Category Archives: Technology

Online retail: how to turn a negative consumer feedback into a positive one

Retailers who are going to open online shops often fear about negative feedbacks from online shoppers. “What if I receive a negative feedback? Should I ignore it or answer?” The most common retail behaviour is to ignore it, hoping it will be ignored by other consumers too. But this is a great misconception.

Retailers have an opportunity to fight back and use social media to turn unhappy customers into brand advocates, says the Retail Consumer Report, commissioned by RightNow and conducted online by Harris Interactive in January 2011 among 1,605 online US adults. The report shows how retailers are using social media to win back customers and drive buying decisions.

  • 68% of consumers who posted a complaint or negative review on a social networking or ratings/reviews site after a negative holiday shopping experience got a response from the retailer. Of those, 18% turned into loyal customers and bought more.

By listening and proactively responding on the social web, says the report, retailers have a chance to turn disgruntled customers into social advocates.
After a positive shopping experience, half of consumers cited great customer service and/or a previous positive experience as influencing their decision to buy from a specific online retailer.

Social advocacy can also help drive sales, the survey found:

  • Nearly a third of consumers researched what customers said on social networking and reviews websites while shopping online.

For those consumers that had a positive holiday shopping experience with an online retailer during the past holiday shopping season:

  • 21% recommended the retailer to friends.
  • 13% posted a positive online review about the retailer.

The survey found that 38% of consumers turned to the retailer’s website for information or support with online shopping. However, one of the top frustrations consumers had when shopping online was a lack of consistent information from retailers. Specifically, 22% of consumers were frustrated by information that was inconsistent between the retailer’s website and customer service agents.

For further research on how customer experiences impact the bottom line, including the fact that 85% of consumers said they would be willing to pay anywhere between 5-25% over the standard price to ensure a superior customer experience, RightNow makes the Customer Experience Impact Report 2010 available to download. (Source: MediaPost)

How to deliver customized in-store offers to shoppers?

One of the in-store marketing biggest issues ever is how to reach customers with customized offers while they are shopping. U.S.A retailers and consumers are going to have a solution handy in the next future: Shop O’Lot.  

Shop O’ Lot is a self service platform which makes major retailer participation very easy. The model is based on a predictive analysis engine, that builds a customer’s shopping profile, then allows retailers to reach these customers in real-time while they are shopping, offering them customized discount coupons.

The app uses GPS and bar-code scanning for delivering the content and will be released on the iPhone and Android OS platforms.

Bob Pack, CEO says, “major retailers are now competing with product search and comparison apps that can actually drive a customer to buy from a competitor, a practice known as “scan and scram.” We have a complete solution to really help drive retail purchases, this goes well beyond mere Geo- location and focuses on individual target marketing. Once we understand the shoppers tastes, delivering them customized product deals only by the store they are in, will help keep shoppers loyal.”

Shop O’ Lot is still in the testing phase and plans a 2011 launch and retailers and consumers, can sign up now to be part of our beta program directly on Shop O’Lot website. (Source: americanbankingnews.com)

Paperless Cafés

Getting green while following technology? Sure! Many Cafés are now offering digital newsstand, which are both green and modern, providing people with paper-free updated news at no cost. Here you can find two examples. The big corporation one, Starbucks, and a small Café in Croatia. 

The Starbucks Digital Network has debuted their exclusive content network to further enhance the customer’s in-store experience. Customers who use the free Wi-Fi at more than 6,800 U.S. Starbucks locations will be greeted with the Starbucks Digital Network. As a channel where consumers will be plugged into a variety of reading sections like news, entertainment and business, this Starbucks Digital Network will keep readers engaged and going back to the famous coffee house for more access

On the other side of the Ocean, the Box Coffee Shop in Split, Croatia is replacing its offer of free newspapers with iPads. While each tablet is free to use, there is a security tag to alert baristas of any theft.
The idea is the same, the scale is a little bit different, but what is important is that the message must be clear: less paper, more green. (Credits: Trendhunter)

Is augmented reality the future of retail?

Global revenues from augmented reality (AR) applications and services are projected to reach $1.5 billion by 2015, according to Pocket-lint.com

Augmented reality is a term for a live direct or an indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics.

Tissot watches has had success implementing an AR campaign. By placing a dummy watch around your wrist, which has a code on the face, and holding it in front of your webcam, the app displays it on the screen as a virtual, 1:1 scale version. The benefit is you get to “try on” the watches to see which suits you best before purchasing.

Holition, AR, 3D and future technology creative agency, which is based in East London, is responsible for the campaign.

“What we’re trying to do with the worn-on-the-body applications is enable a real business functionality for it. It engages consumers, it enables people to understand the product and therefore it enables them to take that step closer to purchasing the product as well,” said Lynne Murray, brand manager at Holition.

“Tissot’s brand public relations grew 600 percent through the campaign compared to 100 percent growth that they usually expect to achieve. So, even as a communication tool, it’s a hugely engaging way for brands to have another and new point of contact with its audience. AR is a new way of communicating socially, a new way of getting people on board with the brand.”

Murray expects these types of technologies to give way to a fully integrated retail experience in the not too distant future. (Source: Retailcustomerexperience.com)

DSE: See-through display showing the way for retail digital signage?

