Winning physical stores are thriving.
The consumer behaviors of easy, quick, and 'touch and feel' survived the fears and lockdowns.
Foot traffic trended upwards as the consumers returned to shops and malls. Most importantly, the stores transformed into hubs of showrooms, fulfillment, and community centers.
The pandemic accelerated investment of in-store technologies. And the focus shifted to increasing labor productivity and improving the customer's experience.
The digital transformation created a virtual mirror of physical environments. You have anonymous tracking of where and how long customers engage with products.
In stores, consumers interact with smart media and pay with contactless checkouts.
For example,
You can order online and pick up in the store.
And,
Your favorite store transformed into a gaming arcade. And you customized shoes, shirts, and services using the retailer's loyalty app.
And,
Your local mall has your favorite supermarket, a gym, and a wide variety of bars and restaurants. It's hard to find parking space during the weekends, so you make sure to reserve a spot using the mall's digital app. While your electric car charges, you pre-order dinner.
On the way home, you stop at the electronics store to pick up your new smartphone.
You know,
RETAILERS, MALLS, AND VENUES WANT DATA ON STORES, PRODUCTS, AND CUSTOMERS. THEY WANT A SEAMLESS ONLINE-TO-OFFLINE ANALYTICS.
Isn’t this the best time to design, build, and sell in-store technology?
Sounds like a Win-Win
BUT
The World of Providers
You developed a location-based analytics platform. Your pitch is a better forecast of foot traffic trends and demand analytics, using Big Data.
YES!
But as the fears of protecting sales lessen, your clients worry more about budgets. They want to control payroll costs and increase sales conversion because profits evaporated. The business users are not logging into your solution much. And there's no sign that the client is ready to roll out your technology solution.
You are in trouble.
You deployed an in-store customer tracking solution in the retailer's Concept Store. You are in charge of customer success. Your duties cover sales training, business user onboarding, and understanding your clients' REAL needs.
YES!
But the retailer's CIO doesn't see value in "path analytics" beyond the pilot store. Most of the client’s team sees your solution as "futuristic." And your boss worries about cash flow and churn.
You are in trouble.
You developed an anonymous AI solution that is cost-effective and high accuracy. You have strategic partnerships with Urban Design architects and interior designer firms. A $5 Billion REIT asked you to present a roadmap of technology for their real-estate portfolio.
YES!
You write an RFP for Path Analytics, Tenant Mix, and Digital Twin technology solutions. But it's been over three months, and the REIT has yet to respond.
You are in trouble.
Here's the thing:
IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO YOU AND YOUR COMPANY, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
The World of Clients
You convinced your boss to keep up with the trends. The company purchased a BOPIS solution, and you provide curve-side pickups for customers. You deployed the solution in 500 locations.
YES!
But costs skyrocketed, and today the debate is how many physical stores to close or keep open. The disagreement stalled the deployment of foot traffic modeling and analytics.
Your boss expects a "miracle." And yet, many people in your organization don't know how to work with data.
You are in trouble!
You started a new position in a retail company. With an MBA in marketing and information technology, you are in charge of the innovation lab, market research, and optimization.
YES!
But you hear rumors about bankruptcy, lack of resources, and low morale. Your boss has grown cold on "Experiential Retail." And as you dig deep, you realize the customer's journey is complex and fragmented. It's hard to measure the gains and extra sales.
Your goal is to train store managers to own their business. You want to teach entrepreneurial mindset. You search for tools for empowerment and ownership. But nothing you do seems to work.
You are in trouble!
You are a senior executive with the authority and resources to innovate. There's a stack of RFPs on your desk, from digital signage to permanent POP displays. Your inbox clutters with emails from vendors. The phone doesn't stop ringing. You want to decide and move forward fast.
YES!
But you're struggling to articulate how the technology solutions solve business imperative challenges. You wonder are those technologies interesting yet still ahead of the adoption curve.
