Global Digital Marketing & Retail by Alex 37
Inspiration from across the world for retail enthusiasts, e-commerce professionals, marketing lovers and technology fans. Welcome back! I summarized some great links again, I stumbled upon this week.
Good morning from your newsletter host:
😎Report time: the World’s Coolest Retailers —> 2024
Check this report. The World’s Coolest Retailers: 2024. Lots of pictures and explanations of great retail locations around the world.
My top retailers from the report (not in any particular order)
Foxtrot Chicago, the next-generation corner store. Everything you need, including a café/wine bar at the corner.
The (Any)thing (the first ever personal on-demand cinema experience).
Harmay Cosmetics, is a world-class omnichannel next-generation retail cosmetics experience.
Ikea, a mixed-used urban retail playground (reminds me of community centers in Bangkok)
Ruedu, Switzerland, delivering directly from farm to customer, completely with self-checkout kiosks, no need to go to a farm.
Camp, the family experience store. Looks very cool, customers keep coming back
Canada Goose celebrates the sense of the extreme. I saw something similar in Shanghai, but then for “The North Face”, I took pictures there you can find them here: https://www.abaar.net/2023/10/experiences-and-retail-in-tokyo-and.html
Read all about these creative retail locations in this PDF (direct download via my Dropbox)
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wu8549ia6h7x7rbp1p2dt/Worlds-Coolest-Retailers-Report-2024.pdf?rlkey=e6s34bftep2y3plx0sso7y46p&dl=0
🇨🇳 China: a fridge in a bus
China has a great public transport network and a great retail environment, I keep on repeating this in this blog when I see a video of it.
Retail in China is so much better than in most parts of the West.
This is just a regular bus service with a fridge on board, you can just scan it with your digital wallet, grab food/drinks, and pay automatically. So easy and convenient and impossible in most of the West. I remember using these fridges in Shanghai in public parks as well.
🇯🇵 Japanese UX design, sometimes a bit retro
I have traveled to Japan multiple times and the country is amazing. Not only the modern part but also sometimes the retro feeling you get. This blog post from Mirijam Missbichler on Japanese design digs into that. A nice read for everyone interested in cross-cultural communication and design, or who is doing business in Japan.
And just like that, we have an explanation for why many Japanese websites tend to represent content categories with text heavy images. You’ll sometimes even see each tile using its own bespoke typeface, especially when it’s a limited time offer.
He felt that the Japanese approach made the videos seem more intriguing, giving several tidbits of information to latch onto, in turn rendering it easy to make an informed decision on whether the video would be interesting. The English video thumbnails I showed him as a comparison on the other hand, felt extremely vague and boring to him.
https://medium.com/@mirijam.missbichler/why-japanese-websites-look-so-different-2c7273e8be1e
https://thenextweb.com/news/japan-loves-fax-machine-techno-orientalism
🎨The Ultimate UX Research Cheat Sheet
Aaron Christopher made the Ultimate UX Research Cheat sheet. Worth a save and using when you need UX research and don’t know how to move on.
Example Question:
Imagine a common scenario you might encounter that ties into a broader topic you're researching.
Primary Research Method:
This is your main method for investigating this kind of question. Although it's the primary method, it might not always gather every needed detail, so other methods are suggested below.
Additional/Alternative Research Methods:
Here are other strategies you could use, especially if you're short on time or resources for the primary method. These can also complement the main method to enrich your findings.
UX Laws and Guidelines:
Consider these established design principles relevant to different research scenarios.
Biases to Be Aware Of:
Recognize potential biases that might affect you, stakeholders, or users during research. Awareness helps reduce their impact on your insights.
Mapping Techniques:
Use these mapping techniques before, during, or after your research to efficiently organize data and support your team.
A direct Hires download in PDF via my Dropbox directly:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fqr1jlul57w3gnytyocnf/UX-Research-Cheat-Sheet.pdf?rlkey=1qg5e3xjzuipyex70xcmt4ooc&dl=0
🪧Ad research: FUPA killer & Review retargeting ad
When I write advertisements, I tend to use (if available) reviews about the product or service and try to use parts of the review text in the advertisement. Turns out I am not the only one doing that. Found this great ad that was based on review research:
The template itself is simple, but it’s the idea behind it that matters It’s the headline you use, the angle you take, and how you’re getting that customer to stop scrolling. You have to approach it with “How can I say what everyone else is saying in a way that’ll make me stand out?” I highly suggest going through your reviews, comments, and community posts - ANYWHERE your customers are interacting with your products or talking about your brand Scroll through these, and if you catch anything that makes you stop
Also, I noticed this ad, used for retargeting, is also based on reviews, I think a pretty strong ad! Copy the format and test!
📖American vs Costa Rican coffee farmer
Browsing through the book “International Marketing” with lots of examples on cultural differences in marketing and management. This one is nice to read. Two very different cultural and economic philosophies.
From the book: https://www.amazon.nl/International-Marketing-ISE-Philip-Cateora/dp/126615163X/ref=sr_1_3
🖨️My very, very first printer
When I was little, Alex, I got a computer from my parents. Of course, after a while, a printer was also needed. I used it to print “posters”, I remember. Now I found the box the printer was in. Very fun to see, so very different times. This was a real “Multifont” printer with a retro style (but then hipster) businessman photoshopped MacPainted on the box.
📖Exponential Organizations (book screenshot)
I share this picture from a book I read a while ago, I think it can be useful. Holacracy offers a refreshing view from rigid hierarchical structures, promoting autonomy and a dynamic role system that adapts swiftly to organizational needs. While I value the freedom and reduced hierarchy that holacracy brings, it's not without its challenges, but making steps in that direction suits people like me.
From the book: https://www.amazon.nl/Exponential-Organizations-organizations-better-cheaper/dp/1626814236/ref=asc_df_1626814236/
👍Nicely done.club: great website with inspiration to the max for product owners, developers and designers
A website to bookmark: https://nicelydone.club. Browse through projects with fresh ideas and innovative designs. This website showcases an impressive collection of apps, offering inspiration through carefully curated examples of outstanding design and functionality. It includes not only screens, but also user flows.
I think a must bookmark for every designer, product manager, and product owner. Partly a paid service, but I think worth it for product teams.
Details: https://nicelydone.club
That’s it for this edition!
I am Alex Baar and I blog on international digital marketing and e-commerce and share links that I find interesting and useful for others as well.