Loyalty Programs
The Shoe Company unveils Shoe VIP, a new rewards program that gives 4 million members cause to celebrate
Canadian retailer The Shoe Company, a Designer Brands company, has launched Shoe VIP, an innovative points-based loyalty program created for and by its members. Shoe VIP replaces the existing Shoe Lovers Rewards (SLR) program providing a more compelling reward experience with greater choice and richer rewards to 4.0M Canadian loyalty members. The new loyalty program is free to join and features two membership tiers, richer rewards, surprise bonus points, a birthday reward, unlimited free shipping and more.
Technology
Wayfair’s App Adds 3D Visualization Tools, Including Interactive Photos & a Room Planner
Home furnishing retailer Wayfair was among the first to adopt AR technology as a means of helping people better visualize furniture and accessories in their own home. Now, Wayfair is expanding its feature set to allow for more visualization capabilities. Shoppers will be able to leverage a new feature called “Interactive Photo,” which lets shoppers take a photo of their room, then visualize multiple products within it, even when they’re not home in their own space. The feature itself uses technology to understand the spatial information of the room in the image to give you an AR-like experience using your photo.
Retail
The Hyper-Organized Christmas Shopper: Conscientious millennials and bargain-seeking moms are wrapping up their holiday shopping before most people even start
As Thanksgiving-to-Christmas retail promotions batter inboxes and shout ever-louder from stores, some highly motivated shoppers are avoiding the frenzy altogether. Fifty-one percent of moms said they started shopping before November this year, up from 47% a year ago, according to a National Retail Federation survey of nearly 8,000 consumers conducted last month. That compares with about 40% of all holiday shoppers in both years.
Rent the Runway and Nordstrom have big plans to reshape retail
Rent the Runway, the decade-old clothing rental platform now valued at $1 billion, is expanding its partnership with heritage department store Nordstrom. For Rent the Runway customers, the most immediate and obvious shift is that they will be able to drop off their rentals at more Nordstrom locations. Earlier this year, Rent the Runway piloted a program where users could drop off their products at five Nordstrom stores. These drop boxes have been very successful, and starting on the 18th of November, 22 more Nordstrom stores, in cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and Dallas, will carry these drop boxes.
Battle in discount grocery sector weighs on prices as Loblaws, other retailers struggle to hold on to customers
In addition to pricing, Loblaw is working to improve its e-commerce options, for which customer demand has been higher than expected in many stores. For example, Western Canada has seen the most enthusiasm for click-and-collect services, so Loblaw renovated seven of its locations to meet demand. The company is converting 12,000 square feet of "less-productive space" in a Great Canadian Superstore at Dufferin and Steeles in Toronto, to test out an online order-fulfillment area there for its PC Express click-and-collect grocery service. The area will use automation to help staff fill orders faster. In the future, such a location could potentially act as a "hub" to help other stores fulfill orders.