marketer and retailer must be alert and informed. In this article, we have gathered for you some of the best Black Friday campaigns of all time with the aim of preparing you

20 creative Halloween retail promotion ideas

September 28, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

In 2020, even amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Halloween expenditure held its ground proudly with the overall spending in the United States alone reaching the amount of 8 billion USD. Statistics continue to impress even across the Atlantic, with 49% of the UK population being invested in Halloween, spending every year their hard-earned money on holiday paraphernalia. Impressively, these numbers make it abundantly clear that neither the apocalypse nor any other hardship is enough to keep customers from celebrating their favorite holidays. As a result, taking into consideration every retailer’s need for inspirational campaigns, we took the time to gather for

54 eCommerce Homepage Best Practices That WORK [2022]

September 21, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

Much like a brick-and-mortar retail storefront, an eCommerce homepage acts as a web user’s first impression of a brand. An Adobe report found that nearly 40% of online users will leave a homepage that is poorly designed, just like real-life shoppers will leave a store if it is unorganized, poorly presented, and unhelpful. By following the homepage best practices listed below, website creators can inspire visitors to engage with their site, leading to more conversions, higher customer satisfaction, and greater customer retention in the long term. In fact, on average, according to a 2015 B2B Web Usability report, 86% of

Best Personalized Shopping Experiences in Retail

September 17, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

eCommerce and online shopping didn’t only change the fundamentals of retail, they also changed consumer behavior. Modern customers are evolved, informed, and have extremely high standards. Moreover, supply is abundant, so if a brand does not meet the desired demands, customers will find another company that does. 75% of customers say that they prefer brands to use their advertisements and offers to create a personalized shopping experience. Additionally, customers will agree to have phone apps track their activity to receive targeted ads, specific to their interests. Therefrom, it is safe to deduce that a lasting personalized shopping experience is preferred

IKEA: The omnichannel strategy the Swedish furniture retailer used to reach the top

September 6, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Brand Stories

We have already talked about the value of case studies before, but we cannot stress enough how our readers can benefit from complete and detailed case studies. At ContactPigeon, we love writing about all-things-retail, and case studies about retail giants is our cup of tea. Therefore, this time we will extensively inspect IKEA, a conglomerate mostly known for its ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances, and home accessories. The IKEA omnichannel strategy is an exemplary model that made the brand the leading furniture retailer in Europe and one of the most valuable retail brands in 2021 worldwide. As you can imagine, we

20 Brick and mortar marketing strategies that (actually) work

August 30, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

The pandemic-infused, sudden growth of eCommerce brought intense and fierce competition to brick-and-mortar shops, with giants like Amazon accounting for nearly 20% of all retail purchases. Now this might seem like physical retail is seriously threatened but do not be alarmed, because, thankfully, customer behavior never ceases to amaze. Despite the preference for the digital, 55% of online shoppers remain strong advocates of classic stores, as they can directly interact with a product. Traditional retail practices seem to be returning to their former glory as social distancing restrictions diminish. Customers will always appreciate the benefits of some old-school shopping, like

Product page best practices: The 38 most efficient tactics to replicate in 2022

August 27, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

Retail in 2021 doesn’t look quite like it did before COVID took over eCommerce. Online shopping is at an all-time high, even after lockdowns have eased. In the modern digital era and the sudden development of eCommerce due to recent events, a brand’s conversion rate is greatly affected by its website and therefore its product page design. A company’s digital image speaks volumes to the consciousness of the consumers, with regards to trust, quality, and overall experience. As a result, businesses need to make the most of this by implementing product page best practices and conversion rate optimization (CRO) campaigns

Retail Statistics 2022: the 100 Most Insightful Stats You Shouldn’t Ignore

August 24, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

Without a doubt, the global pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on our lives and this new reality could not leave the retail industry unaffected. Essential goods sales rose immensely, thousands of businesses closed, and an increasing number of individuals began shopping online rather than in person, shifting the consumer spending habits as we knew them. Due to this overall turmoil, the latest retail business statistics for 2021, could prove to be a great source of advice for any retail and eCommerce executive, since they reflect radical and volatile changes in customer behavior. Thus, they could be vital for a

