Marcelo Wesseler

Our research shows that more than 70% of brands & retailers report using manual processes to either predict or react to supply chain disruptions... Be part of the lucky 30% and automate your way to better #supplychain outcomes. Check out our latest piece on omni-market costing >>> protect your margins & mitigate risk in the #retail supply chain. Bamboo Rose | #innovation #technology #strategicsourcing

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Quick recap of today’s breakout session from the AiR Solutions Summit 2024, hosted by RETHINK Retail. Barry McGeough and I teamed up to moderate the breakout session on AI for CX and Marketing. We opened with the efficacy and opportunities for retails and brands to leverage AI-generated humans, “Pixels or People,” for influencer marketing, a growing trend in social commerce and hologram initiatives for in-store engagement. Referencing Aitana Lopez, with her 127 instagram followers and grossing $11k/month in revenue. The conversation then shifted to anticipated challenges with AI implementation in the coming year, highlighting the importance of operating from a unified commerce and a customer-first data infrastructure. A unified commerce platform was identified as critical for deploying AI effectively, especially with legacy tech stacks still presenting a major hurdle for adoption and context for any modern technology initiatives. It’s clear that retailers need to prioritize budgets and commit technical resources to establish core techstack strategy changes to accompany robust use cases next year. Most surprising was hearing retailers and strategists looking for more partners that are plug & play to help them speed up POC's and circumvent legacy tech. We discussed the importance of tracking the AI hype cycle, measuring ROI, and how to ensure our AI initiatives becomes a core component of business strategy rather than a short-term puff piece. Balancing personalization and operational efficiency emerged as a key theme, with valuable insights on using AI-driven personalization responsibly while maintaining brand authenticity. In terms of ROI, we discussed practical steps for measurement prior to deployment with various strategies to directly link AI investments to revenue and cost metrics. Barry wrapped up the discussion from Shanghai, China with a look at his digital day in the life of vs. the USA, while also touching on ambient computing and exploring how AI-driven innovations like on-demand usability and content creation are set to redefine customer experiences. It was a fantastic session, full of actionable insights and strong opinions! Excited to see how these concepts come to life. Thank you Matthew Adam Smith Paul Lewis Julia Hare Also featuring RETHINK Retail Experts, find their recaps on thier feed! #topretailexperts as moderators: Bryan Amaral Paula Macaggi Yael Kochman 🎗️Renee Hartmann Liza Amlani Shannon Flanagan David Polinchock #rethinkretail #AiR #AiRSummit #VirtualEvent #AIinRetail

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"Artificial Intelligence in eCommerce: Consumer Expectations and Top AI Trends" discusses how AI is projected to impact world economies, consumer views about AI, and the top 5 AI applications in eCommerce. https://ow.ly/nHsn50TnoKn

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The in-store #retailanalytics market is predicted to reach USD 18.2 billion by 2032, reported in a research analysis by Global Market Insights Inc. With innovations like RFID tags, beacons, smart shelves, and video analytics cameras, retailers gain real-time insights into both store operations and customer behaviour. These technologies generate vast amounts of #data, which require sophisticated analytics for effective processing and understanding. #retailinnovation https://lnkd.in/eSQFJmNk

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The precarious position of CEOs in #retail and #consumer #packagedgoods (CPG) industries stems from the high volatility and rapid changes in consumer behavior. Unlike sectors like automotive or finance, where purchase cycles are longer and more predictable, consumers in retail and CPG make frequent, easily influenced choices. This makes it quickly apparent when a brand is underperforming, and boards are more inclined to replace leadership in hopes of finding someone who can drive the company to the top of its category. The pressure is intensified by stakeholders’ expectations for radical growth, especially when a predecessor achieved success through incremental improvements. New CEOs often face the challenge of balancing strategic renewal with the need for quick results, all while navigating a rapidly shifting consumer landscape. Longevity in these roles hinges not only on having a compelling vision but also on the ability to adapt and execute effectively, seizing the opportunities that change presents. Ultimately, CEOs who consistently deliver value to both consumers and shareholders will be the ones who thrive in these high-risk, high-reward positions!