The STRATACACHE PrimaSee system  was what appeared to draw most of the attention at the last Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas. 
So is the display basically an LCD without a black background? Sort of. PrimaSee showcases high-definition, dynamic video advertisements embedded in a see-through glass panel. These translucent promotional videos would correspond with products visible behind the displays, say in a grocer’s freezer aisle, to convey point-of-purchase or point-of-decision brand messages

“Effectively it’s an LCD technology, (but) the base nature of the screen is different than you’d have in a normal LCD, both because of the background and then the color masks and other things that go into translucency,” STRATACACHE CEO, Chris Riegel said. “But in basic prospect, yes, same kind of idea.”

The content for a translucent panel also has to be different, as is the way it is lit, but the technology of the display isn’t the most important aspect of it, he said.

“I think the most important thing is that it shows an example of — if you look at all the digital signage in the show, too much of it is bolt-on, things that you can tell in a retail environment or a customer service environment after the fact,” he said.

“This is a prime example of where the digital signage industry needs to move, which is integrating the digital experience into that consumer experience so that it’s seamless for that customer and helps to transform or change an existing experience. Everybody can understand going to the freezer in the grocery store, going to the cooler at the convenience store. How do I integrate media into that environment … to have digital media help that experience?” (Source: Retailcustomerexperience.com)



Need some customer interaction? Here it goes!

There are many ways to enhance customer experience..Let’s start from the window display, for istance. Technology is helping retailers a lot, and we have found some great examples that we would like to share with you. Not so much to add, just watch and enjoy – and maybe give us your feedback!




Interactive Window Concept made for the module Advanced Interface Design at Hyper Island hosted by North Kingdom


Project for an interactive display window for BNP Paribas, place de l’Opéra, Paris


The Interactive Apple Store in Berlin, Germany.

Biometrics and retail marketing: the future is now

Biometrics, methods for uniquely recognizing humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioural traits, is very important when evaluating the efficacy of a retail store design or display and assessing counter actions to make the retail environment more customer friendly. According to NY Times, IBM is currently testing a revolutionary biometrics method in two location in downtown Milan – a fashion company flagship’s store and an electronic store. Biometrics the future of retail marketing
The I.B.M. solution, involves tracking biometrics through a mini camera in a mannequin’s eye or placed somewhere in a store and the collected data will be aggregated so that not to be traced to any individual.

“We started with fashion because it is a creative and innovative industry, but it’s clear that people have to be educated so they know their privacy will not be compromised,” said Enrico Bozzi, the manager of I.B.M. Forum Milano, the department that developed the technology. “It is a question of changing people’s perception.”

 The IBM biometric test is already showing its first results. At the pilot in the Milan fashion store, for example, the client noticed that almost all Asian customers enter the store through one particular door, even though five are available. “We thought it was a mistake, but we checked it out and it was right and it continues to happen,” Mr. Bozzi said. “We don’t know why yet but, in the meantime, the store is considering positioning products by that door that are known to appeal particularly to Asian shoppers.”

I.B.M.is now also working on software that will let clients try on jewelry and makeup wirelessly thanks to a mobile phone or computer, with an iPad application likely to debut soon.

SHOWFOOD presents SMEG CW500 dishwasher: sustainability, design and efficiency

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This year in SHOWFOOD‘s product catalogue our customers will find many new products which are both efficient and sustainable. The first one to be introduced is SMEG CW500 dishwasher with Heat recovery.

Smeg CWC500

 The special Drain Heat Recovery (D.H.R.) unit, 2 patent pending,

transfers heat from the water outlet to the inlet, thus raising the initial temperature of the water supply by around 20°C with a consequent energy saving of over 25% compared to the standard model. It also help saving water (11 litres against 30 consumed by traditional machines) and thanks to its Standby function saves up to 70% of energy in respect to traditional machines. The total running cost saving: up to 44%, a great result for a great product! (Please visit SHOWFOOD for further information about this product)

Interested in meeting us? Here is our agenda for the next three months!

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The next few months are among the busiest ones for those who work in the Retail Food sector. The followings are the most important event to which we will attend – just in case you are interested in meeting us personally!

Jan. 21-21 Greencity , Paris. International Business Convention

Jan.22nd – 26th , Rimini (IT) 32nd SIGEP, International Exhibition Artisan Production of Gelato, Pastry, Confectionary and Bakery  

Feb. 19th -22nd Sapore– Tasting Experience, Rimini (IT) it represents the entire beverage, food and seafod market for the Ho.Re.Ca. channel (a sector that has exceeded 70 billion euros and has further growth prospects)

Get ready to go “wow” watching ECOFFEE’s guerrilla marketing actions that will take place during Sigep! Stay tuned or participate to this important event!

Feb. 26th-March 2nd Euroshop Düsseldorf (DE). The global retail trade Fair

Feb. 27th– March 2nd Gulfood  Dubai. Gulfood is one of the most important food, drink & hospitality markets worldwide

March 14th-16h FME – Franchising Middle East, Dubai. Franchising Middle East Exhibition is the largest International Franchise Show in the MENA Region.

March 29th– April 1st– Horeca , Biel (Lebanon). The international Tradeshow for the Hospitality and Foodservice Industry

The Hospitality News Magazine Middle East introduces DESITA and ECOFFEE projects

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Hospitality news magazine interviewThanks to DESITA‘s activity in the Middle East countries, I was invited to participate to a special issue of Hospitality News Magazine dedicated to the Retail coffee business. It did not come as a suprise when I found that the ECOFFEE project gained great attention – sustainability is becoming a big hit in those countries, especially when related to the Retail Food sectore. You can read the whole interview here. Enjoy!