News & Blog

Summer is officially here and while many are thinking of summer vacation, the retail industry continued to keep busy in June. Especially Target, which is recovering from a mid-month cash register technology issue that may have lost the retailer more than $100 million in sales. According to RetailDive, the spring quarter was rough for many specialty retailers due to cold weather, increased shipping costs and questions over tariffs. But looking ahead to July, Amazon Prime Day is scheduled for two days this year, July 15 and 16, and has caused many other retailers to create their own shopping experiences to compete with Amazon. Techcrunch reports that 250 retailers will compete against Amazon, with brands like Walmart and Target planning big sales.

With the school year wrapping up and focus turning to summer, many retailers are preparing for a summer lull. But things are still busy on the technology and innovation side of things, brands continue to look to new ways to engage customers and keep them coming back time and again. KWI customer, Stance, is one example, and announced that its unique socks will be available in some airport kiosk locations. We’d also like to congratulate our long-term client, Bluemercury, on their 20th anniversary as they continue to bring luxury skincare and cosmetics to local communities. This Forbes article gives a sneak inside the brand’s history and what makes it work.

As April brings in spring weather to most of the country, retailers this month focused on company earnings, a focus on sustainability timed to Earth Day and continued advancements in experiential and technology innovations. KWI client Il Makiage made headlines with the launch of a quiz that uses machine learning AI to find the perfect foundation to match skin tones. The quiz is a great example of using the brand’s technology roots to better serve their customers in an innovative and unique manner.