Learn how companies are working to create new shopping experiences.

Building the "commerce anywhere" model shoppers demand
By Mike Webster, SVP and General Manager, Oracle Retail

The classic multi-channel retail business model has recently been eclipsed by a "commerce anywhere" approach. Many retailers have yet to adapt their operations to this new reality, and those that are on their way have taken vastly different paths.

In order to enable new customer journeys and reshape business processes, retailers are driving four common initiatives.

1. Enabling consumers to buy on their own terms.  Consumers demand the freedom to purchase products how they want, when they want, and to do so in a connected, nearly seamless fashion. In this quest, consumers are well aware when they bridge gaps retailers have yet to close.

Ultimately, retail systems must accommodate consumer journeys that traverse the silos of traditional retail business processes. Online, store, and mobile systems must not only acknowledge each other but also share data and functionality.  Whether customers buy in-store and have items shipped to their homes or browse online and pick up their purchase locally, their journey must be supported.

2. Delivering targeted assortments. How do retailers deliver more choice while also tailoring offers to the individual? Early on, this was much of the "art" of retailing. Today, targeting assortments is increasingly a data-driven endeavor, enabling more accurate forecasts, sales analysis and customer insights.



Integration between systems and the speed with which retailers have access to inventory information is key. Knowing which products are in stock, which are not, and which the customer wants is critical. Drawing insight from multiple datasources determines the validity of recommendations, and retail analytics applications must draw from sources such as consumer decision trees, advanced store clustering, demand transference and space optimization, as well as traditional demand forecasting.

3. Making inventory transparent and accessible. Real-time information is critical, for example, taking into account recent returns and orders so that the customer knows where and how they can buy the item they want. A single inventory master enables retailers to make items visible and accessible 24/7 across channels. 

Once retailers have this accurate view of inventory, they can connect and improve efficiencies across day-to-day supply chain operations such as: store picking, store inventory processes, warehouse management and merchandising. From there, operational forecasts can consider not only price and promotional changes, but also the transfer of demand that happens when assortments change. The resulting single view of demand across the enterprise creates a domino effect that helps teams optimize and align purchases, allocations and seasonal plans.

4. Integrating the systems supporting retail operations. This is really an enabler for the first three. An integrated back end removes silos and allows for speedy interactions between channels.

But the path to integration is different for every retailer and presents challenging strategic decisions for the executive team. Retail executives must insist upon the flexibility to deploy new systems as a comprehensive suite or as modular best-of-breed point solutions that can integrate with existing solutions. Managing the changing retail environment requires better tools, and retailers are adopting new dashboards that allows IT to monitor and manage retail integrations from a single point. To sustain the promise of commerce anywhere requires that retailers more quickly identify transaction volumes, average response times, and errors to help ensure critical systems are consistently operating at maximum efficiency.

By keeping a careful eye on consumer trends in individual stores, retailers will be able to make more informed decisions about which products to carry and for how long. By harmonizing interactions across systems and platforms, retailers will be able to fulfill the promise of commerce anywhere.  It is an exciting and demanding time to run marketing, IT, operations, or any aspect of the retail enterprise.

It’s that time of year when we reflect on the year’s accomplishments and start thinking about what the next year will bring regarding today’s Networked Mom. Will marketing to moms look different? Will there be any less emphasis on her and her continuing power? Here are our thoughts:

Moms will continue to be at the forefront of global citizenship. We’ve seen what we can do by using words, our voice and technology. There is a global motherhood at hand as well as the realization that the challenges and issues are all connected regardless of geography. 

More women and mothers will run for office. We influenced the election, and we’re realizing that when there are sufficient enough women in power, we will be able to create meaningful change. 
Television, social media, and motherhood will come together. Television, social media, and motherhood will learn they need each other. It’s already happening with blogger integration. Television isthe second screen to her, and it will be interesting to see how apps like Zeebox, which integrates television shows and social media, do. It could be an exciting year.

Technology/smartphones: She’s not giving up her tech toys. They’ll become more and more a part of her life. Brands need to get ahead of the curve with mobile. 

