Online Learning Post Pandemic

The pandemic forced every learner and educator to adopt online learning tools in order to continue education. While resources were lacking in the beginning, 94% of online learners said they have a positive or very positive view of online learning, and 83% would learn online again, according to Wiley’s new annual report. Greater offerings of online classes are bringing in more students, 77% said the fact that the program was offered online was the most important factor in their decision to learn remotely, 60% said they’d choose an equivalent program at a different school if their preferred university didn’t offer the program online. (View source)

Digital Twins

Lowe’s is partnering with technology giant Nvidia to develop a digital twin solution. The technology builds a virtual replica of the Lowe’s physical store, uniting spatial data with product and historical order information which associates can access via desktop computers and Magic Leap 2 AR headsets. A variety of features are being piloted: AR restocking support to see what shelves should look like when stocked, AR ‘X-Ray’ vision that will allow associates to see what is in hard-to-reach areas, AR collaboration that will allow associates to leave comments to improve efficiency, and store visualization and optimization that will utilize 3D heat maps and distance measurements between items frequently bought together to improve store layouts. (View source)

Halloween Spending

Halloween is creeping up on us and it’s going to be a very popular one this year. According to NRF’s annual survey conducted by Proper Insights & Analytics, total Halloween spending is expected to reach a record $10.6 billion, passing 2021’s record of $10.1 billion. Persons involved in Halloween activities are above pre-pandemic levels as 69% of consumers plan to celebrate the holiday this year, up 1% from 2019. The most popular costume among children is spiderman as more than 2.2 million children plan to dress as him, followed by their favorite princess (1.9 million), witch (1.6 million), ghost (1.3 million), tied for fifth, Batman and other superheroes. Most popular among adults: witch (5.3 million), vampire (1.7 million), ghost (1.5 million), pirate (1.4 million), tied for fifth is Batman and cat costumes. (View source)

Consumer Product Research

Online shopping has permeated nearly every US household. Before shopping for anything, almost everyone researches the product, according to a study by ChannelAdvisor Corp., consumers researched products in the past 12 months on Amazon the most (89%), followed by Google (82%), Ebay (52%), Facebook (27%), and Instagram (24%). The largest factor for online research, price checking, as 83% of consumers usually compare prices before making a purchase, and 99% consider price a somewhat or very important factor in product selection. 76% of consumers tend to use multiple marketplaces on a regular basis for browsing, shopping, or buying. (View source)

Cashierless Stores in a Stadium

The rise of cashierless stores is beginning to overlap with the sports world. Allegiant Stadium, home to the Las Vegas Raiders, installed Zippin lane frictionless stores for this new NFL season. Upon entry, consumers simply tap a credit card and grab the items they’d like, overhead cameras and sensors add them to a virtual shopping cart so the consumer can simply carry out the items or add them to a bag and continue shopping. Initial ROI report metrics include a 66% increase in speed of service, 45% increase in sales for the same space, and a more than 30% increase in the number of product SKUs offered. According to Zippin, their solution cuts the time it takes to get through concessions to as little as 40 seconds. (View source)

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