Retail

Grocery Cost

Value-based Grocery Shopping: The Opportunities for CPG Brands

Brand Strategy, Packaging Design /

In today’s challenging economic landscape with high inflation, many consumers are becoming increasingly budget-conscious with grocery shopping. As a result, discount and value-based retailers have been more popular as go-to destinations for some shoppers trying to minimize food costs. Research by Statista shows that the share of grocery store shoppers using Dollarama has increased by […]

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Indie Brand Launch Kit: How to Set Your Brand Up for Success

Brand Strategy /

Starting a business is like building a house – there are some fundamentals you must get right to ensure it stays standing and provides a foundation for the future. From building a business case to naming and branding, this toolkit will help entrepreneurs and indie brands build a solid foundation. This easy-to-follow worksheet will help

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Store

The Power of Concept Stores with Little or No Inventory

Retail Design /

Concept stores are an innovative departure from conventional brick-and-mortar stores, offering carefully curated, immersive encounters with a brand. Investing in a store that features minimal or no products on-site seems bold and costly. Why should brands consider such an investment? While profitability might not be the immediate outcome, concept stores possess great marketing potential. Their

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Trust

Building Brand Trust in an Age of Deep Fakes, Bot Factories & Angry AI

Brand Strategy /

In 2021 we launched a consumer study series to understand how misinformation impacted consumers. We discovered that despite an emerging skepticism, there was a high level of optimism as the pandemic appeared to be subsiding and life was finally “returning to normal.” Today, inflation, the war in Ukraine, climate-related extreme weather, and political division unfolding

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Think outside the box

Breaking Category Norms: 6 Brands That Went Against The Flow

Brand Strategy, Digital Experiences /

In the world of brand strategy, there are norms in each category that are considered to be the wisdom of the day. These rules are in flux, responding to changing market dynamics and consumer expectations, but it is uncommon for brands to deviate from norms. Occasionally, however, someone decides to go against the flow. In

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Theft versus Experience: A Behavioral Approach to Self-Checkouts

Retail /

Self-checkouts should be working better than they do. Although consumers are warming up to them, theft related to a cashier-less experience is so extreme that some retailers are pulling them out. Others are amping up deterrence measures, but many of these practices are rubbing consumers the wrong way. Is there a better approach? In this

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What Can CPG Brands Learn From Packaging Design In Asia?

Design Innovation, Food and Beverage, Packaging Design /

In Canada, an ethnically and culturally diverse country, it’s not hard to find CPG products imported from Asia. What can CPG brands in North America learn from their designs? From the sleek simplicity of Japanese packages to the playful charm of South Korean designs and the intricate artistry of Indian creations, the variety and creativity

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Revolutionizing the Customer Journey: Lessons from Tesla for Retailers in Creating a Seamless Experience

Retail, Retail Design /

While Tesla is a contentious company in the automobile industry, there is no doubt that the Tesla brand has become one of the fastest-growing automobile companies in history. The relatively new company has revolutionized the industry in more ways than one over the last decade. One of the most significant has been a change in

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Leveraging Extended Reality (XR) in Retail Spaces

Retail, Specialty Retail /

In the age of technology, industries are rapidly changing to incorporate new and exciting technological developments. Retail is no exception, with the introduction of many new technologies over the years. With the development of Extended Reality devices, equipping retail spaces with extended reality (XR) experiences can serve as an additional touchpoint in a brand’s omnichannel

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Revealing Untapped Potential: How CPG Brands Can Thrive in the Baby Boomer Market

Packaging Design /

Accurately predicting the future of retail environments, customers, and trends can be difficult for any brand. With so many businesses focusing on how to better serve Generation Z customers, an entire generation has been forgotten and cast aside: baby boomers. According to census data, there are approximately 73 million baby boomers in the United States,

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Polarization

How can retailers navigate political and ESG polarization?

Brand Strategy /

In this divided era with the growing influence of social media, retail leaders and strategists suffer a major headache: how can they sail through the stormy seas of competing ideologies while keeping customers happy? Faced with political and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) polarization, businesses have to walk a tightrope between sticking to brand values

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Inclusivity In Retail

Retail Design /

Inclusion has grown in importance and is being recognized in a variety of areas, including retail store design. In retail store design, inclusiveness entails making spaces accessible, welcoming, and safe for all customers, regardless of their background or physical abilities.  The recent politicization of “woke” ideas and policies has created the perception of a divide

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The Importance of Printing in Design: A Guide to Print Production

Digital Experiences /

Printing has never been more important in the design world than it is today. As packaging and marketing become more colorful and complex, it is up to production teams to ensure that the proper procedures are followed for a project’s successful printing. In this blog, we’ll go over all of the important terms, aspects, and

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Customer Segmentation Strategies: Emerging Trends and Best Practices

Retail /

The future of customer segmentation is rapidly changing, introducing new trends and best practices that businesses have to adapt to. Effective customer segmentation is critical in today’s dynamic market landscape for understanding target audiences and delivering tailored products and services. Companies can increase customer engagement and loyalty by categorizing customers based on shared characteristics, preferences,

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Attracting Gen Z to the Retail Industry: The Changing Needs of Younger Talent

Retail /

Labor shortages have hit the retail industry hard. COVID may have been the catalyst for many to leave the industry, but the conditions for this crisis pre-date the pandemic. Employee motivation in the retail sector has been on the decline for ages. Conditions today are challenging for retailers: economic uncertainty, inflation, and supply chain issues

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Reducing Inflation Anxiety in Retail: Strategies for Creating a Positive Shopping Experience

Retail, Retail Design /

In many households across the world, inflation has become a source of concern. This includes Canada, where inflation reached 8.1% in the first six months of 2022 and grocery prices rose at the fastest rate since 1981. With 55% of Canadian respondents in recent studies concerned about inflation, compared to 39% globally, it’s clear that

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