Boots: The omnichannel marketing strategy behind UK’s leading pharmacy retailer

July 30, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Brand Stories

Success stories about famous or noteworthy brands, like LEGO, IKEA, New Look, or Farfetch, can provide valuable information to retailers and marketers alike. A collection of case studies that consists of tried-and-true, successful marketing strategies creates a roadmap for recreation and implementation. eCommerce marketers can obtain useful data and inspiration through extensive research on retail experts such as Boots, a brand that has survived the test of time for 172 years. At ContactPigeon, we love analyzing top retailers and brands so today we will continue our journey with the UK’s ninth biggest retailer by revenue. Therefore, this case study is

How to improve customer engagement in retail [30 Examples]

July 27, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

It’s no wonder that 78% of the customers prefer the omnichannel customer engagement approach as it helps them connect with their favorite brands in multiple ways. Consequently, this percentage justifies the increasing number of companies investing in the omnichannel experience. In 2020 the rate jumped from 20% to 80%, with the vast majority of retail experts grinding to find an answer to a very serious question; how to improve customer engagement and why it is so important. If we were to define customer engagement we would say that it “refers to the combination of behavioral responses with an emotional context”

Retail Customer Engagement Statistics: 55 Stats You Need to Know

July 23, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

What’s at the heart of any business? Products, services, profits? All of these things are important, but at its core, a business is about people. The way you engage with your customers will shape the future of your company, in more ways than one. It only takes a matter of minutes for an unhappy customer to post about their experiences online, devastating the value of your brand on a public platform. On the other hand, customers can boost your brand image with positive reviews and continued loyalty. Engaging with your customers will tell you a lot about them too—their pain

13 Effective Omnichannel Customer Engagement Strategies for Retailers

July 15, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

When 80% of sales consistently come from 20% of your existing customers, it goes without saying that keeping those buyers around and engaged is a top priority. Retail customer engagement strategies drive retention rates, and with 86% of consumers reporting they’ll pay more for a better brand experience‌, it’s an open opportunity to form lasting relationships with customers and increase your bottom line. Since the pandemic hit every retailer hard, changing the retail world as we know it, optimizing your business’s omnichannel strategy and finetuning your customer engagement plan can have a bold difference in your quarterly and yearly results.

John Lewis Omnichannel Strategy: How the UK’s top homeware retailer has reached the top

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July 7, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Brand Stories

The John Lewis Partnership PLC is a business group comprised of the John Lewis & Partners department stores, the Waitrose & Partners supermarket chain, and other retail-related businesses. The first store was opened in 1864 in the famous Oxford Street and since then the brand has had 52 department stores and 332 supermarkets across the United Kingdom. This success, of course, is not based on sheer luck, but on careful, strategic planning and innovative thinking. The John Lewis omnichannel strategy is an example to be imitated and this case study is dedicated to the individual components of that prosperity. Just

Retail best practices: Nailing your Summer Marketing

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June 30, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

Without a doubt, this summer will be different from the previous one and hopefully better. The COVID-19 vaccine brought a sense of optimism in the consumers that are eager to return to their pre-pandemic summer habits. After a tiresome winter, we all crave some summer “revenge shopping” and a much-needed holiday. Seasonal summer sales tend to be a “smoother” period for balance sheets, but there is always space for hot summer marketing campaigns to monetize. So we decided to create a list of summer marketing best practices for retail. Even in the summer, digitality is still king with the majority of travelers

17 Father’s day marketing campaigns we will never forget

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June 9, 2021 by ContactPigeon in Ecommerce

It goes without saying that every day is a good day to show our appreciation to those that brought us into this world, namely our parents. But in the grim COVID-19 era, social distancing and restrictions have given us additional motivation to acknowledge our family members and make the best out of the circumstances. According to the NRF, in the US, 75% of the population seem to agree with that idea and wish to celebrate this year’s Father’s Day. Moreover, the Federation suggests that in 2022 the total spending is expected to reach the incredible amount of $20.1B and that