Like this is a newsflash (?): Women are increasingly shopping online, but still make purchases in a store. (Note Diva J’s April 10 post.)

But, here are some stats to back up what we already suspected, plus a few more nuggets from the second annual “SheSpeaks/Lippe Taylor Women’s Buying Behavior Index.” The study collected the responses of 2,152 women over the past two months to get a handle on buying habits and forecast purchasing trends of American women.

Among the findings: When asked which method they use most to research products, 71 percent chose laptops, 18 percent selected mobile/tablet, while 6 percent preferred browsing in a store. Continue reading →

I’m pretty sure we just entered the future. You know, the future we’ve been seeing in movies (i.e. The Matrix, Cloud Atlas, etc.) for years. A future where we just have a small device that scans codes and then what we want magically appears.

Yes, that future.

And it’s here now.

Walmart and Mattel recently teamed up to create a 17-mile underground walkway in Toronto that is also a virtual toy store. This way, commuters can walk through while using their smartphones to scan QR codes for the toys they want to buy little Johnny or Susie for Christmas. From there, Walmart ships said toys to their residence—for free. Continue reading →

Here at the Retail Design Diva, we are absolutely committed to bringing you the latest in retail news. Especially if it involves shopping, technology and Nordstrom. We’re just sayin’.

And in our ever-expanding good fortune, today it involves all of the above.

You may remember that back in May, we dove into the trenches to try out Nordstrom’s mobile checkout device (then we put our hand to our forehead in mock exhaustion, bemoaning having the coolest job ever). Today, we’re here to bring you another Nordstrom alert—the retailer recently released its iPad App.

We’re loving how in tune Nordy’s (that’s die-hard fan lingo for “we love you Nordstrom!”) is on the technology front. Continue reading →

I’ve got to be honest. I was pretty freaked out at GlobalShop 2012 when the holographic virtual assistant kept interrupting me as I walked past. Sure, she had information to share, but if I looked too long at her I got chills. I mean, she looked like a real person, yet she was merely an image vibrating in a conference lobby.

You’ve got to admit…it’s kind of creepy.
Or is it?

Holographic point of sale (POS) images may just be the wave of the future.

The Macallan (a single malt whiskey) engaged in a holographic campaign to promote its The Macallan 1824 Collection. Continue reading →

As a Words With Friends fan (alright, addict), I consider myself a part of the gaming craze that has millions of smart phone owners glued to their touchscreens. Games like Words With Friends, Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds, have seen major success. Some have even expanded into full-blown empires (rumor has it, we will be seeing Angry Birds on a bigger screen soon—I kid you not).

It’s safe to say there are some people doing more gaming than talking on their smart phones, and retailers are not only aware of this fact, they’re playing along.

A recent study by Retail TouchPoints, titled “Gamification In Retail,” found that gamification, the use of game-design elements in non-gaming contexts, is gaining quick momentum in the retail realm. Continue reading →