Canadian Retailer - Winter 2013 - 5

now be possible to better predict
consumer behaviour and tailor offers and communications with more
precision. British retailer Tesco has
started to include coupons for beer
in its direct mailings to ﬁrst-time
buyers of diapers, after data showed
that new dads, denied their usual
pub time, were picking their ale up
at stores.
Geo-fencing

More brick-and-mortar retailers will
launch opt-in mobile programs that
send SMS promotions or other messages to consumers when they’re in their
stores or within a certain range. While
the technology has been in place for
a few years, more retailers will start
adopting it as a way to combat showrooming and survive in today’s hypercompetitive environment.
Retailer Recycling

In a bid to be greener, retailers
are ramping up efforts to keep their
products out of landﬁlls. In 2012, for
example, Puma introduced Bring
Me Back, adding in-store bins into
which shoppers can deposit used
clothing and shoes—of any brand.
The goods are then reused, upcycled for industrial use or recycled
into new raw materials. A similar
trend involves a renewed focus on
sustainable operational practices
and greener product assortments.

Buying Local

Mobile Payments a Reality?

This trend reﬂects consumers’ renewed sensitivity to environmental
issues as well as the growth of urban
centres to the detriment of rural regions. Look for customers to seek
more information concerning the
sourcing of product, including where
food is grown and manufactured,
with a focus on local procurement
and food safety. In addition, urban
customers want to shop in their
neighbourhoods and expect the same
choice and assortment of goods
as one would ﬁnd in a shopping or
power centre. This will have an important impact on retailers’ store design and real estate footprint.

Starbucks shook the digital landscape in 2012 by partnering with
mobile payments service Square,
allowing its customers at 7,000 retail locations to pay for cups of java
with the Square Wallet app. Apple’s
Passbook feature for the iPhone 5
allows consumers to save coupons,
redeem them at the store and buy
products all in one app. Early reaction has not been as encouraging as
hoped, highlighting just how far the
mobile payment dream still has to
go. Nevertheless, it’s coming sooner
rather than later.

Tablet Shopping

As a wider range of consumers
adopt tablets, and more retailers
embrace the plethora of opportunities that the platform offers, tablet
commerce is expected to take off in
a very big way. The appeal of tablet
shopping includes a bigger screen
than smartphones, a more laid-back
experience with easier touch browsing than traditional e-commerce
platforms, and aggregation apps
(like catalogue) that let shoppers
scan multiple catalogues simultaneously. Watch for more creative
tablet-based offerings from online
retailers as shopaholics develop a
new guilty pleasure.

Many more trends were identiﬁed
during discussions with you, such as
the emerging role of the male shopper and the importance of the aging
and ethnic consumers. In the coming
issues of Canadian Retailer magazine, we will endeavour to keep you
abreast of all the issues that will shape
your business and the retail sector in
the months and years to come.
Until then, the entire team at RCC
wishes you a healthy and prosperous 2013.

Diane J. Brisebois
President and CEO
Retail Council of Canada

DAVACO delivers the best results for the biggest names in retail, restaurants and hospitality across North America. We
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Canadian Retailer - Winter 2013

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