There’s a new small format store in Chicago called Urban Fresh, by Jewel targeting cost conscious and time sensitive shoppers. These shoppers can go in and get out of the store quickly with pre-made meals that don’t take too much time to prepare. Although pre-made foods have higher price tags, they are still less expensive than dining out. “The broader trend is probably convenience and prepared foods, kind of restaurant or near-restaurant quality, at a discount,” Hertel said. The bottom line is high-end consumers still want high quality food even when the money is tight. Though they can’t eat at restaurants as much as they would like to, they will still be able to have restaurant quality food at an affordable price with store concepts such as Urban Fresh by Jewel. What do you think?

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Microsoft plans deploy a team of 155 customer-service “Microsoft gurus” in retailers such as Best Buy and Circuit City by the end of the year. The gurus will be answering questions about personal computers and Microsoft products as well as demonstrating how the company’s products work together. Microsoft hopes that this will get customers thinking about their products.

This is a great move by Microsoft. It’s time that they finally responded with something to compete with Apple’s “Genius Bar” which provides great customer service on Macs and Ipods while giving the customer a “hip” experience. Hopefully Microsoft can provide a great experience as well by translating the technology into a language consumers can relate to and feel comfortable with.

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A new London restaurant called Inamo allows diners to use their table to order. With a few clicks, diners can order from an illustrated menu, pay their bill, play interactive games, and also summon a taxi. Automation is one of the key trends in the restaurant industry which reduces labor costs and increases interactivity for diners.
The new system allows for convenience and efficiency but what happens to the level of human engagement? Interacting with the waiter is part of the customer experience at a restaurant. What do you think?

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To prevent customers from migrating to supercenters, Stop & Shop and Giant, have introduced new logos, additional products, and a handful of high tech innovations. Stop & Shop and Giant have also expanded their private label offerings in order to compete against supercenter prices. Supercenters tend to focus on low price while forgetting about customer experience and service. If grocery store chains can offer low prices with their private label brands and offer an enhanced customer experience, they should have no problem maintaining their customers.

What do you think?

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A recent USA today article discusses how despite Americans are trying to save money, dessert is one item they cannot give up.

“Even in a down-turned economy, dessert is an affordable luxury,” says Alison Nelson, co-owner of two Chocolate Bar boutiques in New York City. “I think we still need to do things for ourselves and things that make us feel happier. If you’re looking for a comfort food, dessert is one of those areas that people are going to turn to.”

Dessert orders can help increase the average check. Waiters shouldn’t even ask if a customer wants a dessert menu. Just put it on the table! I know that there have been times when I have said no to dessert but after looking at a dessert menu, I’ve changed my mind.

Thoughts?

Best Buy plans to open a dozen vending kiosks inside major airports across the country. The machines will stock cell phone and computer accessories, along with digital cameras, portable data storage devices, etc.

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Twenty years ago brands were concerned with total quality management. Then along came customer satisfaction management. Recently, some organizations have begun talking about managing the customers’ experience.

Click here to learn about how to improve your customer experience.

A recent article on Supermarketnews.com mentioned that an increasing number of retailers are using online cooking videos to draw shoppers to their stores. Customers watch an instructional video, print the recipe, and then add the ingredients to their shopping list. 

I am use to seeing the pocket-sized recipes in-store but I think this is a great idea. Why? Well, first of all, this caters to the trend of more people dining in than out to save money. Also, people are visual.  Videos help motivate customers to experiment with dishes. 

What do you think? 

A survey of 1,110 consumers by Deloitte found that consumers think there is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to product labeling. Consumers want to make informed decisions when they go shopping and many feel that the information on product labels are inadequate.

I think that for some who have allergies, improved labeling would provide better service. Also, in general, people are now eating healthier and are more interested in what they are putting into their bodies. However, most labels are hard to understand and read. If a company can make the effort to make labels easier to understand, then they will have a competitive advantage.

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Banks face a tough situation. While their most loyal customers are their oldest customers, Generation Y’s and X’s are the retailing banking customers of the future. However, the least loyal are the hardest to please. Results reveal more than half of Gen Y (61 percent) and Gen X (53 percent) respondents have either considered changing or actually have changed their primary banking institutions in the past 2 years.

Currently, the customer experience at most banks cater to the Silent Generation and Boomers who more frequently bank in-person. To reach the younger generation who are much more mobile and rely on more heavily on online interactions, banks will need to focus on the online customer experience.

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