Eagle Eye CEO Reveals How Digital Can Save Brick-and-Mortar Retail in New Book

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May 21, 2019, 07:00 ET

"Omnichannel Retail: How to build winning stores in a digital world," is an insider's guide to digitalizing the modern customer experience for profitable growth

TORONTO, May 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tim Mason, CEO of digital marketing technology company, Eagle Eye and former deputy CEO of Tesco, has released a new book, Omnichannel Retail: How to build winning stores in a digital world as a guide to bringing the best of online to bear on the survival of the physical store. This trailblazing book is written specifically for consumer-facing businesses and offers practical recommendations for harnessing the value of digitally connecting with customers wherever they are to drive loyalty and sales.

Mason taps into 30+ years of retail industry experience to deliver his learnings and insights in this new book, which outlines the "digital imperative" retail brands face to connect with customers today through relevant and timely engagement, as well as the value of customer connections and the need for omnichannel approaches to loyalty. Previously the CMO and deputy CEO of Tesco, the largest multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer in the UK, Mason led the launch of Tesco Clubcard in 1995, creating the world's first major grocery loyalty program. As the current CEO of Eagle Eye, he has also helped Loblaw launch its PC Optimum program, Canada's largest loyalty scheme, combining the Shopper's Optimum and PC Plus programs into a single cross-banner initiative.

Digital as an Opportunity, Not a Threat
Headlines often blame the growth of online shopping as the cause of Main Street's demise. In Omnichannel Retail, however, Mason argues that this digital trend actually presents an opportunity for brick-and-mortar retailers, not a threat, and that digitalization can foster more meaningful customer connections, boost loyalty and increase sales, both online and offline.

Retailers still need to deliver a differentiated customer experience, and that means connecting and engaging customers in the most relevant and timely ways possible – often through the digital channel. With 90% of shopping transactions still completed in a physical store, the physical retail space is far from dead. But traditional sales outlets need reimagining to re-establish their place in a digital world, as well as their ability to both compete with and enhance online shopping experiences.

Retail needs a "mobile makeover"
Omnichannel Retail shows retailers how to give their stores a 'mobile makeover' to maintain their relevance and connection to today's customers in order to drive growth. Rather than discouraging digital interactions in-store for fear of driving customers to online rivals, retailers need to digitally augment their physical advantages – of expert customer service, sensory selection, "try before you buy," and instant gratification and fulfilment. Delivering personalized experiences that resonate with consumers and challenge digitally enabled and data-driven competitors like Amazon, Alibaba and Jet.com mandates that retailers transform their businesses – today.

Mason co-authored Omnichannel Retail with retail technology expert and bestselling Amazon co-author Miya Knights. Knights has spent 20 years as an enterprise technology journalist, analyst and research director, studying the demands and challenges faced by retailers and the technology-based best practices that can best support their needs. The two experts explore how the use of digital technologies to transform the omnichannel shopping experience can help shine a light into shops, restaurants or showrooms that are like a digital "black hole," devoid of connectivity and from which little meaningful interaction takes place.

Omnichannel Retail: How to build winning stores in a digital world by Tim Mason and Miya Knights was released in the US and Canada on April 26, 2019, published by Kogan Page, and is available for $29.95.

For more information about "Omnichannel Retail: How to build winning stores in a digital world," or to speak with Eagle Eye CEO Tim Mason or Miya Knights, please contact Heather Robinson at [email protected] (+1305.749.5342 Ext 255). For more information about Eagle Eye, please visit www.eagleeye.com.

About the authors
Tim Mason is CEO of Eagle Eye Solutions Group Plc. He has over 30 years' experience within the grocery and retail industries. Previously, Tim was Deputy CEO at Tesco from January 2010 to December 2012. He held a number of other roles within the Tesco Group between 1982 and 2012 including CMO for Tesco and CEO of Fresh & Easy LLC. Throughout his career at Tesco, he was renowned for being in touch with the customer and instrumental in the creation of some of Tesco's most successful marketing initiatives (Clubcard, Express, Personal Finance and Tesco.com).

Miya Knights is Head of Industry Insight for Eagle Eye Solutions and has 20 years' experience as a journalist, editor, analyst and research director, specializing in enterprise technology use in retail. She recently also co-authored the bestselling, Amazon: How the world's most relentless retailer will continue to revolutionize commerce. Formerly Global Technology Research Director at Planet Retail, and a Senior Research Analyst with IDC Retail Insights, she also owns and publishes RetailTechnology.co.uk and is ranked one of Vend's top 50 retail influencers.

About Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye is a leading SaaS technology company transforming marketing by creating digital connections that enable personalised performance marketing in real time through coupons, loyalty, apps, subscriptions and gift services.

Eagle Eye AIR enables the secure issuance and redemption of digital offers and rewards at scale, across multiple channels, enabling a single customer view. We create a network between merchants, brands and audiences to enable customer acquisition, interaction and retention at lower cost whilst driving marketing innovation.

The Company's current customer base comprises leading names in UK Grocery, Retail and Food & Beverage sectors, including Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose and John Lewis & Partners, JD Sports, Burger King, Greggs, Mitchells & Butlers, Pizza Express and in Canada, Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart and Esso.

Eagle Eye is headquartered in Guildford, United Kingdom and has offices in Manchester, Toronto, Canada and Melbourne, Australia.

Web – www.eagleeye.com
Twitter – @WeAreEagleye

MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Robinson, ThinkInk
+305.749.5342 x255
[email protected]

SOURCE Eagle Eye