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Heard recently in the depths of the marketing department at Salesforce: "So, it looks like this Shopify thing is real. AI, too. We are losing market share in Salesforce Commerce Cloud fast. We need angle" "Yes. This is an excellent point. We have lost our people and clients to Shopify. We need something meaty for our existing teams and clients. There are still an awful lot of them" "Totally. But what should it be? What can we do?" "Eureka! I've got it. Let's open a global AI hub. We can make some buzz. Create a little noise. People love AI!" "Oh. My. God. Brilliant. You know what?" "What?" "We can open it in London! The next tech bub." "Amazing! Let's get cracking on that release" A class in the art of smoke and mirrors. Marketing 102 :) You're welcome.

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, and why it is critical for retailers today. With the massive growth in digital during Covid-19, many didn’t focus on efficiency - just get it done was the mantra. Now with two years of negative or at best flat growth in eCommerce, the focus has very much changed to profitability. And, for many retailers, it's an existential problem. We’ve seen major retailers and brands fail due to lack of profitability. We all need to learn from this and work out how we can do more, with less. A month or so back, Michael and I together with Mark and David had the opportunity to delve into why focusing on efficiency has become paramount for retailers. With digital growth stabilising post-pandemic, efficiency emerges as one of the key driver of sustainable profitability. In this, the sixth episode in this season's Multichannel Success Podcast, we share our thoughts on the shift from explosive digital growth to strategic investment decisions that improve the bottom-line. With the crucial role of technology in improving efficiency, we also discuss how #eCommerce integration, reducing time to market, and managing product information are key to staying competitive. Plus, we touch on the importance of company culture and employee experience in driving efficiency. The future of retail efficiency looks to be a blend of AI augmentation and a more interconnected, transparent organisation that focuses on value-added activities. Measuring efficiency can involve siple measure such as Revenue per Employee, all the way through to  compoun measures such as how quickly products go to market, all whilst dealing with more channels and greater content demands. Unit economics provides the real understanding of performance.   Retailers be warned - you need to get ready for this! LISTEN HERE: https://lnkd.in/enQ3QKJh As always, we at Sweft are delighted to have the opportunity to sponsor the Podcast - find out more about how you can optimise your eCommerce back-office operations at: https://www.gosweft.com/ #RetailEfficiency #multichannelsuccess

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Before spending your marketing dollars on retail media, take a few minutes to listen to this insightful conversation with Paras Shah. A true expert in digital marketing, Paras shares his hard-earned wisdom on how to make your retail media an investment in growth vs. simply a cost on your P&L. Check out the link below to hear the conversation for yourself. Link: https://lnkd.in/gGm8ZbJQ

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As a data strategy nerd, I found this article particularly insightful, offering the perspective of a leading #CPG marketer, Colgate-Palmolive, who is placing consumer and customer #data at the core of their #marketing #strategy and #tactics. 1. Collecting & Prioritizing First-Party Data: Colgate-Palmolive has redesigned its digital properties and apps to prioritize the collection of first-party data, such as email addresses and user consent. This approach not only reduces their reliance on third-party data but also aligns with evolving data privacy regulations and mitigates risk. 2. Quality Over Quantity: The company highlights the importance of collecting high-quality, declarative, deterministic data. By focusing on data that is intentionally gathered to provide personalized and valuable content. Colgate-Palmolive avoids the pitfalls of amassing large quantities of data without clear purpose, as demonstrated by their Hill’s pet food brand. 3. Investing in the Right Tools: Colgate-Palmolive is building a robust data infrastructure, including a customer data platform (CDP) and a customized martech stack. This investment ensures that the data collected is well-organized, effectively managed, and utilized across various channels. By doing so, they aim to achieve a unified view of the customer, enabling more personalized and impactful marketing strategies. Safe controlled data collaboration (#cleanroom) will be key when they activate and measure their advertising. 4. Future-Proofing: This first-party data strategy is designed to future-proof their marketing efforts. Instead of viewing the decline of third-party cookies as a challenge, Colgate-Palmolive sees it as an opportunity to strengthen direct relationships with consumers and better position their brand against direct-to-consumer (DTC) competitors. #datacollaboration #contentpersonalization #personalization #DigitalAdvertising #DigitalMarketing #CDP #Privacy https://lnkd.in/gmbVi-9P

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AI could cause a $1.6 trillion impact by the end of the decade for the top retailers 🤯 Check out the latest insights in @Dan Berthiaume's recent @Chain Store Age article around the "2024 AI Readiness Index" from analyst firm IHL Group. Retailers...now is the time to ensure your online experience is seamless so you can join these top retailers and see the best financial impact in the future. With Algolia's AI-powered search, you can do just that! More here:

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Check out the top five most powerful ways retailers are using Gemini models to transform their businesses and accelerate growth.

