All across North America, the decriminalization or legalization of cannabis has given birth to a brand-new industry, and in many places you can now easily purchase cannabis online or in a store. Today we’re speaking to Steffen Schenk from mīhī cannabis. He’s the SVP of Customer Experience, and we are going to talk about how […]
Legal Cannabis and the Retail Experience Read More »
How well do you know your competition? You know your own business inside out, but when it comes to your competitors, chances are your knowledge is limited to a reactionary perspective. That is, you know your competition about your brand. What if we told you that studying your competition as well as, brands that are
Worksheet: How Brands Can Learn From Their Competitors Read More »
Smart Banking promised to herald in the convenience of digital technology and more personalized customer service. Today most would agree what was imagined as utopia has yet to materialize for banks pioneering this new branch format. Early attempts have demonstrated that consumers remain attached to in-branch human interaction and are skeptical of the merits of
Five Strategies for Implementing a Smart Bank Read More »
From focus groups and brainstorming sessions to virtual reality and neuroscience, Jean-Pierre Lacroix’s newest book, Think: The Future of Retail Banking, leverages extensive research and design concepts to present a hypothesis on what the bank of the future could look like. In celebration of the new book, which is available for free download, we sat down with
An Interview with Jean-Pierre Lacroix Read More »
Shikatani Lacroix Design (SLD) is excited to announce the release of their newest book, Think: The Future of Retail Banking. Written by Jean-Pierre Lacroix, founder and president of Shikatani Lacroix Design and SLDNXT, the new book is now available for free download. Think: The Future of Retail Banking is based on extensive research conducted by SLD. Through the use
Think: The Future of Retail Banking Available for Download Read More »
The relevance of retail banking is under siege. Banks are responding with new formats, smaller footprints, and a nimbler approach to change. While banks have focused intensely on driving cost down through automated digital technologies, this has put retail banks at risk of losing their human connection with customers and losing marketshare to non-traditional banks.
Think: The Future of Retail Banking Read More »
Things used to be so simple. We bought nails at the hardware store, books at the bookstore, coffee from a coffee shop. We lived in communities made up primarily of dwellings, and commuted to work away from our homes. It was an easy time to be a retailer: put up a sign, stock your shelves
The Impact Mixed-Use Spaces Can Have on Retail Read More »
Consumers are more empowered and educated than they’ve ever been throughout the history of modern capitalism. They want to know where their shoes are made, how their coffee was grown, and what conflicts their diamonds might have created, and they can find out in a matter of seconds. Environmental sustainability is a key issue that
Can Brands With A Purpose Be Heroes? Read More »
Is bigger always better? Large retailers with multiple locations and a global reach seemingly have infinite capital and resources, but this can come at a cost. The decision makers in these companies are often far removed from their customers, and any initiative to lead change can be met with differing opinions and agendas. Those smaller,
What Big Brands Can Learn From Independent Retailers Read More »
You’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t. That’s the overwhelming response when you ask foodservice operators about third-party food delivery apps like UberEats, Skip the Dishes and Foodora. Such services say they are opening the door to new customers – but this isn’t what restauranteurs are seeing on the ground. The increase in ordering through
Should Foodservice Embrace Third-Party Delivery? Read More »
The majority of financial institutions are focused on ensuring their strongest asset for driving growth, namely their retail banking network, remains relevant with the rise of Fintech start-ups and new types of banking competitors. This need is most prevalent in Asia, and more specifically China, where there is an enormous and underserved appetite for smart
The Three Phases of Smart Banking Read More »
The environmental impact of plastic packages has become an issue customers, brands and governments can no longer ignore. The EU is poised to ban certain single-use plastics within a few years, and other governments are exploring similar policies as we speak. Younger consumers place an even higher importance on environmental issues, making this an important
Beyond Materials: Sustainability in Packaging Read More »
Shikatani Lacroix Design has added to its strategy team with the addition of two experienced professionals, Kunal Chopra and Glenn Dixon. Kunal is a collaborative and results-oriented business transformation leader and management consultant. With over 20 years of experience within the financial services industry, Kunal focuses on business effectiveness and will bring a new skill
SLD Expands Strategy Team Read More »
Personalization is at the top of every retailer’s list of goals. Win in personalization, and you win loyal customers who spend more. As technology improves, it will become possible to go even deeper and provide customers with highly specific service. In this blog we will explore the top experiences in personalization that are currently available,
Innovative Trends in Retail Personalization Read More »
What was once thought of as pure fantasy is no longer a far-fetched idea: humans inhabiting other planets and bodies in space. NASA is running a design competition for houses that could be 3D printed on Mars. Elon Musk’s SpaceX promises to take tourists on private trips to the moon in the near future. It’s
Why Brands Must Start Thinking About the Moon Read More »
Over five years ago, SLD introduced the word “immersive” into our company vision, and identified the term as the new definition of customer engagement. At the time, the idea of creating immersive experiences focused on how technology such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) would shift the way consumers engage with brands and
The Four Levels of Immersive Experiences Read More »
In Desire by Design, Jean-Pierre Lacroix unravels the irrational element of desire and explains how brands, designers, and marketers can tap into the emotional high that elicits such passion for certain brands. Jean-Pierre shapes high-level ideas and insights from neuroscience, cult fanaticism, and behavioral psychology into practical worksheets that explain the “how-to” in creating desire for a brand.
Decisions in the Blink of an Eye Read More »
Retail brands know the key to success is understanding what the customer really wants – ideally before they even know they want it. Market research and consumer data analysts all promise to help retailers answer this tricky question. Most techniques rely on direct consumer feedback – and this may sound reasonable, but the results aren’t
How Neuromarketing is Changing the Retail Industry Read More »
Saying that a company’s staff is the best ambassador to its brand has become incontestable. After all, who knows more about a business’ product, service, or culture than someone who works there? Consumers usually see the way an employee portrays a company as more credible than advertising or other marketing efforts. However, the company and
How to Turn Staff into Brand Ambassadors Read More »
New technology has a history of disrupting entire industries. It creates new possibilities and shifts in behavior that transform society. And yet, it is difficult to predict how an emerging technology will evolve and if it will be accepted by the majority of people. It is easy to overestimate the future impact of novel technology
The Future of AR and VR in Retail Read More »
