IHL IN THE NEWS

How to Navigate the Post-Purchase Communication ‘Minefield’

There’s no denying that consumers today expect more from the retail experience, and increasingly, that includes their experience with a brand even after a purchase is completed. In fact, 53% of shoppers view the post-purchase period as the most emotional part of any shopping experience.

Walmart and Target are winning the inflation economy's endgame

The retail market is polarized, with clear winners and losers in a pitched fight for consumers’ dollars

Rethinking Grocery: Why Smart Grocers Are “Checking Out” Autonomous Stores

A RETHINK Retail special report on the innovations in the world of frictionless shopping

Starbucks' new CEO will need to please shareholders — and Howard Schultz, analysts say

As Starbucks’ new CEO, Brian Niccol, the current CEO of Chipotle (CMG), faces a tough road ahead: he must win the favor of both the former CEO Howard Schultz, and the demand of shareholders. Balancing the two has tripped up past leaders, making his task all the more critical.

A $5 Meal Deal at McDonalds, Price Wars Also at Starbucks, Walmart, Target

McDonald’s announced Thursday that customers who spend a minimum of $1 on Fridays will receive free fries with their order, as part of its effort to win back inflation-scorned customers.

McDonald's and other food giants are struggling in the inflation economy

Earnings reports from some of the biggest food companies have highlighted struggles with higher prices, labor shortages, and more.

Walmart and other retailers are fighting for bargain-hunting, inflation-weary customers. Here's how

A slew of quarterly earnings reports and other company announcements have highlighted the extent to which customers are on the hunt for bargains.

Best Buy and other retailers started 2024 by closing stores. They're not done, analysts say

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of consumers across the U.S., retailers faced a grim reality: store closures. While some are bouncing back — and in some places quicker than others — analysts say that store closures aren’t done yet.

Business News RETAIL ROUNDUP Inflation hits McDonald's, IHOP and Applebee's, Target's new thing, and Aldi cuts prices

In retail news, Applebee’s and IHOP say customers are ditching their higher priced menu items for tenders and burgers. Aldi wants to compete with Walmart and Target and plans to do so by cutting prices on 250 items. Krispy Kreme had its best sales day ever, thanks to Valentine’s Day.

From Electric Cars to Customer Journeys: Talking Retail with IHL’s Jerry Sheldon

One of the things I love about working in retail technology PR is the chance to develop friendships with so many of the clients, editors and analysts we work with at Ketner Group.

Aptos Engage: Transformation Around the New Normal

Last month I had the opportunity to attend Aptos Engage. Like most of the retail technology user conferences this year, the event was held virtually, with the hope that next year the event would be in person. I happen to have a long history with Aptos. When I first entered retail as an analyst almost 17 years ago, Aptos was then NSB Group, and it was a leader in the POS space. And while the Aptos of today is very different from the NSB Group of that time, so many of those core competencies remain, not the least of which is expertise in the POS and mPOS space.

Food Giants Struggle in Inflation Economy

Despite inflation continuing its downward trend from its 2022 peak, high prices have persisted, causing big fast-food chains to struggle to keep this anxiety from impacting sales, reports Quartz.

AI + Cloud + Data + Trust, Salesforce’s Formula for Winning Big

Salesforce Connections 2023, a premier two-day event held last week in Chicago, brought together more than 10,000 attendees. With a strong emphasis on the central theme of AI, particularly in relation to customer experience enhancement and trust. The conference aimed to address the growing concerns surrounding trust in AI, a topic often overlooked or treated with superficiality in these early days of ChatGPT.

America's retailers are dealing with a tangled mess

The supply chain snarls that followed the pandemic have been mostly unsnarled. Inflation has fallen far below its 2022 peak. And the economy continues to hum, with the recession forecasts that dominated last year well in the rearview mirror.

Industry Thought Leaders Opine on Grocery 2023

With so much change in the grocery industry over the past few years it is importantto take a moment to evaluate the year that was and prepare yourself for asuccessful future