*By Michael Teich*
Sparkling water and fancy coffee may not be enough to lure consumers into struggling brick-and-mortar shops. But creating uncontrived experiences in stores will help retailers survive the transition to a digital economy, said Rima Reddy, a principal at innovation accelerator XRC Labs.
"The key is to not make them so that they feel like they are forced," Reddy said Thursday in an interview on Cheddar. "That's really hard. They really have to be perfectly on-brand."
Retailers could benefit from Bonobos' strategy of designing stores like showrooms and shifting the focus away from just selling, she said. This would save stores money by reducing expenses on real estate.
Beyond an improvement in the real-life shopping experience, retailers need to invest judiciously in the right technology. Reddy said stores should integrate tech that adds value to shoppers ー not just flash for the sake of flash.
Tech, above all, should make shopping more efficient, Reddy said. And in her view, that means augmented reality.
"AR has really practical implications for customers," she said. "VR, when you have to wear a headset, it's just novel. It's not really helping the customer in any way."
For full interview [click here] (https://cheddar.com/videos/unoriginal-in-store-experiences-wont-save-retailers-says-expert).
Kory Kantenga, Head of Economics Americas at LinkedIn, unpacks Friday’s jobs numbers, labor force trends, and signals of a potential economic deal with China.
Bret Kenwell, US Investment Analyst at eToro, joins us to break down tech earnings, what’s driving tech stock momentum, and what investors should watch next.
Citigroup’s Global Chief Economist, Nathan Sheets, breaks down the Fed’s decision to hold rates, Trump’s reaction, and the likelihood of a cut this fall.
Tony Edward discusses Ethereum’s rise, governance of corporate crypto treasuries, the newly signed GENIUS Act, and the pending CLARITY Market Structure Act.
The Ether Machine, led by CEO David Merin, announces a $1.5B SPAC IPO. The firm holds 400K ETH, making it the largest Ethereum treasury holder globally.
