This is What it Takes to Win in Retail in 2018 - Innovation Everywhere

I came across this end cap for Hershey Chocolates at Walmart today and it reminds us all on what it takes to Win at Retail in 2018

• Innovation - in this example working with visual merchandising and your suppliers to produce an innovative end cap
• Excitement in Store - its now all about the experience for bricks and mortar
• Lack of Complacency- Here we have the largest retailer in the world in hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery category " going for it" be it this end cap, eCommerce, in store experience, dropping Stores from their legal name to reflect as a brand a multi channel offering and innovation in all parts of the business

The biggest destroyer of retail value in 2018 will not be Amazon, Alibaba, Zara H&M Uniqlo and the like , it will be complacency and sticking to whats worked in the past. We are at the tipping point in retail, customers are less inclined to shop in store - time is the most previous of commodities so unless you have a compelling offer and experience then you are as ACDC sang on the "Highway to Hell" in this case retail hell.

Think of Nokia and Blackberry with the launch of smartphones, think of print advertising & newspapers with eCommerce, Google/Facebook and traditional advertising and so on. Complacency and trying to protect traditional retail concepts is a zero win game.

I am currently working with a global FMCG brand that has category captain status and 80% market share with their largest retailer. Are they complacent? No. Are they innovative? Yes, Are they driving incremental growth? Yes , they are looking to squeeze every single $ of growth they can in partnership with their retailer.

This is the mindset for success in 2018.