Retail TouchPoints Unveils 2017 Holiday Outlook Gu

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, N.J., June 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Retail TouchPoints (RTP) , the industry’s go-to source for customer engagement strategies, has unveiled the 2017 Holiday Outlook Guide: Navigating the World of Channel-Agnostic Retail , an insider’s look at the greatest challenges facing retailers as they head into the busiest time of year.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...fffb58ff96

The Retail TouchPoints 2017 Holiday Guide explores several topics within two distinct sections:

• How Channel-Agnostic Retail is reshaping many of the big-picture aspects of holiday planning.
• The Nuts & Bolts that contribute to a successful holiday season: inventory, price and workforce optimization as well as the latest innovations in shipping (such as partnering with Uber or Deliv) and customer service (such as AI-powered chatbots).

“Holiday predictions often are difficult to nail down, but 2017 has taken that challenge to a whole new level,” said Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief of Retail TouchPoints . “Retailers are grappling with outside factors impacting their businesses, including politics, health care, trade, and a host of laws and regulations.”

Other highlighted themes in this year’s Holiday Guide include:

Consumer Choices The Holiday Guide highlights key research reflecting the how consumers are thinking about spending during the holiday season, citing a May 2017 consumer survey from Gordon Haskett Research Advisors. The data revealed that more than two thirds of people said they would use an unexpected windfall of $5,000 to either pay down debt or add to savings, rather than splurge on discretionary items (or even something more practical such as home improvements).

“Despite all the challenges, consumers and retailers remain upbeat — to a point,” Hauss added. “While consumers have a largely optimistic view of the macro environment, they also are taking a cautious approach to near-term spending. Retailers need to consider those factors when planning holiday strategies.”

Challenges With Mobile Retailers continue to struggle to adapt to the fast growth of mobile shopping. The “commerce” and “fulfillment” elements of purchases are now separate, meaning that a shopper may buy something in one place (or channel) but take possession of it at a totally different time or location. “Balancing the priorities of selling and delivery is a particularly difficult challenge for today’s retail brands,” said Hauss, “especially during the demanding and frenetic holiday season.”

Professionals interested in learning more should download the Retail TouchPoints 2017 Holiday Guide: Navigating The Modern World Of Channel-Agnostic Retail to uncover insights from industry experts.

About Retail TouchPoints Retail TouchPoints is an online publishing network for retail executives, with content focused on optimizing the customer experience across all channels. The Retail TouchPoints network is comprised of a weekly newsletter, special reports, web seminars, exclusive benchmark research, an insightful editorial blog, and a content-rich web site featuring daily news updates and multi-media interviews at www.RetailTouchPoints.com . The Retail TouchPoints team also interacts with social media communities via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com , and via AP PhotoExpress.

Contact: Sheri Butts sheri@gthreecom.com O: 201.257.8528 x248 C: 973.842.7961