Programs
Air Canada Shares See Surprise Jump
Despite the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX Jets, Air Canada has seen a growth in profits. “Air Canada on Monday reported a surprise quarterly profit that sent shares up more than 5 percent in earlier trading, helped by flying more passengers and its purchase of a loyalty program.” Many airlines are scaling back their loyalty offerings, but Air Canada has been vindicated in prioritizing customer retention.
Customer Experience
Burger King Explores Delivery for Drivers Stuck in Traffic
We’re hearing about one-day delivery and similar new conveniences, but Burger King is looking to innovate radically. The fast-food chain is testing a service to deliver Whoppers to drivers stuck in traffic jams. The brand is “taking a serious look at the idea of gridlock Whopper delivery via motorcycle through a concept it calls ‘the Traffic Jam Whopper.’ Created by agency We Believers, the campaign uses a blend of high-tech features and old-school opportunism to deliver Whoppers in highly congested parts of Mexico City. In the case study below, the brand reports a 63-percent increase in delivery orders in the first week of the test, along with a 44-times higher number of Burger King app downloads.”
8 Ways Artificial Intelligence Is Revolutionizing Retail
PCMag has published a nice, informative list of the ways AI is changing the retail industry. One highlight: “UK-based online grocer Ocado is using machine learning (ML) powered by the Google Cloud Machine Learning Engine to increase the speed of analytics from shopping data and boost customer experience. When customers write to Ocado with complaints, Ocado can use a ML model to sort through and categorize incoming messages, Google Cloud’s Pillai said.”
How the Apple Store Lost Its Luster
Apple Stores featuring the brand’s “Genius Bars” were once crowded places with a certain mystique. In recent times, they’ve lost appeal, and former and current employees have shared their views on the loss of luster. “They say the stores have become mostly an exercise in branding and no longer do a good job serving mission shoppers. Meanwhile, they say, the quality of staff has slipped during an 18-year expansion that has seen Apple open more than 500 locations and hire 70,000 people. The Genius Bar, once renowned for its tech support, has been largely replaced with staff who roam the stores and are harder to track down.”
Amazon Go Store Opens in New York (It Accepts Cash)
Amazon has opened a new physical location in New York. Like previous Amazon Go locations, it is cashier-less. Notably though, this location bucks the cashless trend, which the brand had previously been advancing. “Amazon, having faced backlash from people who say its cashier-free stores are discriminatory toward the unbanked, is also now starting to accept cash in this New York location. While there still won’t be cash registers in the store, shoppers will have the option to use paper money or coins by having a store employee come to them with a mobile device to help them check out and pay, the company said.”