March 19, 2019
March 11, 2019
When you think of a salesperson with a mobile device, you probably think of Apple. They were one of the first major brands to invest in the mobile point of sale experience using the iPod touch in 2009. Apple’s success has paved the way for a tremendous growth in mobile POS systems. An RIS News study found that half of department stores had already implemented a mobile POS plan or planned to do so within 12 months. For the past five years, we have been working with our clients to implement in-store mobile POS systems. We’ve seen the positive impact for these clients and the incredible benefits to anyone’s retail business.
March 8, 2019
It’s been another busy month in the world of retail as many blue-chip brands reported earnings and many retailers made their way to ShopTalk in Vegas. We saw headlines about stores shutting physical locations including JCPenney, Victoria’s Secret, Payless, and Gymboree to name a few. But not all was doom and gloom. Gap announced it would spin off Old Navy into a separate company and that it would acquire children’s retailer Janie and Jack. And Allbirds announced it was expanding to China, opening its first physical stores in the country.
February 15, 2019
Twenty-nineteen started off with a bang in the retail world as brands dug out from the holiday craze to refocus on the year’s new goals and initiatives. The NRF Big Show dominated the headlines as did reports of a successful holiday season, with Mastercard SpendingPulse reporting U.S. retail sales up 5.1 percent, the strongest performance in six years. Here’s a look at some of the stories that caught our eye in January.
January 21, 2019
It’s called the Big Show for good reason - 38,000 attendees, 700 exhibitors and more than 200 content sessions. This year’s NRF annual conference brought together retailers, celebrities, tech players and startups and KWI was proud to be part of the conference, going on more than 20 years. Our booth was buzzing all day as we had the opportunity to demo our technology and preview what’s ahead. (We also got a lot of compliments on our branded chocolate bars from our client Dylan’s Candy Bar!).
January 11, 2019
Experiential retail is hot right now and it's not just fashion and beauty brands leading the way. A plethora of companies are announcing pop-up stores to capitalize on a full-sensory experience. There are the tech companies (Facebook at Macy's, Google pop-up), the lifestyle brands like Goop, e-commerce companies like Casper, even communities like HeyMama are getting in the retail game.
January 10, 2019
Enhancements designed to help retailers provide exceptional experiences to their customers
KWI, the leading unified commerce provider for speciality retailers, will be open for business at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show on January 13-15 in New York City. KWI will be exhibiting new solutions focused on omni-channel, internationalization, merchandising systems and clienteling, designed specifically to work with KWI’s existing cloud-based platform.
December 19, 2018
There’s no question that retail had a big year. We’ve seen exciting new brands come to market, while blue chip legacy retailers closed their doors. There’s been new innovation in the way we shop, search and pay, and technology has pushed the envelope in terms of new experiences, customization and overall customer service. Here’s a look back at the biggest winners in retail in 2018 that will likely continue to prove successful in the year ahead.
December 19, 2018
As the year comes to an end, retailers will take a look back and reflect on wins, losses, and surprises. Then, they’ll turn to the new year: How can they use those learnings to inform a strategy that focuses on where the marketplace is going? Here are our predictions for what will be huge in retail for 2019.
December 4, 2018
As the retail world kicks into high gear with the official start of holiday shopping, November brought with it some big stories. Cyber Monday hit a record $7.9 billion in sales and of note, 33.5 percent of Black Friday sales and 27.7 percent of Cyber Monday Sales were made using smartphones. Digitally-native brands continue to make headlines with more and more predicted to turn to brick-and-mortar shops in 2019. And we enjoyed reading an article in Axios about the future of malls and how Columbus, OH has become the ‘SIlicon Valley of retail.” These stories and more are below.
