Retail Technology Magazine

Retailers often talk about loyalty programmes, but do they move the needle? A new global study by the Loyalty Science Lab and the Customer Strategy Network finally puts numbers behind the claims. 💡 Key takeaways: 📊 Loyalty pays off: On average, members are worth 3.5× more than non‑members; the very best programmes see ratios as high as 12.6×. 📈 Revenue lift: Participating operators report an average 35 % revenue boost from loyalty initiatives, with some achieving a 91 % lift. 🤝 Engagement gap: Transaction-based active membership averages 53%, yet only 35% actively redeem rewards—a gap that highlights huge potential for deeper engagement. 🕛 Breakage & timing: About 26 % of points go unredeemed, and the average time to a reward is seven months. Balancing financial sustainability with meaningful, timely rewards is key. These benchmarks show why data‑driven programme design and continuous engagement are essential to maximise customer lifetime value (CLTV). If you’re responsible for customer loyalty or digital experience, this research is worth your time. Read the full article for more insights: https://lnkd.in/e8zdMX7R #CustomerLoyalty #RetailTech #LoyaltyProgrammes #CX

Retail Technology Magazine is proud to bring you the Quickfire - Shopify Premier Partner Guide to AOV, where our Publisher, Miya Knights, explored not only best practices but also the pitfalls and emerging trends shaping 2025’s ecommerce landscape. Here are the insights we're most excited about! Mistakes to Avoid: ⛔️ Chasing AOV at All Costs: Never sacrifice profitability or ignore CLV for short-term order boosts. ⛔️ Overcomplicating Offers: Too many upsells, confusing bundles, or unrealistically high free-shipping thresholds erode trust and increase cart abandonment. Trends to Watch: ✅ ARPU for Subscription Models – Average Revenue Per User provides deeper cohort insights beyond traditional AOV. ✅ Loyalty-Tier Incentives – Gamified rewards and tiered perks that unlock only at certain spend levels, driving repeat high-value orders. ✅ Post-Purchase Upsells & Shoppable Live – From “Thank You” page offers to live-stream commerce, the moment after checkout should be your next frontier. ✅ AI + AR Try-Ons – Personalisation that merges virtual try-ons with data-driven recommendations is revolutionising engagement. Ready to avoid common AOV pitfalls and stay ahead of these trends? Download the report and discover how to tailor these strategies to your brand!✨ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ecXfbyt5

Exciting news for UK and European SMEs: Alibaba.com has opened entries for the world’s largest product-based pitch competition. With a total prize pool of nearly £750,000, including £150,000 (50% cash, 50% sourcing credits) for the London Grand Champion, CoCreate Europe will land in London on 14 November, bringing together innovators—from industrial manufacturers to hospitality service providers—to pitch their most groundbreaking product ideas. All entrants gain complimentary access to Alibaba.com’s AI‑powered sourcing tools (pre‑filled forms, instant in‑app WhatsApp communications, virtual factory visits, and more) and tap into a network of 200,000+ suppliers and 50 million buyers globally. Whether you’re a reseller, wholesaler, or brand owner, now’s the time to share your story: post a 30‑second video with #CoCreatePitch and tag "@Alibaba.com_official" (TikTok/Instagram) or apply online. In a discussion with our Publisher, Miya Knights, Managing Director, Michelle Lau, discussed how the internet giant is harnessing the power of AI in digital B2B sourcing to drive growth and innovation. 🚀 Read the story here: https://lnkd.in/exRpVqbf #B2Becommerce #SME #DigitalSourcing #AI #CoCreate #Alibaba

Online marketplace and technology provider Alibaba.com has recently launched a new competition for UK and European small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) to showcase its business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce capabilities. Full story https://lnkd.in/exRpVqbf #B2B #SME

🚨 Ticket prices for Shoptalk Fall go up this Friday! Join the industry's most forward-thinking retailers, brands, tech companies, and investors as we shape the future of retail together. ✨ Why you don't want to miss Shoptalk Fall: 🔴 Unmatched networking with retail's top decision-makers 🔵 Game-changing insights from world-class speakers 🟡 Curated meetings that actually move your business forward 🟢 A first look at the technologies redefining the customer experience 🎟️ Lock in your pass now before prices rise: https://lnkd.in/essCwg6p

Struggling with Average Order Value? Our 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗔𝗢𝗩 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 is the answer. Inside, we cover everything: ✅ Improving profitability ✅ Strategic upselling ✅ Smart merchandising rules ✅ AI product recommendations And SO much more. Ready to make AOV work for you? 👇 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ecXfbyt5 👏 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗘 thanks to everyone involved in making this happen: Mous, PAWD DRINKS, and Miya Knights Skio, Nosto, and PrettyDamnQuick #AOV #AverageOrderValueOptimisation #AverageOrderValue #ROI #Ecommerce #Strategy #Retail #OnlineRetail #Shopify #ShopifyPlus

Amazon has unveiled three new AI innovations that it says will create real-world value for customers, employees, and delivery partners. Full story https://lnkd.in/erA8j_aq #AI #amazon

ICYMI - I've been digesting Anthropic’s latest announcement about Project VEND. Its Claudius agent could handle many of the functions required to run a small shop. Project VEND is a clear indication that AI agents are transitioning from theory to practical enterprise application. Claude, their frontier model, has now been tested not just as a chatbot but as an autonomous agent that can take real-world actions across various platforms, including Zendesk, internal dashboards, and business tools. I believe that, for retailers in particular, this represents a step change from prediction to prescription. The key implications are: ✅ Customer service transformation — VEND-style agents can resolve tickets, process refunds, and update systems autonomously. This will redefine service speed, cost, and consistency. ✅ Operational automation — From inventory checks to supply chain updates, agents can now execute multi-step workflows. ✅ Governance by design — Safety features like approval gating, logging, and human handoff make agent use auditable and compliant, which are essential for regulated retail environments. ✅ Beyond copilots — These systems are no longer just assistants. They can act across systems, learn from feedback, and drive outcomes. Even though Claudius could not identify lucrative opportunities, suffered hallucinations, and could even be cajoled via Slack into offering discounts, the project suggests retailers that enable secure, supervised agent access to internal systems will see outsized productivity and CX gains. You can read more about Project VEND here: https://lnkd.in/e-7Y5HP9 (Canva AI image generated from the prompt: "AI Agent running a store") #AIstrategy #RetailTech #DigitalTransformation #Anthropic

Missed the transformative ideas presented in Barcelona? Don't sweat it. You can continue the conversation started on stage at Shoptalk EU and explore the evolving needs of today's shoppers in our upcoming webinar: https://lnkd.in/gbGzeY4J June 18 at 2:30pm BST | 9:30am EDT Hear from our expert lineup of speakers includes Miya Knights of Retail Technology Magazine and our SVP, Consumer Products Helen Merriott as they discuss the next big shifts in retail. #Shoptalk #Retail #PublicisSapient

Retail Express’ Ed Betts highlights the importance of a transition to rules-based pricing, and the benefits that retail price optimisation software can bring to retailers struggling to keep up https://lnkd.in/eDFVwJx8 #AI #pricing Retail Express