90% of Brits don’t know how companies use their data

As Black Friday approaches on November 24, millions of Brits are gearing up for the annual shopping sales event of the year, eager to snag the best deals.

However, amid the frenzy of discounts and promotions, Forbes Advisor, the price comparison and financial guidance platform, is reminding consumers to be vigilant about how companies handle their personal data.

A recent study from technology experts reveals that almost nine in ten (88%) Brits are concerned about how...

22 November 2023 | Big Data

UK shoppers desire AI-driven retail experiences but are wary of its use

Less than half (41%) of UK shoppers believe that AI is having a positive impact on their retail experiences. Despite this, more than two-thirds (70%) prefer brands that offer personalised recommendations – a common use case for AI in retail.

These findings come from a new study by SAP Emarsys, which surveyed over 2,000 UK shoppers. The research suggests a clear conflict between consumer concerns about AI and their desire to reap the...

24 August 2023 | Commerce

Social commerce soars as 61% of 25- to 34-year-olds buy on social media

Spocial media apps on a smartphone

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated consumer adoption of online shopping, including shopping on social media as more than a third (39%) of all US consumers say they have made a purchase on social media and would do so again.

With 90% of consumers aware of brand pages/accounts on social media - and only 10% who say they avoid brands’ social media pages - the opportunity for engagement is huge.

Katie Hansen, retail and e-commerce Analyst at Mintel, said: “Social commerce...

7 June 2022 | S-Commerce

Gartner: How is digital commerce changing the face of customer experience?

There was a time when digital commerce meant static storefronts. Back then, if you were to purchase from a business, you’d almost definitely have spoken to someone along the way – either face-to-face or over the phone. Perhaps it was the cashier at your local grocery or the account manager at your local bank. You might have even known their name. Even if you didn’t, you’d expect that staff would be trained in a variation of the phrase, ‘the customer is always right’ as a...

16 March 2021 | Best Practice

Assessing the 2021 landscape: Commerce aligned with social set to rocket as brands truly digitise

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that massive disruptions can happen overnight across industries, with customer communication responsibilities from marketing to care often falling to the social media marketing team. The trends we at Socialbakers have seen take shape this year -- from increased usage of social messaging to recruiting niche influencers to help expand social reach -- are likely to grow in the coming year as more and more customer interactions happen...

14 December 2020 | Advertising

Understanding changing consumer behaviours this holiday season – and how marketers can gain confidence into 2021

Arriving in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, this holiday season will undoubtedly turn out different than most. The crisis has widened consumer appetite for choice and introduced unexpected shifts in consumer behaviour. Our 2020 Holiday Season research revealed that safety and uncertainty remain dominant features of daily life, and this is altering both how consumers shop and what they plan to buy. Instead of door-busting crowds, 2020’s holiday shoppers will turn to apps and websites...

24 November 2020 | Commerce

Happy holidays? Why festive planning is earlier than ever this year

Brands love reaching their most passionate customers. As a former retail CMO myself, I get it. When you reach early planners, you reach the CEOs of the household—an audience that buys and spends more. Reach them first, and you have a shot at being their first choice when it’s time to shop.

And yet, for as long as marketers and advertisers have been prioritising planners, they’re making some seriously incorrect assumptions about this key audience right now. I heard from a CMO...

7 July 2020 | Branding

The state of influencer marketing amid Covid-19: Concern but micro-influencers show path forward

Influencer marketing campaigns, so often trying to achieve a balance between aspiration and authenticity, have seen a fault line rip through them as the coronavirus pandemic has progressed.

For all of the missteps which made the news last year - Philip Morris breaking its internal rules on a campaign, fashion influencer Marissa Casey Grossman's marriage which brought a new meaning to the term 'brand engagement' - the statistics around influencer marketing were solid. According to...

29 June 2020 | Campaigns

AI retail software market set to touch $10bn by 2025, says Omdia

Analyst firm Omdia has predicted that the expenditure on AI software for retail uses across the world will grow to $9.8 billion (£7.96bn) in 2025, compared to $1.3bn in 2019.

The report, titled Artificial Intelligence for Retail Applications, also says that retailers will have invested $37.3bn on AI-driven solutions from 2019 through 2025 globally.

Plenty of use cases are driving the artificial intelligence market within retail, such as reducing cost and improving the...

7 April 2020 | Automation

Like for like? Why the traditional tool of social media affirmation needed to shift

The ‘like’ was unassuming. Few anticipated that a miniature, good-willed icon of a thumbs-up could dictate corporate and cognitive wellbeing. At its best, the like has been massively generative to individual and industry alike. It’s turned people into brands, spawning influencer culture, and has reshaped global marketing.

But the like isn’t always at its best. People have died chasing them (think selfies on railroad tracks) and taken their lives for not...

26 November 2019 | Attribution