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Our colleagues at Semcore are not only skilled at SEO but also at predicting the future ✨ Check their forecasts about SXO trends for the upcoming years! #seo #ux #digitalmarketing #contentstrategy #searchexperienceoptimization #sxo

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When projects fail, true leaders step up. In the latest episode of the Disruptive Innovators: Champions of Digital Business podcast, David Wright talks to Jason James, CIO of Aptos Retail, about the critical role of technology in retail, leadership and mentorship. Jason emphasizes proactive communication during failures and the importance of mentoring future leaders. He discusses how technology should empower business, not just serve as a cost center. Jason also shares insights on how effective leadership can define a legacy and drive business success. For the full episode, click the link in the comments. #DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech #DigitalBusiness

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Have you ever wondered what the average NPS is for your specific industry? Grocery, Streaming Media, and Retail have the highest indutry NPS scores. By the way, these benchmarks are natively built into the Qualtrics experiences so you can monitor and track them as often as you like. Go see where your industry is and then let’s work on any improvements you want to make.

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Exciting Insights from The New York Times Interview with Robert Sanders In a recent interview, Dr. Stamatopoulos highlighted a fascinating trend: when Electronic Shelf Labels (E.S.L.s) are implemented in stores, they not only reduce the average price per unit sold but also increase the overall quantity of items sold. This dynamic pricing strategy, especially as expiration dates approach, creates a win-win situation for both companies and consumers. ……..! At Wasteless AI , we are harnessing the power of smart dynamic pricing to tackle food waste and enhance profitability. By using advanced algorithms, we enable retailers to optimize pricing in real-time, ensuring that products nearing their expiration dates are sold quickly while maximizing revenue and reducing foodwaste and markdown costs This approach not only benefits the bottom line but also contributes to a more sustainable future by reducing waste. Together, we can transform the retail landscape and create efficient, eco-friendly shopping experiences! Oded Omer Tomas Pasqualini Yossi Regev

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My last 20 years of experience with the retail industry taught me that ‘apparently simple’ problem of ‘demand forecasting’ has never been solved. Typical problems of ‘out of stock’ and ‘over stock’ are still prevailing in our high tech retail tech world of AI. My recent discussion with couple of my CIO friends reconfirmed my hypothesis that ‘demand forecasting’ unless supported by ‘supply chain’ and ‘last mile logistics’, it is bound to fail. The challenge does come from technology infrastructure. It really comes from understanding of data, interpretation and using multivariate analysis to a decision path and outcome. McKinsey’s article clearly emphasizes the lessons we learn in this regard. #retail #retailtech #AI #logistics #supplychain #demandforecasting #overstock #outofstock #deeplearning #Mckinsey #epam

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I'm pleased to share my recent interview with Authority Magazine where I discuss the future of retail and the transformative trends shaping the industry. 🌟 In the interview, I delve into several key areas: 1. AI-Driven Personalization: How AI is creating hyper-personalized shopping experiences. 2. Supply Chain Transparency: The growing demand for transparency in product origins and sustainability. 3. Social Commerce: The rise of platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping as vital retail hubs. 4. The Pre-Loved Revolution: The mainstream acceptance of second-hand luxury. 5. Experiential Virtual Retail: Innovations like virtual dressing rooms and 3D product inspections. 6. Retail Workforce 2.0: The evolving role of retail employees in the age of AI. 7. Supply Chain Resilience: Using AI to create adaptive and resilient supply chains. 8. Autonomous Retail: The increasing prevalence of cashierless stores and self-driving delivery vehicles. 9. Climate-Conscious Retail: The shift towards sustainability as a core business model. These trends highlight that the future of retail is not just about selling products but creating personalized experiences, building trust, and meeting customers wherever they are, whether on social media or in virtual environments. Read the full interview here: Authority Magazine Interview https://lnkd.in/dBk938jW #RZLV #RetailInnovation #FutureOfRetail #AI #Sustainability #CustomerExperience #SupplyChain #SocialCommerce #VirtualRetail #AutonomousRetail #ClimateConscious

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Using AI powered pricing optimization software is one of the fastest ways for distributors to speed turns and increase revenue and margins.

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