Dan Fichter

Speed and accuracy are the new business norm. Is your brand competitive? Today's retailers are looking for ways to be more responsive to financial variances, more proactive with data applications and more efficient with real-time decision making.  What if I told you finding a connected planning solution could do just that? Below are just a few benefits of having a connected platform: 1) Dynamic – planning and analytics performed rapidly as situations dictate. 2) Collaborative – involving the right people at the right times within the process including customers. 3) Intelligent – leverage internal and external data to unlock predictive insights. Columbus Consulting International has spent over a decade implementing connected planning solutions for Retail clients within finance and supply chain. We would be happy to schedule a discovery call to learn more about your business and help tailor a connected planning solution for you.

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Retail’s Bench Strength Is Dwindling, Here’s How To Build It Back https://hubs.ly/Q02tPVL60

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Dollar General is enhancing its retail media program by teaming up with solutions provider Criteo. The commerce media platform will work with the retailer's Dollar General Media Network (DGMN) arm to support onsite sponsored ad offerings. Through this arrangement, brand partners can access inventory and campaign execution and utilize Criteo’s self-service demand-side platform. Among other capabilities, brands can leverage DGMN’s inventory within their private market through Criteo’s retailer monetization platform. In addition, the technology enables brands to reach Dollar General’s digital customers who often build lists online before making their weekly in-store purchases. Omnichannel insights will be available for marketers to see if sales are taking place online or in-store. | Progressive Grocer https://lnkd.in/gATgumgr #retail #retailmedia #grocery #shoppers #media #digital

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This new tool merges strategic insights and customer perceptions seamlessly, offering actionable solutions that can reshape how retailers handle their value proposition at the store level. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/gcaCYM8j #dunnhumby #customerfirst

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Retail processes are important because they: 1. *Enhance Customer Experience*: Streamlined processes ensure efficient service, accurate orders, and timely deliveries, leading to satisfied customers and loyalty. 2. *Increase Efficiency*: Well-defined processes reduce waste, minimize errors, and optimize resources, resulting in cost savings and productivity gains. 3. *Improve Inventory Management*: Effective processes ensure accurate inventory tracking, reducing stockouts, overstocking, and waste. 4. *Support Scalability*: Standardized processes enable businesses to expand smoothly, adapting to growth and changing demands. 5. *Mitigate Risk*: Clear processes reduce the risk of fraud, errors, and compliance issues, protecting the business and its reputation. 6. *Provide Valuable Insights*: Analyzing retail processes reveals opportunities for improvement, helping businesses refine strategies and inform data-driven decisions. 7. *Foster Collaboration*: Defined processes facilitate communication and coordination among teams, promoting a cohesive and efficient work environment. By prioritizing retail processes, businesses can create a solid foundation for success, driving growth, customer satisfaction, and long-term sustainability. https://cgrbrands.com

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Are online shoppers getting the personalization they want? Unsurprisingly, the answer is "no". For instance, in a retail store, the clerk can quickly determine if you're more of a data person or style person --- or whatever. And then the clerk can tailor their help to you ---- but online, we're generally overwhelmed by information-- and too much data is as bad as no data. Most online sites have meager if any true personalization. Customers want it, merchants want it -- and AI will likely help close this gap in online service over the coming years. Thanks Dan for the interesting article! #customerexperience #ecommerce #retail #retailtech #shopping

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This year is really flying by – I can’t believe it’s already time for the release of the Q2 Advantage Outlook report! I’m incredibly proud of our team, clients and retailer partners for capturing another quarter of forward-looking strategies in the #retail and #manufacturing landscape.    In this report, we revealed retailer winning strategies for increasing unit sales (sneak peek: an assortment of branded products, lower average prices, less promoted volume, and deeper discounts), discussed the execution of test-and-learns, and reflected on the continued success of their 2022-23 innovations, among so much more.     Insights like this only come around once a quarter, so don’t miss them! Download the report here: https://lnkd.in/getx8Cx4

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Dear Retail Friends,   If you’re a wholesaler, access to data from suppliers and retail customers is critical in enabling optimal service levels with minimal inventory. But getting that data, and acting upon it, can be challenging.   While there are many hurdles to this kind of collaboration, it can be done. And the benefits are numerous – not just for wholesalers, but their suppliers and retail customers as well.   https://lnkd.in/dbxub36v   #supplychain #supplychainoptimization #wholesaledistribution The future of wholesale supply chain collaboration | RELEX Solutions Unlock insights on boosting wholesale collaboration for supply chain efficiency and profit in this expert interview.

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Retail sales rose significantly, showing strong increases both month-over-month and year-over-year, as consumers continued to spend and drive growth https://lnkd.in/ekHc4QcA Total retail sales (excluding automobiles and gasoline but including restaurants) rose 1.35% month-over-month in May and were up 3.03% year-over-year #retail Chain Store Age

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Hello, Retail Friends! I am sharing an invite for a webinar that will recap the work that Connors Group completed for one of our country's largest discount retailer's operations. If you suspect your field leadership team could use a solution to improve work-life balance and increase productivity, check out this webinar.

