February 12, 2019 Insight Report Premium New Retail Briefing #3: Walmart China Eyes Retail Innovation; A.S. Watson and Unilever Agree to New Retail PartnershipsWalmart China launched the Omega8 initiative in January 2019 to serve as a proof of concept (POC) platform that lets tech startups test newly designed technology applications in a real retail environment. Walmart reported over 50 startups signed up for the initiative. Walmart will train these companies in a variety of retail operation skills. Walmart said its existing 400 offline stores in China will act as testing grounds for startup technology before rolling out to mass market. This Omega8 initiative shows Walmart’s ambition of leveraging tech startups for its own digital innovation, and understanding of the Chinese market. Ben Hassing, Senior Vice President of Walmart China said, “Walmart has worked with many technology startups not only to propel our business in China, but also to understand the Chinese market and China in greater depth.”
February 11, 2019 Insight Report Premium Understanding the Asian Retail Market, Including Eight Insights from China: Deborah Weinswig’s CES 2019 PresentationSummary of the presentation given by Deborah Weinswig, CEO and Founder of Coresight Research, at CES Las Vegas on January 9, 2019, focusing on eight things people can learn from China.
February 6, 2019 Deep Dive Free Report US Retailer Survey: Revealing the Hidden Costs of Poor Inventory ManagementToday’s retail environment is marked by more intense competition and rapid changes in consumer preferences, both of which pressure retailers to make smarter inventory decisions. To minimize unplanned markdowns that impact the bottom line, retailers must ensure that they deliver products consumers want to buy to the locations where they want to buy them.
January 29, 2019 Flash Report Register for Free Access Legacy UK Retailers Tesco and Marks & Spencer Think Radically to Expand Margins and Revive Revenue GrowthIn a press release on January 29, Tesco confirmed plans to close fresh-food counters in around 90 stores, with 700 further stores retaining a “full or flexible” counter offer. It will also simplify stock management at store level, close store canteens and make job cuts at its head office. The company estimates that up to 9,000 roles could be impacted but it expects up to half of these people could be redeployed.
January 28, 2019 Deep Dive Free Report 10 Retail Trends for 2019: Get Ready for Retail ReinventionGet ready for better stores and better retailing. We expect 2019 to be a year of reinvention — and not just for the retail sector as a whole, but for physical stores in particular. As we outline over the following pages, we anticipate that the year will be marked by spectacular retail, fast retail and smart retail.
January 25, 2019 Insight Report Premium 10 Trends for China E-Commerce 2019We expect 2019 will be a dynamic year for e-commerce in China. Consumers have high expectations and competition is stiffening. Here are 10 trends we think will shape China’s e-commerce landscape in 2019:
January 24, 2019 Flash Report Register for Free Access JD.com Takes Flight in Indonesia with Drone Delivery TrialJD.com’s drone delivery is the first time a Chinese drone has been used for delivery in Southeast Asia, and is also the first time the Indonesian government has granted permission to use a drone for logistics purpose.
January 23, 2019 Event Coverage Register for Free Access AI Creates Smarter Living: Takeaways from the TechLIFEStyle Conference in Hong KongThe Coresight Research team attended TechLIFEStyle conference, part of StartmeupHK, held in Hong Kong January 22, 2019. StartmeupHK is an initiative launched by InvestHK to promote Hong Kong as a startup destination, connecting entrepreneurs and investors. The theme of the event was “living smarter, living better,” looking at how lifestyle technology can be woven into everyday life. These are some highlights of the event.
January 22, 2019 Insight Report Premium Chinese New Year Preview: Year of the Pig Celebrations to be Worth ¥1 Trillion to Retail as Digital Gifting and Traveling Continue to Go BigRetail and food-service sales during Chinese New Year grew steadily from 2011 to 2018. During the 2018 Chinese New Year Golden Week (February 15-21), retail sales reached ¥926 billion (about $146 billion), 10.2 % higher than the same period in 2017 —and more than double what it was in 2011, according to Ministry of Commerce statistics.
January 18, 2019 Flash Report Register for Free Access Walgreens Boots Alliance and Microsoft Forge Partnership to Explore Digital Health OpportunitiesDrugstore retailer WBA and technology giant Microsoft have entered into a seven-year agreement which includes developing software and technology for patient care management and retail store operations. This alliance follows close on the heels of last month’s deal with Alphabet’s life sciences business Verily to help patients manage medication. Through this partnership, WBA will be able to leverage Microsoft’s cloud services suite Azure. The suite of tools and applications uses several cutting-edge technologies, such as cloud, AI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain. Microsoft has developed a host of healthcare tools, such as a smartphone app to connect users with healthcare providers and AI-based software engines to crunch masses of patient data to help detect possible health conditions sooner.
January 17, 2019 Deep Dive Premium 10 Tech Startup Trends Reshaping Retail in 2019: Get Ready for Digital DisruptionThe retail industry has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade, and continues to evolve quickly. In 2019, the market will be defined by emerging technologies that change the way consumers interact with brands, by new engagement formats and channels, as retailers look to collaboration more with startups to future-proof their businesses.
January 16, 2019 Event Coverage Register for Free Access NRF 2019 Day 3: Hearing About Mission-Driven Brands, China’s Digital Leadership and How Inclusion Can Fuel GrowthOver the course of the day, we heard multiple panelists emphasize that consumers want to know what companies and brands stand for, and not just what they are selling. Companies are increasingly taking stands on social and political issues and we expect this trend to continue into 2019. In 2018, Dick’s Sporting Goods took a stand on gun control; Patagonia has a long heritage of being a mission-driven company and has given over $100 million to support environmental issues including air, water, and soil. The company also announced it would donate all the proceeds of the recent corporate tax cut to entities that combat climate change, saying the environment needed the money more.
January 15, 2019 Event Coverage Register for Free Access NRF 2019 Day 2: Challenging Old ParadigmsCoresight Research Founder and CEO Deborah Weinswig discussed AI in retail with experts from Guess, JD and Markable in a panel discussion called The Intelligence Revolution is Here. Weinswig discussed the massive opportunity in AI in a range of areas from communicating with customers, to optimizing prices and products, to managing inventory and delivering experiential retail.
January 15, 2019 Insight Report Premium New Retail Briefing #1: JD.com and Alibaba RestructureOn December 21, 2018, JD.com announced it would restructure its operations with JD Mall, the company’s main revenue-generating unit. JD Mall will be divided into three business departments, including serving customers; business support services; and, infrastructure control and risk management. JD.com said in its announcement that the new structure will enable it to better focus on customers. JD Mall’s restructuring also aims to diversify its management team and assuage investors that Liu Qiangdong, JD’s founder and CEO, is not the only person driving decision-making at the company.
