Comments on: The New Digital Retail Revolution

By: Paul Sweeting

Paul Sweeting — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:20:49 +0000

Daniel–I don’t think it’s so much a question of shopping on price, it’s a question of the relationship between marketer, retailer and consumer. I think the technology is turning retailers into information brokers between the other two ends of the pipeline, rather than mere resellers. It’s up retailers to figure out how best to take advantage of that role. But I think Wal-Mart is a pretty good example of how information technology can alter that relationship to the benefit of the retailer.

There’s a reason Wal-Mart doesn’t allow its data to be included in industry-wide POS surveys like BookScan or SoundScan. It knows its leverage with marketers depends on its proprietary access to information.

Of course, it helps that Wal-Mart has enormous scale, which makes its data invaluable to a marketer. Retailers using Krillion don’t necessarily have that. But the logic of the technology is the same. As is most other fields, knowledge is power in retailing.

By: Mark Kelley

Mark Kelley — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:15:03 +0000

It would be truly useful if the process of “discovery” were enhanced by mobile information technology. Everybody knows that on the rare occasion when they find themselves exploring a local area (often when they are lost) they find retail stores they were looking for in years past but who’s existence they were unaware of.

at a local TiE even in San Diego there was a presentation from Transaction Wireless who have a wGift program that provides incentive to brick-and-mortar gift cards to mobile devices.

By: Daniel Taylor

Daniel Taylor — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:49:52 +0000

This isn’t about economic rationality. It’s pretty well established that people don’t buy simply on price. If this were the case, everyone would buy generic, there’d be no brands, no advertising, no media and no Internet.

So it’s reasonable to wonder what would happen to the big box retailers if everyone was rational and shopped on price.

But the more important question relates to CPG companies and their role in this shift. Are information tools a new paradigm for digital marketing, or is this more of the same driving increased marketing efficiency for CPG companies?

By: Michael Wolf

Michael Wolf — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:09:01 +0000

Maybe I’m an exception working for tech-company/publication, but I find my own behavior is actually changing due to the use of social media overlays combined with geolocation capabilities for local retail. I find myself actually going to the local Starbucks or bakery more due to my recent use of Foursquare. While not exactly in the same space as Milo/Krillion, I absolutely think that consumer behavior changes when they are provided social media tools combined with geo capabilities.