🎙️Growing your Business in a Slowdown + AI and Moloch - an online & phygital retail survival guide

Welcome to "The Road to Online Retail" podcast, where we guide you through the ever-changing twists and turns of the online and physical retail landscape. 

In this week's episode, titled "Growing your Business in a Slowdown + AI and Moloch", we're tackling the potholes and nasty bends that lie ahead on the road to retail, and, with our AI and Digital Marketing expert, Miranda Bond, we discuss the concept of Moloch theory and its implications for AI and retail - it's a fascinating conversation.

So, join host Nigel Miller and co-host Kevin Moore, the retail whisperer and shopper experience expert, as they tap into Kevin's extensive knowledge and experience to help you navigate these challenges. 

Find out more about our podcasts, resources and courses at https://theroadtoretail.com

Get ready for a fascinating glimpse into the future of retail in this episode of The Road to Online Retail Podcast! 

In episode 2, host Nigel Miller chats with Shopper Marketing expert Kevin Moore, and Digital Marketing expert Miranda Bond as they dive headfirst into the groundbreaking world of Artificial Intelligence for Retail. Brace yourself for mind-blowing revelations and game-changing possibilities!

Miranda passionately declares that AI gives small businesses a massive leap forward, leveling the playing field and even putting them ahead of the curve. With AI tools and platforms, small business owners can supercharge their productivity and soar to new heights.

The trio starts their exploration with virtual assistants and chatbots, unveiling the limitations of the past and the limitless potential of AI. They discuss how AI-powered virtual personal shoppers are about to revolutionize online shopping, allowing you to find exactly what you're looking for in a fraction of the time. Say goodbye to endless scrolling and hello to personalized shopping experiences!

But that's not all! The podcast delves deeper into the virtual human sales assistants that are set to transform retail environments. Imagine interacting with a life-sized screen that embodies your favorite brand, providing expert knowledge and guidance. It's like having a real human assistant at your disposal!

As if that wasn't enough, the episode also uncovers seamless payment systems, automated checkouts, and even autonomous delivery. The retail landscape is evolving rapidly, and the hosts break down the implications for businesses and society.

If you're ready to embark on an eye-opening journey through the AI-driven future of retail, tune in to this fascinating episode of the The Road to Online Retail Podcast. Your countdown to implementing innovations that can grow your business has begun!

Find out more about our podcasts, resources and courses at https://theroadtoretail.com

In this episode, we explore what's changed in the retail world since Covid and how retail is now entering a Third Age. Prior to Covid, retail still favoured a physical presence. That all vanished with Covid and online retail became dominant. Now Kevin Moore, our Shopper Experience expert, reckons we're now entering a third age - the perfect blend of physical and online retail: Phygital!

And for small retailers, this could be the beginning of a golden age as Artificial Intelligence tools and Web 3.0 are changing the game and levelling the playing field for both large and small retailers. Our Digital Marketing expert, Miranda Bond, explains more...

Find out more about our podcasts, resources and courses at https://theroadtoretail.com

Running a business is hard. There are always so many fires to put out, projects to progress. Time is always a rare commodity. But if you want to boost growth and build in a sustainable way, where do you focus?

In this episode, rebirthed Toys R Us Aus/NZ/UK Chairman and international sales and marketing shopper experience expert, Kevin Moore, shares the expertise that he uses to help numerous physical and online retailers to grow their businesses. 

He explains the pillars he regards as essential to support your business and the levers to pull to ensure fast and sustainable growth. Have a listen, and tap into Kevin's expertise to help you with your business.

Find out more about our podcasts, resources and courses at https://theroadtoretail.com

In this first of a new series of The Road to Online Retail podcasts, international retail sales and marketing guru and the Chairman of Toys R Us Aus/NZ/UK, Kevin Moore, reflects back on the impact covid has had on the online and physical retail environment and also what trends he's spotting for retail around the world. 

Yes, it's been a very tough couple of years with a lot of the physical retail environment being "hollowed out", but that's rapidly advanced the adoption of online retail. However, it's also having a positive "reinvigorating" effect on some aspects of the physical retail world. 

There are lots of opportunities out there if you know where to look...

Find out more about our podcasts, resources and courses at https://theroadtoretail.com

It's tough out there! So, in this episode, we are going to be exploring how the digital economy is changing for businesses and how governments are getting involved to help. Well, good governments, that is! But why should online retailers get government assistance? And what sort of assistance should they be offered? And are there any countries that are doing it right?

International shopper experience expert, Kevin Moore, shares his findings through his research and talking to numerous retailers around the world. 

And with retailers now getting locked down for a second or even third time, moving online successfully is potentially their only way to survive. A lot of livelihoods now depend on it! 

Find out more about our podcasts, resources and courses at https://theroadtoretail.com

In this episode, we learn how important mastering the shopper experience online was to the rebirth of Toys R Us in Australia/NZ.

There's a change of scene in this episode as a few weeks ago the producer of this podcast, Nigel Miller, made it up to Queensland to visit international retail marketing and shopper experience expert, Kevin Moore. Whilst filming the final segments for The Road to Retail's new online shopper experience course, they took time to record this episode during which Kevin shares the story of his involvement in the rebirth of iconic brand Toys R Us as a pure online play in Australia/NZ.

