Tech

2018 Retail Predictions – Including Social Media And Re-Structures

In any industry, trends come and go. Some are predicted, to become a big hit and then part of the norm, whilst others seem to spring up out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly.

But what is predicted for the retail sector in 2018? Despite the fact that The Independent believes the industry will have a fight on its hands to survive and revenues will flatline amid fears over the impact of Brexit and cautious spending by consumers, there is some positive news on the horizon.

Social media and technology

Social media and technology continue to be at the forefront of growth in many sectors, not just retail. Instead of it continuing to be a pretty one-dimensional experience, the use of technology such as augmented and virtual reality should make it feel much more like a real-life experience.

There is a whole raft of in-store technologies that retailers have adopted at great cost, such as touch screens to allow clients to select goods to be sent to changing rooms, but if the back-office systems or a lack of staff training don’t allow for this to happen seamlessly, then it’s a wasted investment. Stores that have implemented such technologies need to revisit how they work in reality and make sure that they’re making the most out of them.

Sense marketing

Of course, the retail sector has a whole raft of tools in its armoury to provide customers with an in-store experience that they can’t get from shopping online. That experience can be created through clever use of music, lighting, and scent marketing, where aromas are used to enhance and influence the mood of shoppers to entice them to buy more. Companies such as these can advise retail businesses on where to start with sense marketing.

So, 2018 is going to be tough for retailers, but by engaging in social media and technology trends, as well as exploring marketing avenues, for example, stores can stay ahead of the curve. Price is always been a key issue for retailers and will continue to be so. Getting the balance right between price point and service is difficult and must be monitored and addressed, if necessary, to stay competitive.

Finally, retailers may need to consider taking a lead from other sectors and branching out into secondary revenue streams.

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Tech

Why Are Women Under-Represented In Web Development?

A leading North West creative director and university lecturer, Andy Golpys, has called on digital businesses to assist more women into high-growth tech careers.

In 2016, figures showed that 50,000 girls were turning their backs on STEM subjects every year. A comprehensive study carried out by PwC revealed that just 3pc of females had marked tech careers as their initial choice. Only 5pc of women currently hold leadership positions in tech industries.

Mr Golpys, who is the co-founder of MadeByShape, a web design studio in the North West, said that he wanted to bring his experience to bear, along with insights from primary players in the Northern digital sector, to challenge the industry to bring in more female developers.

Issues begin at study stage

He said that his experience as a digital university lecturer had revealed that, when graphic design students came to choose a focus discipline – such as photography and illustration, or animation and web design, around 50pc chose web design. Of these, however, only a small minority were female.

He asked his colleagues in the digital sector, to identify what was holding back this challenge to diversity, asking whether greater communication into the size and growth potential of the digital industry needed to be delivered to students and whether salaries and benefits needed to be reviewed to see why they weren’t appealing to women.

He explained that females were pursuing graphic design qualifications in large numbers, which meant that there must be a blocker that prevented similar numbers from selecting web design as their focus, rather than print design which is becoming less highly demanded.

Positive changes ahead?

Golpys did say that he had noticed early signs of positive changes in the last two years, with sector figureheads rolling out communication and engagement activity to help encourage more women into digital roles. He said that at MadeByShape, students and graduates of both sexes were invited to work with the designers on live briefs, to develop their skills and abilities on the job.

Graduates looking to work at a professional web development company in London, are able to apply for MadeByShape internships that boost their employability.

With the digital skills gap growing and with women still heavily underrepresented in the tech industry, there is a challenge ahead for digital businesses, policymakers and educators alike.

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Tech

Why Selling Old Cell Phone Is So Beneficial

Each time you buy a new cell phone, you get confused what to do with the old one. You dump those behind the cupboard and forget completely. Suddenly, one day, you discover those and only dump into the dustbin. Do you want to know something better plan for those? Do you want some hard cash at your hand? Then, just sell them. This is really a great idea and you don’t need to be confused at all. Put a little bit of effort and voila! You will get good price by selling your old cell phone. Now, you will ask, ‘why to sell my old phone?’ We will answer about that.

Advantages of Selling Old Phone

You may not know but your old cell phone can be of many use. So, if you ask ever ‘why or how to sell my old phone?’ you should also know how much you will be benefitted about that. Let’s find out-

  • You Can Enjoy Cash- This is the most essential benefits of selling your old phone. If you are in need of immediate cash, selling your old phone is really a good solution. Nowadays, it is becoming trendy and the market of old phone is really uprising. Even if you are planning to buy a new phone, you can use the money you get from selling the old one.
  • Save Further Cost- Is your old phone disturbing? Then, repair your old phone as soon as possible. Buyers would prefer an old phone but not the disturbed ones. So, repairing at early stage will save your money; otherwise you will end up in spending more on that.
  • You Can Help the Needy- Today, cell phone is one of the most important gadgets you use in your regular life. But, there are people who are in shortage of money to buy a new one. If you sell your old phone that is in good condition, it will help another person who is in need of that.
  • Exchange It- Often, there are lucrative exchange offers on the same brand of mobile phone. You can save good amount of money while going for this exchange offer. You can get a better model by exchanging your old phone and that is also at good discount.
  • Recycle It- Yes, there are many companies that recycle your old phone. Contact them and negotiate on rates. Before setting the final price, you can compare the recycling rates of different companies in your area.
  • Save the Planet

Many of you are not well aware how old phones can cause environmental degradation. If you throw that into water, it will contaminate the water supply. The E-waste can pollute the entire environment in a way or another and in today’s world, this is really a huge problem. Selling your old cell phone or recycling it is always a better choice to save the earth.

Hopefully, you get the answer of your question, ‘how to sell my old phone?’ Instead of piling the old phones inside your kitchen cupboards, this is the time to sell that.

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