How M&S increased engagement and achieved listings consistency with 1,063 stores

Marks & Spencer's St Helens store.

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is a leading British retailer bringing quality, great value food, clothing and homeware to millions of customers across the UK and around the world, from everyday style on M&S.com, to the very best prawn sandwiches at convenience M&S Simply Food locations.

The problem:

M&S continued to serve its customers throughout lockdown and strived to find new ways to help them shop with confidence and find the information they need online...

18 November 2021 | Automation

Black Friday: 70% of retail marketers are concerned about technical issues

Someone using a smartphone next to a Black Friday sale poster.

As many as 70% of retail marketers are worried that their technology will hinder their success this sales season, despite the majority of them having invested in better digital shopping solutions following Covid-19.

This is according to the latest findings from digital experience analytics company, Contentsquare. The company’s latest Sale Season Report surveyed 300 retail marketers across the UK, US and France about their plans, concerns and the lasting impact of the upcoming...

3 November 2021 | E-Commerce

Christmas shopping season set to follow trends laid by the pandemic

Christmas Presents

The boom e-commerce has seen during the pandemic is showing little sign of slowing down as the Christmas season approaches.

Cross-channel marketing platform Iterable spoke to 1,000 UK consumers to learn more about their upcoming shopping plans, finding that only 14% planned to complete all or most of their Christmas shopping in-store.

In comparison, the fact that 86% of respondents plan to complete at least half of their gift buying online this year highlights the...

27 October 2021 | E-Commerce

72% of shoppers more likely to return to brands with strong online communities

A woman with a latptop and bank card.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of the consumers are more likely to return to a brand that creates a strong online community, 

This is according to a study by Amity, a tech platform that powers in-app social experiences, which highlights the importance of brands creating online communities to engage with their customers.

The research also found that almost two-thirds (63%) admit they are more likely to buy from a brand that leverages engaging social features on its...

20 October 2021 | Commerce

Half of UK consumers plan to do Christmas shopping exclusively online

A dog wearing an elf hat.

48% of consumers in the UK plan to shop exclusively online ub the run up to Christmas 2021. 

A survey of more than 1,000 consumers by recommendation platform Outbrain revealed that only 6% of consumers plan to shop exclusively in-store. 

The news comes as the UK high street attempts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic by encouraging consumers to return to bricks and mortar shops. 

Brand values will also play a role informing the brand that...

19 October 2021 | E-Commerce

How RIU Hotels & Resorts made booking easier for customers

RIU Palace Madeira

RIU Hotels & Resorts is a Spanish hotel chain founded by the Riu family as a small holiday firm in 1953. It was founded in Mallorca, Spain, and is currently 49% owned by TUI and run by the third generation of the family.

Problem:

On some hospitality websites, finding exactly where you want to stay and making a reservation can be frustrating. Eduard Bonet, VP, digital business, RIU Hotels & Resorts, is working to ensure a superior experience on his company’s...

5 October 2021 | Customer Experience

Aimee Costello, Localistico: Local marketing, post-COVID retail and going digital

A shop sign that says 'local'.

Could you tell us a little bit about Localistico and what it does?

Localistico is a local marketing SAS provider. So, essentially, any kind of company that has a physical location, we help them to market that physical location to their customers. We help them to manage digital representations of those physical locations. 

So if you went to a new city and you want to find a coffee shop, what you normally do is just pick the phone up and Google ‘coffee shop near...

21 September 2021 | Commerce

How to reduce shopping cart abandonment rates

Abandoned shopping trolleys.

The customer experience is essential for improving conversion rates in the e-commerce market. It’s important to make the buying and checkout process as simple as possible, creating fewer barriers to a complete sale.

While online sales have become the new normal for quick and efficient shopping, there’s still room for improvement and growth. Here, we explore the expectations of customers for an easier and more enjoyable checkout experience, and the innovative solutions that are...

14 September 2021 | E-Commerce

Quarter of British consumers still prefer in-person shopping experience

A quarter of British consumers said they would be more likely to buy items they find challenging to buy online if they could ask questions and get advice in-person.

The data comes from new research by ecommerce tech firm Ve Global and it also found the products consumers find most difficult to buy online.

Clothing was considered the most challenging category of products to buy online, ranking first amongst the 2,014 respondents 27% of the time, followed by groceries at...

10 September 2021 | Customer Experience

Customers lack faith in brands protecting them from fraud

A man sitting in the dark, using a laptop.

Half or UK retailers believe they are doing everything they can to prevent e-commerce fraud, but far less consumers (17%) share their confidence.

The stark disconnect between retailers and shoppers on the matter of online shopping fraud has been highlighted by new European and US data released by Riskified, an e-commerce enablement and fraud-prevention solutions provider.

The research, which comprised 4,000 consumers and 400 retailers across the US, UK, France and...

26 August 2021 | Branding