Alternative Retail

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Insight Report | July 22, 2020 Premium

Contactless Technologies in Grocery Retail and Food Service: Touch-Free Shopping in a Post-Crisis World

We discuss recent developments in the adoption of contactless technologies in grocery retail and by food-service businesses, as they adapt to demand for touch-free shopping in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. This report includes highlights from Amazon, Coca-Cola and Walmart.

Insight Report | July 21, 2020 Premium

Retail Reimagined: Using Gamification To Attract Shoppers

As part of our Retail Reimagined series, which explores the outlook for retail in a post-crisis world, we discuss the rise of gamification and recent examples of this trend. We consider the implications for brands, retailers and technology vendors.

Insight Report | July 10, 2020 Premium

Four Months to Singles’ Day: How To Drive Brand Awareness and Store Traffic

With four months to go until Singles’ Day 2020, we provide key strategies for how brands and retailers can increase their presence and exposure on Alibaba’s Tmall platform in the lead-up to the shopping festival.

Event Coverage | July 7, 2020

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Fashinnovation’s Worldwide Talks 2020—Second Edition: Sustainability, Innovation and Inclusivity

Industry leaders in the fashion industry came together for two days of discussion amid the coronavirus pandemic. We present key insights from the second edition of Fashinnovation’s Worldwide Talks 2020, a digital event that highlighted the major themes of sustainability and innovation in the fashion industry.

Insight Report | June 30, 2020 Premium

New Retail Briefing: E-Commerce Platforms Launch Key Strategies To Support Businesses in China and the US Post Pandemic

E-commerce platforms in China have been rolling out new strategies to support businesses in China and the US in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. We discuss these recent developments in New Retail, which include the extension of payment terms for US buyers by Alibaba.com and JD.com’s plans to upgrade its logistics network to better serve lower-tier markets in China.

Insight Report | June 23, 2020 Premium

China Sees a Significant Sales Rebound during the 6.18 Midyear Shopping Festival

The 6.18 Shopping Festival represented a significant sales rebound in China following the coronavirus crisis. We explore the success of e-commerce platforms during this year’s event and the underlying consumer trends that drove sales.

Insight Report | June 18, 2020 Premium

Aldi’s One-Year Anniversary in China: Key Learnings for International Grocers

With discount supermarket Aldi celebrating its one-year anniversary in China, we discuss the retailer’s success in the market and the learnings it could offer to other foreign grocers.
We explore the five key components of Aldi’s strategy in the China market—including the retailer’s adoption of technology in a new retail model, its focus on fresh food, the implementation of cost-saving strategies and the role of online stores in offering imported goods to consumers.

Insight Report | June 12, 2020 Premium

Five Months to Singles’ Day: A Tactical Guide for How To Prepare for the Shopping Festival This Year

With five months to go until Singles’ Day 2020, we provide a six-step reference guide for brands and retailers to use in preparing for the shopping festival against the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis.

Market Outlook | June 11, 2020 Premium

US Home and Home-Improvement Retail: Post-Crisis Outlook

We explore the impacts of the coronavirus crisis on the home and home-improvement sector—including on sales, spending, store closures and retailer bankruptcies—and present an outlook for the remainder of 2020. To analyze the sector, we look closely at select US retailers, including Home Depot, RH and Willams-Sonoma. We summarize our key estimates for 2020 in an infographic

Deep Dive | June 10, 2020 Premium

New Retail Models in the Global Apparel and Footwear Market

As part of our series exploring new models of retailing across different sectors and channels, we focus on the innovative strategies being implemented by brands and retailers in the global apparel and footwear market, including ASOS and Macy’s. We discuss how brands are leveraging technologies to upgrade the shopping experience, providing extended options as part of the sharing economy and utilizing consumer data.

Insight Report | June 9, 2020 Premium

JD.com Kicks Off This Year’s 6.18 Shopping Festival: A Boost for Online and Offline Retail Post Crisis

JD.com launched its annual 6.18 Shopping Festival on May 25, 2020, marking the start of the event’s pre-sale period. We explore how the e-commerce platform has upgraded its services for this year’s festival, including by integrating physical retail promotions for a boundaryless shopping experience.

Insight Report | May 28, 2020 Premium

Beauty Insights: The Future of Home Hair Color as Salons Reopen

Salons are reopening across the US as coronavirus lockdowns are lifted. We assess the impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown and recovery on the home hair color product category and explore the possible future reality of the hair color sector over the next year.

Event Coverage | May 27, 2020

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Open for Business with Brad Burgess, Global Affairs Executive: Digital and Supply Chain Strategies during a Crisis and Beyond

As part of our Open for Business webinar series, we hosted Brad Burgess, Global Head of Corporate Affairs at JD.com. We present the transcript from this webinar, in which Burgess offered insights into supply chain challenges and technological innovations in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.

Insight Report | May 26, 2020 Premium

New Retail Briefing: Tmall Debuts a Luxury Discount Platform, Enabling Brands To Clear Inventory

Brands and e-commerce platforms in China have been implementing new initiatives to generate sales in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. We discuss these recent developments in New Retail, which include the launch of new luxury discount channel on Alibaba’s Tmall and a new group-buying platform by Tencent.

Insight Report | May 21, 2020 Premium

Coronavirus Insights: China Launches New “55 Shopping Festival” To Give Retail a Post-Lockdown Boost

To stimulate the economy and encourage consumers to release pent-up demand post Covid-19, the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government co-launched a new, large-scale shopping holiday with the retail industry at the beginning of May 2020. We discuss the scale and impact of the omnichannel 55 Shopping Festival, exploring how it is driving purchasing behavior in retail and tourism.