You'll hear Kevin's journey working with Hobby Warehouse owner, Dr Louis Mittoni, to master the shopper experience to help build the success of the site. Kevin then explains how the lessons they learnt on that journey allowed them to successfully tender for, and win, the digital rights to Toys R Us and Babies R Us in Australia and New Zealand, even though they were competing against much larger national physical and online retailers. What was their point of difference that appealed to the brand owners? Their focus and mastery of the shopper experience which aligned well with the values of this global brand. 

Find out more about our podcasts, resources and courses at https://theroadtoretail.com

If you're interested in growing awareness of your online business so that you can grow your turnover, then this episode is for you.  In this podcast, we talk further with our special guest, digital marketing expert Miranda Bond as she focuses on the final three points of her Five Pointed Star digital marketing strategy that she uses to help raise awareness and grow the businesses of her eCommerce clients.

The three points covered in this episode are: electronic direct marketing, conversion optimisation and retargeting. These are strategies that every e-commerce business owner needs to be aware of as, if implemented properly, can help significantly grow a business. 

Miranda's tips are easy to understand but, most importantly, extremely practical so that at the end of the podcast, you'll know how to move forward with ways to help you grow awareness of your online business. 

Also, in this episode, international shopper experience expert, Kevin Moore, shares his insights into the rapid growth of e-commerce around the world and how it's reshaping physical retail and the future of physical retailing. He also has some very salient statistics for anyone who has built their e-commerce business on platforms such as Shopify. And an approach to help you stand out from the crowd! 

Find out more about our podcasts, resources and courses at https://theroadtoretail.com

Raising Awareness - Miranda Bond's Five-Pointed Star strategy to build your online business

If you need to build awareness of your online business, increase the number of visitors to your site and improve your conversion rates, then you will end up listening to this, and our next episode, over and over again! 

This week, we have our first special guest - digital marketing expert Miranda Bond. Miranda is a serial entrepreneur who started in digital marketing over 25 years ago at the BBC in England, She's since used her digital marketing skills to build a global organic makeup business which she sold a few years ago. Miranda now consults for a number of online retailers both nationally and internationally and has her own online retail business, pumayana.com, with an artist partner. 

Basically, Miranda has done it all in the online marketing world and knows what works and what doesn't work when it comes to digital marketing.

Over two episodes, Miranda shares her Five-Pointed Star Strategy that will show you how to get the critical components of digital marketing working together in harmony. A harmony that will help you to rapidly grow awareness of your online business and increase sales. 

The Five-Pointed Star Strategy focuses on the following:

1. Search Engine Optimisation(SEO) - Miranda explains what it is and why it's important that you understand how to do the basics yourself to both save money and boost awareness.

2. Digital online marketing platforms - here, Miranda explains the importance of understanding the opportunities offered by the various digital marketing platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, YouTube etc. and how to dip your toe into the water of advertising with them to get you started.

3. Electronic Direct Mail (eDMs) - contrary to popular opinion, email is not dead! In fact, Miranda explains how she uses it to basically print money for her clients.

4. Conversion optimisation - there's no point getting a ton of traffic to your site if you can't convert it into sales. Here Miranda explains some of the common pitfalls and how to dramatically increase your conversion rates. 

5. Retargeting strategies - even after reaching your shopping cart, not all visitors will continue through to the final sale. In this last point of the Five-Pointed Star, Miranda explains how you convert more sales using retargeting strategies. 

The reason we were so excited to get Miranda on as a guest is because Miranda understands the online retail space and has helped a number of digital startups to grow rapidly. Her suggestions are simple to understand and easy to implement. She also has first-hand experience using a range of digital marketing apps and suggests a number that you can use to grow your business. 

So if you're looking for simple, practical, economic and very, very effective steps you can take to build the awareness of your online offering, then this is the podcast for you.

Find out more about our podcasts, resources and courses at https://theroadtoretail.com

In this episode, international retail marketing and sales expert, Kevin Moore, takes us on a tour of a number of online retailers to see what they're doing well, and not so well, in regards to the online shopper experience.

Kevin explains the importance of the marketplaces to online retailers and shows us around two of the online businesses he's been involved with: Hobby Warehouse and Toys R Us Australia and New Zealand. He explains how they've created a compelling shopper experience through the use of video, good curation and a range of other techniques.

Kevin then focuses on a range of successful other online retail brands offering everything from homewares to food to skateboards to see what it is that each of them is doing to create a great shopper experience.

So do you need to be a "BIG" retailer to master the shopper experience? Well, the answer is a huge NO as you'll see when Kevin takes us on a tour of a Shopify retail site that has encapsulated all the elements that Kevin preaches as necessary for a great online shopper experience.

This podcast is also available to view on our website as a video with closed captions available. There's also a transcription of the complete episode available on the same page of the site: https://theroadtoretail.com/podcasts/trtor-podcast-004/

Find out more about our podcasts, resources and courses at https://theroadtoretail.com