Brands will continue to try to reach us through “pinked” and specially designed products. And they will fail miserably. Pink cars named “She’s,” pink laptops, and more are just dumb in the U.S. Pink is for lipstick, little girls and breast cancer awareness ribbons. Adding glitter to something hardly raises its ability to effectively meet the buyer’s needs. Brands keep failing to remember we buy many products for the same reason a man would. Focus on features, benefits, providing value, and superlative customer service for her, and you’ll win her over.

There will be more and more advertising featuring moms. Till we scream enough. Advertising and marketing to moms is so blatant right now, it’s almost laughable. So brands will continue to think putting a mom in the picture will attract moms to listen their pitch. Again the emphasis shouldn’t be in “hey, mom,” messaging but in what are you trying to sell. Does she need it, and how does it fit in her life? Then connect with her emotionally and pragmatically. 
More growth in the Latina mom market. Brands need to get ready for the Latina mom now. She’s highly social and has huge spending power. And she’s ready to use her voice. She led her family to the voting booths -- Latinas helped Barack Obama win re-election. Generally speaking, 12 million Latinos voted in this election, and, of that number, 76% of Latinas voted for Obama.

There will be a growing interest in the Boomer Mom. Research is showing the Boomer Mom to be very different than moms in this age bracket were in previous generations. This “me generation” has the time, desire, the capital, and is ready to use her purchasing power to enjoy life. She’s a lot more tech-savvy than you may think, and her use of social media is growing each and every day. She’s eager to dole out her wisdom, mind and advice. Kudos to the brand that understands that.

The Networked Mom will continue to adapt and use technology and social media to share ideas and connect with others. As much as it may seem a drain on her full schedule, its positive attributes outweigh the negative. She loves the ability to share her passions and use her voice. The term “mommy bloggers” is simply not indicative of today’s Networked Mom, and she will continue to be a focus of the media and brands in 2013.

It’s that time of year when we reflect on the year’s accomplishments and start thinking about what the next year will bring regarding today’s Networked Mom. Will marketing to moms look different? Will there be any less emphasis on her and her continuing power? Here are our thoughts:

Moms will continue to be at the forefront of global citizenship. We’ve seen what we can do by using words, our voice and technology. There is a global motherhood at hand as well as the realization that the challenges and issues are all connected regardless of geography. 

More women and mothers will run for office. We influenced the election, and we’re realizing that when there are sufficient enough women in power, we will be able to create meaningful change. 
Television, social media, and motherhood will come together. Television, social media, and motherhood will learn they need each other. It’s already happening with blogger integration. Television isthe second screen to her, and it will be interesting to see how apps like Zeebox, which integrates television shows and social media, do. It could be an exciting year.

Technology/smartphones: She’s not giving up her tech toys. They’ll become more and more a part of her life. Brands need to get ahead of the curve with mobile. 

Brands will continue to try to reach us through “pinked” and specially designed products. And they will fail miserably. Pink cars named “She’s,” pink laptops, and more are just dumb in the U.S. Pink is for lipstick, little girls and breast cancer awareness ribbons. Adding glitter to something hardly raises its ability to effectively meet the buyer’s needs. Brands keep failing to remember we buy many products for the same reason a man would. Focus on features, benefits, providing value, and superlative customer service for her, and you’ll win her over.

There will be more and more advertising featuring moms. Till we scream enough. Advertising and marketing to moms is so blatant right now, it’s almost laughable. So brands will continue to think putting a mom in the picture will attract moms to listen their pitch. Again the emphasis shouldn’t be in “hey, mom,” messaging but in what are you trying to sell. Does she need it, and how does it fit in her life? Then connect with her emotionally and pragmatically. 
More growth in the Latina mom market. Brands need to get ready for the Latina mom now. She’s highly social and has huge spending power. And she’s ready to use her voice. She led her family to the voting booths -- Latinas helped Barack Obama win re-election. Generally speaking, 12 million Latinos voted in this election, and, of that number, 76% of Latinas voted for Obama.

There will be a growing interest in the Boomer Mom. Research is showing the Boomer Mom to be very different than moms in this age bracket were in previous generations. This “me generation” has the time, desire, the capital, and is ready to use her purchasing power to enjoy life. She’s a lot more tech-savvy than you may think, and her use of social media is growing each and every day. She’s eager to dole out her wisdom, mind and advice. Kudos to the brand that understands that.

