Retailing Today Demands Connections to Shoppers — and Relevancy

In the current retail climate, successful companies are not only listening to their customers, but connecting with them in a meaningful way. It’s also about relevancy in a brand-saturated and overstored market, noted analysts in two separate reports. Dana Telsey, chief research officer of Telsey Advisory Group, said recent executive letters to shareholders from companies such as Amazon, Home Depot and Foot Locker are revealing strategies that are centered in how these companies are tackling the topic of “relevancy.” And in a separate report about Kohl’s Corp. from Fitch Ratings, analysts at the firm said a “key focus of Kohl’s omnichannel strategy will continue to be amplifying the role and relevance of its stores. Well-maintained stores have increasingly proved their importance in maintaining consumer connections as part of an omnichannel model for product research and service elements throughout the shopping process.” The notion of offering relevancy in today’s retail market is more complicated than it sounds. It requires brands and retailers to invest in stores as well as in technologies and solutions that improve online shopping and fulfillment. But it all starts by listening to shoppers. Related story on consumer behavior: Gen Z Crave a World Without Borders, Boundaries and Binaries “Listening to customers informs

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