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Retail is powered by data. The future of retail is digital. Retail success is dependent on positive customer engagement (digital and physical). If you believe the above statements, why - if you are a retailer - would you deliberately hand over to a third-party your customer engagement, a growing revenue stream, and a source of ever more important first-party data? Yet that’s just what retailers and wholesalers have done by signing on to Instacart’s retail media network. If I’m a retailer or wholesaler, I get it. Instacart is the ‘Easy Button’. A one-stop shop for outsourcing online shopping, digital shopper engagement, and retail media. Choosing a third-party like Instacart removes major headaches and resource commitments for retailers. So I don’t blame retailers and wholesalers for partnering with third-parties like Instacart. But at what cost? As Instacart and other third-party marketplaces grow their influence, traditional retailers will increasingly be delegated to simply putting products on the shelf. CPG marketing funds are rapidly evolving towards digital solutions. How long do you think it will be before traditional trade promotion dollars will be dependent on digital capabilities like sophisticated targeting, digital engagement in the store, and digital offer delivery managed across a growing number of channels? All things Instacart is able to provide. So I get it. Grocery retail is incredibly tactical, the need to obsessively control operating expenses to eke out a profit. Thinking strategically and longer-term is a luxury that many retailers and wholesalers do not have. And I have to give Instacart credit. They saw a market opportunity and went after it, pivoting along the way to provide a growing array of tech solutions to retailers in addition to creating and growing their retail media network. Yet as we accelerate up and out technology’s exponential growth curve, that historical tactical focus, putting out the brush fires to survive another day, becomes increasingly dangerous. And understanding that we now live in a world that has never before existed, a world of exponential change, is now imperative for survival. That’s why I wrote Bionic Retail, my latest book. To help the retail industry understand that it is now in a new world and many of the old rules no longer apply. Succeeding in the exponential world requires new thinking and deliberately letting go of many past practices, processes, and beliefs that increasingly constrain retail and innovation. Maybe the ‘Easy Button’ isn’t going to be so easy after all. The Shelby Report ROFDA Instacart #grocery #groceryretail #grocerystrategy #grocerytech #groceryinnovation #retail #retailtech #retailstrategy #retailinnovation #CPG #CPGinnovation #retailmedianetworks #RMN #supermarket Center for Advancing Retail & Technology (CART) https://lnkd.in/gH93nm3A

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Here is the link to view the webinar for my presetation: The Marketplace; Smart Merchandising - Or Not So Much? At the risk of stirring up a hornets nest, I challenge the home center retailers who are implementing a Marketplace program to stop and think about both the need to clearly define objectives and to put guardrails in place to protect their brand image: https://lnkd.in/eVK-byV4

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I've just published a new blog on the DIGITS site, where we delve into the recent Target Circle relaunch and its significant impact on the retail landscape. In this post, we explore:   - 1M New Signups since the relaunch  - A 20% increase in weekly offers  - 2.5X higher offer utilization with auto-apply  - Key insights on promotional spend and incrementality Plus, I share strategic tips on how to leverage these changes for maximum success. https://lnkd.in/g9PwNCMx

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Total Retail Group has developed eCompShop to solve pain points for manufacturers. -Comp shops are time consuming and difficult to execute accurately​ -Other comp shop solutions provide incomplete or mismatched data that is complicated to digest and analyze​ -Understanding your share of category POS requires advanced analytics​ -With so many outlets, it’s hard to keep track of your own pricing, let alone other category players​ -Identifying and diagnosing sales pattern changes, like sudden sales dips, is difficult given the many factors that impact POS. Often manufacturers identify root causes too late to act, if at all.​ I can help you customize a solution that fits your business needs. Game changing insights and major time savings are a click away! Send me a message me to learn more!

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I love to see the energy, investment and innovation going into improving the Returns experience for consumers, retailers and warehouse operators a like. Companies like #Returnalyze, #Loop, #ReturnGo, (and so many more) are engaging with customers pre and post purchase to turn a potentially frustrating/annoying customer experience into a delightful and loyalty-winning one. While at the same time generating margin and revenue growth for Retailers. And all that supports the Sustainability Mission we all need to get behind! triple win

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In today's retail, the concept of omnichannel shopping reigns supreme, as consumers navigate seamlessly between online and brick-and-mortar experiences. While retail giants effortlessly handle thousands of daily orders, smaller enterprises face unique challenges in managing their operations. Enter the Omnichannel Order Management System (OMS), a comprehensive solution designed to address these pain points. By offering scalability and cost-efficiency, an OMS ensures a smooth retail experience for businesses of all sizes. With features such as real-time inventory tracking and premium customer service, an OMS emerges as a vital tool for retailers seeking to expand their presence today's competitive market. Ready to take your business to new heights? Explore our blog and uncover the impact of Omnichannel OMS for small and mid-sized retailers. https://hubs.la/Q02zR1N40 #ShoppingandtheRetailIndustry #eCommerce #Retail #Omnichannel #OrderManagementSystem

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Is store shopping more sustainable? Of course, it depends...on a lot of things. Marketing broad-based angles drowns out moves that really matter. My RetailWire weigh-in. https://lnkd.in/gzP-gtB6

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