The Networked Mom will continue to adapt and use technology and social media to share ideas and connect with others. As much as it may seem a drain on her full schedule, its positive attributes outweigh the negative. She loves the ability to share her passions and use her voice. The term “mommy bloggers” is simply not indicative of today’s Networked Mom, and she will continue to be a focus of the media and brands in 2013.

I was reminded last night of how Picasso strived his entire life to learn how to draw like a child.

When we look at his art, to some it is immediately understood.
Others would either walk away shaking their heads or stay for a very long time to try interperting it.

It is unfortunate that as we grow and absorb more and more information, we get overloaded with so many "pieces of life" that we too often forget how to enjoy the child we once were.

To be honest, the simpler we can be, the less seriously we try, the more of our inner heart will come through in a good way.

Less overthinking is a better way. Just doing is an okay thing.

Maybe your accomplishments will be Picassos in spite of yourself.

I remember taking my kids to the mall in the winter.

They needed clothes for a trip to the grandparents in Florida.

Torture!

It was soooo  freezing cold outside that they had to be bundled up with snowpants, boots, puffy jacket, hats, scarf, mittens.

But, I did it! I was sweating and exhausted but I did it, and it only took half an hour!

Once they were in the car they were complaining that it was too hot and they wanted to take their jackets off.

Forget it!

Please don't! Or else!

It's too hard to put it back on.

We just have to make it into the mall.

Since they were still too small to be let out on their own, they were crammed clothing and all into the stroller.

There they were, stuck like marshmallows into their seats with no hope of escape.

BUT, NOW I had a real problem!

How was I going to have them try on clothing?

If I even contemplated undressing them to try on clothes that might or might not fit I would need my head examined.

This was not going to happen.

Now they were fidgeting, and whining and trying to escape the carriage jail.

They got the hats off and dropped them down the side of the carriage to be casually lost ....then the mittens came off ( ha! the mitten clips do work! ).

They managed to kick off one or two boots as they squirmed and cried that they were hot! And we hadn't even gotten into the store yet.

As I desperately tried to retrieve lost items  strewn like crumbs in Hansel and Gretel I knew that

THIS IS NOT FUN!

Now I was hot and frenetic and had no clothes for them to boot.

That's it....we were leaving!

Bag -less,  clothing-less and triumphant - less.

Does everyone go through this trauma too?

HELP ME PLEASE!

FIT THEM IN YOUR POCKET

FIT THEIR CLOTHING WITHOUT THEM

AND

Keep Them With You ALL the Time!

Why do you feel the need to drag your children into the store when you are buying them clothing?

Have you ever experienced your kids treating  the store like a playground?

Can you honestly think clearly when you are trying to pick out clothing for you kid when they come with you? 

Can you honestly keep track of your child in a department store while you are looking for their next wardrobe?

Do you dread the tantrums in the dressing room and their favorite  hide and go seek games that your kids play when you take them clothes shopping with you?

Think about it.

What if I told you that you never have to take your children with you again when you buy their clothes, and you will still be able to get the right fit every time?

These are just a few reasons why the Measuring Up app was created.

For You!

To make the clothes shopping experience so much easier and so much more organized.

Use this app  and see for yourself how to save time, eliminate the stress of buying and returning because the fit is wrong, and save money when you clothes shop for your kids.

I guarantee  you will use this app all the time and enjoy a freedom you thought was impossible to have.

Do you feel intimidated by certain clothing stores that you would love to shop at but feel too uncomfortable going into?

Would you prefer to shop for the kids in the comfort of not needing to find a salesperson to help you?

Do you get too distracted and therefore buy items that you did not go in for in the first place?

Using the Measuring Up app can help you to buy the kids clothing with out any of the above stresses, saving you time and money.

I have just created a new group on Facebook: Moms who clothes shop for their kids.
Please feel free to join and comment on your experiences to be added to the Measuring Up website.! Can't wait to hear from you.

Just spent a wonderful evening shopping for handmade gifts for family and friends. Measuring Up gave me the freedom to buy unique, one of a kind, non returnable gifts without wondering if they would fit.
Before I went, I made sure to use Measuring Up. I entered everyone's key measurements on their own page. When I saw an awesome, I have to buy it item, I could quickly measure the item according to the easy guide in the app so I knew it would fit. It could not have been simpler!
What a way to shop!!!!!!!!!!!!