There’s a massive retail and in particular shipping war going right before our eyes: Walmart and Amazon are trying to out deliver each other. Why? Quick delivery + Massive selection = Retail Success in 2019 and beyond
I believe the future of retail is about big selection and quick shipping / pick up. The ‘interface’ to manage these features will be a shopper’s mobile phone. To support this belief, I designed our new software to meet this trend. You’ll notice in our new 2.0 Bridge software that ...
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May 12, 2019
May 12, 2019
Does your business require customers to have a mobile app before entering your store? Amazon’s Go store does. This raises questions about accessibility, privacy, and freedom. I believe that public stores are democratic places where anyone can enter and browse. Requiring someone to first download tracking software seems intrusive.
Let’s consider this for kids: should teenagers be required to download a mobile tracking app to enter a store?
Your Bridge 2.0 update is complete. Your site now offers a smoother, cleaner experience for customers--and you.
Your upgrade to 2.0 software is free and automatic--you do not need to take any steps. This free upgrade is especially valuable because a new retail website costs $11,000 - $29,000 on average to setup. (Source: Atlantic Business Technologies.)
1. You will wish to learn what is new in 2.0.
I will be sharing a video about what is new in Bridge 2.0.
Great news: your Bridge is getting an upgrade in April. Our team has rebuilt the Bridge software from the ground up.
We're upgrading your business for free. This free upgrade is especially valuable because a new retail website costs $11,000 - $29,000 on average to setup. (Source: Atlantic Business Technologies.)
Happy to see Diane Seidle’s lastest strategy article in Tableware Today below. Speaking of hashtags, Bridge created its own ‘$tag’ to similarly offer quick access to product info. Type a dollar symbol “$” before a SKU and the specific item will magically appear below your Chalk.
Tableware Today:
WHAT'S YOUR HASHTAG STRATEGY?
Just in case you’ve been living off the grid for a year or more, a hashtag is simply a word or phrase behind a pound sign. When you use a hashtag that word or phrase becomes ...
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March 21, 2019
March 21, 2019
Happy to see Diane Seidle’s lastest strategy article in Tableware Today below. Speaking of hashtags, Bridge created its own ‘$tag’ to similarly offer quick access to product info. Type a dollar symbol “$” before a SKU and the specific item will magically appear below your Chalk.
Tableware Today:
WHAT'S YOUR HASHTAG STRATEGY?
Just in case you’ve been living off the grid for a year or more, a hashtag is simply a word or phrase behind a pound sign. When you use a hashtag that word or phrase becomes ...
Read More
March 6, 2019
March 6, 2019
China hackers keep wreaking havoc, per today’s WSJ.
Hackers recently targeted Bridge and other U.S. businesses including Boeing and T-Mobile.
Today the New York Times shares that China-backed hackers have targeted many U.S. companies including Boeing and T-Mobile. The hacking attempts on Bridge originating in Asia may be related to these other wider attacks:
Walmart’s JetBlack service is now accepting text orders from customers. Are u getting customers’ mobile numbers? U should. :)
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November 26, 2018
November 26, 2018
This holiday season is going to be crazy. Customers will be rushing to checkout. Every spot in your store will be taken. What if there was a way to more quickly checkout customers and not take up counter space? There is: a mobile credit card scanner.
Do you need a mobile credit card scanner? If so, just ask Bridge. We rent mobile units to customers that have processing setup with us.
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November 19, 2018
November 19, 2018
+ Online holiday sales are projected to grow 15% this season. + Macy’s reports shoppers buy 25% more when picking items up in-store. + Stores are increasingly offering in-store pickup for online purchases. More stores are offeirng checkout via mobile handheld scanners. + Target and Amazon are offering free shipping on many items. Walmart is offering free expediated shipping on orders over $35. Aka: order a new set of dinner plates and fast shipping is free. That’s a compelling offer to counter ...
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November 19, 2018
November 19, 2018
Rosenthal Launches New Wholesale Site Powered By Bridge
*** PRESS RELEASE ***
Rosenthal USA, a subsidiary of Arcturus Group, launched a new wholesale website for its family of brands Rosenthal, Versace, Raynaud and other premium brands on November 1st, 2018. The company's retailers and sales reps can login to the mobile friendly website and view real-time stock levels, wholesale pricing, and price lists. The website adapts to the user's country and shows US or Canadian prices and documents.
Airbnb > Hyatt and hotel chains. Kayak > United and airlines. Netflix > MGM and the studios. Amazon > Macy’s and the retailers. Uber > Ford and the automobile companies.
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September 24, 2018
September 24, 2018
I have a confession: I think Amazon can teach us something.
While I lead a fight to stop Amazon, I believe we can learn something by watching its massive growth.
We first have to accept this fact. Ready for it?
Here it is: you're in the software business.
Retail is becoming a software business for a few reasons, including:
1. Convenience: It’s easier to shop on your mobile vs. drive to the store. Proof: mobile sales are up 40% year over year. Indie stores have to close each night. Amazon is always ...
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September 17, 2018
September 17, 2018
Why is retail becoming a software business? For a few reasons, including: 1. Convenience: It’s easier to shop on your mobile vs drive to the store. 2. Selection: you can search 10,000s of items online. 3. Smarter: you can not only search lots of products, but the software will likely do the ‘thinking’ for you. The major retailers’ software has artificial intelligence to show you the most popular items, the ones with the best reviews, etc. In essence, the software tells you what the best item for...
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You can now easily see what percent of your online orders are registry related.
To view this new feature, you'll:
1. Login to your Bridge.
2. Roll over "Management" at the top and from the drop down click on "Reporting Overview."
3. On the Reporting Overview page, look for this area: "Online: Registry vs Non-Registry (Online and mobile orders only)."
Most indies stores will get the majority of their online orders from registry sales. The ...
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August 22, 2018
August 22, 2018
What Does the Gump's Bankruptcy Mean for Your Business?
As you likely know, Gump’s filed for bankruptcy. The famous San Francisco indie store's crash is having wide-ranging consequences for our industry. 41 Madison tenants likely lost more than $1,000,000 on Gump's.
Yet, the economy and stock market are doing very well. How to explain these contrarian events? Furthermore, you surely are asking: How did Gump's reach this low--and more ...
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June 24, 2018
June 24, 2018
This pizza article could be written about Bridge. :) How this Slice pizza app helps indie pizza shops Bridge helps indie retailers.