Your job is to build better operations, brand, and performance. But your team is pulling in different directions. You feel there's no clarity in communications between your managers and teams. You want to get out of the day-to-day tasks. You need alignment between the company's strategy, teams, and technologies.
You are in trouble!
IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO YOU AND YOUR COMPANY, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Here’s the reason:
PROVIDERS SELL TECHNOLOGY, BUT CLIENTS NEED ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS.
(This is Important!)
No one cares about Technology.
Companies care about Outcomes.
People care about their Jobs.
YOU CANNOT ROLL OUT A TECHNOLOGY WITHOUT A PROVEN BUSINESS VALUE.
That's the secret.
About Ronny Max
Ronny Max is an author, speaker, and executive coach. In 2015, Ronny served as the domain expert at Stanford University Vision Project, the first research venture into AI technologies for physical retail. In 2017, she founded the Behavior Analytics Academy. Ronny Max coined and developed the In-Store Optimization (ISO) frameworks for physical environments
What Clients Say
Butch Jagoda, VP Info Tech Helzberg Diamonds
"Ronny is very knowledgeable with technologies and business analytics used to assist in labor scheduling, product placement and customer behavior. These insights resulted in business changes that delivered significant ROI and improved over all customer service."
Christopher Ainsley, CEO ShopperTrak
"I have worked with Ronny for many years. She is deeply knowledgeable about the Retail Analytics industry. Her insights have been invaluable. She is easy to work with – highly responsive and highly pro-active. I strongly recommend Ronny."
Steve Hornyak, CEO Symphony CPG|AI
"I have worked with Ronny both as a contractor to my company and as a trusted advisor. Her insights into the market of customer behavior and analytics for physical retailers are as deep and thoughtful as can be found in the market."
Alison Ashurst, CEO ASH TECH
"Ronny - I just wanted to say congratulations & well done on this initiative! It was a great session and insightful to get those other opinions and hear their challenges. Very interesting topics and a good mix. I’m so glad I signed up for your academy"
Raúl Undurraga Aresti, CTO, Intelligenxia
"Ronny had gave us the opportunity to get out of the deep wood that is the day to day work, and offer us the possibility to cross check and validate our assumptions on how this market is evolving. All the experience and insights that she brings to the discussions are invaluable and had helped us determine the path that we are following right now."
Mark Ryski, Author, Founder & CEO, HeadCount Corporation
"I have known Ronny Max for many years and can confidently say that she is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable advocates in the entire people tracking industry."
Course Curriculum
While this is an introductory course, this is not a beginner's course. It requires you to know a bit about our industry. The modules open one each day. Each of the videos is 5 to 10 minutes long, and you can download the transcripts. Most importantly, do the playbooks. They are actionable. You’ll learn tricks and tips that you can do today.
Behavior Analytics
You’ll learn about Behavior Analytics and In-Store Optimization (ISO) and watch a video from the original Stanford University Vision Project. You’ll also learn about the Win-Win-Win Alignment between clients and solution providers.
Tracking People
In this module, the attention is on the technological tools, and specifically on how to position your solution. You’ll learn core concepts in people-tracking technologies, and the audit framework of Good Enough Accuracy.
Location Funnels
Get a high-concept view of funnels for physical locations. You’ll learn about differences between correlation and causation, watch in-store videos, and get the step-by-step process to analyze foot traffic data for a quick win.
Customer Engagement
As your attention moves into the store, you’ll learn about the first step of any optimization project – the heuristics evaluation. You will also learn how to connect between customer behaviors and conversions with Engagement Magnets.
In-Store Optimization
You’ll learn about the holistic framework for In-Store Optimization (ISO), and a word on testing and optimization theory. The PEACE Method for Profit stands for people, engagement, abandonment, conversion, and external, and the outcome is profit.
If you are working for a retailer, a brand, a mall operator, a marketing agency, an investment firm, an educational institution, or a solution provider and you are interested in boosting the business benefits of people-tracking technologies, Behavior Analytics 101 is the course for you.