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Retail engagement has evolved – time for your strategy to catch up
Retail engagement has evolved – time for your strategy to catch up

The Independent

time04-06-2025

  • Business
  • The Independent

Retail engagement has evolved – time for your strategy to catch up

Marigold is a Business Reporter client To grow customer lifetime value, today's retailers must master AI-powered, data-driven engagement across every channel. You're a retail or e-commerce marketer focused on what really matters: growing customer lifetime value (LTV). You know that keeping customers engaged is the only way to earn repeat purchases, increase order values and turn one-time buyers into advocates. And you know that AI tools such as predictive product recommendations or audience optimisation can accelerate those goals. But here's the challenge: none of it works if your engagement strategy is stuck in the past. Today's shoppers move fluidly between channels, from app to inbox to store and back again. They expect every interaction to be relevant, respectful and informed by what you already know about them. That means your marketing can't just be cross-channel in theory. It has to be unified in practice. Here are three key plays every forward-thinking retailer should have in their playbook, powered by real consumer data and practical, AI-enabled strategies to help you modernise your engagement and grow LTV in 2025 and beyond. Play #1: Unified data = unified experiences Insight from the Consumer Trends Index: Nearly one-quarter (24 per cent) of consumers say that a consistent digital experience across a brand's website and mobile app is more important than price when making a purchase decision. Shoppers expect your brand to know them, whether they click through from an email, tap on a mobile app or walk into a store. But that level of consistency is impossible without connected systems. When your data lives in silos, your customer experience does too. The Consumer Trends Index shows how varied channel preferences really are. Email continues to lead, with 54 per cent of consumers making a purchase through that channel in the past year. But dig into the age data, and the picture shifts: 57 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds made a purchase from a social media post. The takeaway? Channel preferences differ by audience. This means it's not enough to just show up across channels. You have to connect them to each individual's preferences. Unified data lets you build real-time profiles and deliver experiences that feel seamless and personal, not disjointed or repetitive. That's the foundation of modern engagement and long-term growth. Key to success: Break down your data silos. Align your teams and tools to deliver one connected experience, no matter where the customer appears. Play #2: Earn trust through privacy-first personalisation Insight from the Consumer Trends Index: 73 per cent of consumers react positively to product recommendations based on past purchases, but 53 per cent find ads based on third-party cookies invasive. This highlights a preference for personalisation based on data that naturally exists within the brand relationship, such as purchase history or interactions on owned channels. Privacy isn't just a compliance checkbox. It should be part of your brand experience. Customers want transparency, control and relevance. When brands design with privacy in mind and personalise based on data, it makes sense for them to earn trust and engagement. With the decline of third-party cookies and stricter regulations, zero- and first-party data are becoming the most reliable, privacy-safe sources of insight. These data types, whether shared intentionally by the customer or captured through direct interaction, help marketers create personalised experiences that feel helpful, not intrusive. Used responsibly, this data creates a virtuous cycle: transparency builds trust, trust encourages sharing and more data leads to more relevant experiences. Key to success: Put privacy at the heart of your personalisation strategy. Be transparent, earn trust and turn every data point into a better customer experience. Insight from the Consumer Trends Index: 79 per cent of consumers say they are likely to engage with personalised emails tailored to their interests. AI is transforming how marketers connect with customers, making every touchpoint smarter and more effective. Predictive modelling helps forecast outcomes such as purchase intent or churn risk, allowing teams to trigger personalised journeys, update segments or adjust spend with greater confidence. It also powers better timing and content decisions. Send-time and subject-line optimisation ensure messages arrive when they're most likely to be opened. At the same time, personalisation engines dynamically surface the right content or product across channels based on behaviour and affinity. Done well, it's the digital version of your best in-store associate: present, helpful and never intrusive. Key to success: Use AI to enhance, not replace, the human element. Let technology power the timing, while your brand voice delivers the message. The future of retail engagement is smarter, not more complex. It's not rocket science, but it does require diligence. You need to do the groundwork and connect your data. Only then can you deliver the meaningful engagement that today's customers expect. That includes personalising with purpose, respecting privacy at every touchpoint and using AI to act with precision. When you connect the dots behind the scenes, you create seamless, relevant experiences that deepen relationships and grow long-term value.

Harrowing moment balaclava-clad thug randomly snatches woman off street
Harrowing moment balaclava-clad thug randomly snatches woman off street

Daily Mirror

time09-05-2025

  • Daily Mirror

Harrowing moment balaclava-clad thug randomly snatches woman off street

WARNING DISTRESSING FOOTAGE Brighton Crown Court was shown the moment a woman, 20, was grabbed in Brighton by Cameron Boxall, 20, who admitted kidnapping and was jailed Harrowing footage has shown the moment a woman screamed for her life as she desperately fought a balaclava-clad stranger who dragged her into a waiting car in a sickening kidnap plot. Brighton Crown Court heard how Cameron Boxall, 22, grabbed the young victim and pulled her towards a stolen Mini Cooper, which he had switched the number plates on, as she punched and kicked him. He had earlier parked the car near a street corner where he knew the woman, 20, would have to walk. When she got near enough, he pretended to ask for directions before grabbing her, with nearby doorbell footage capturing her harrowing screams of 'no'. Boxall managed to get her inside the car, driving off as she was hanging out the passenger door. The victim bravely fought against Boxall, punching at him until he kicked her out of the car where a passerby was able to jump to her aid. ‌ ‌ Boxall admitted a charge of kidnap, theft of a vehicle, theft from a vehicle, driving without a licence, driving without insurance, making off without payment, and possession of cannabis. Boxall had prepared for the attempted kidnap, buying Marigold gloves from a corner shop and had been seen wearing a balaclava as he drove around Hove in the early hours of August 5 last year. But footage from his police interviews shows he initially denied any wrongdoing. Now, his victim has bravely allowed the full video showing her horrifying ordeal to be published. In her victim impact statement, the young woman said she felt lucky to be alive. She said: 'What happened is still raw to me. I had to fight really hard against him. I had bruises and scratches on my back, arms and legs from where he threw me out of the car and a massive lump on my head. "What happened has changed the way I view the world. I always thought Brighton was a safe place to live. I won't go out on my own any more, I feel I've lost my freedom. "I understand it's a one in a million chance it will happen again but even going out in the day I'm anxious. I've not done anything wrong and did not deserve what happened to me. I struggle to understand the level of violence he used against me and I feel lucky to be alive." ‌ Her mother said the emotional trauma had profoundly disrupted the family. She told police: 'The emotional aftermath has not been easy to overcome. It has forever altered our lives in ways which go beyond the immediate harm." Gareth Burrows for the Crown prosecution said: "He had already identified her as his intended victim. The Mini was positioned to block her route. He called out to her. "He said, 'Excuse me, I'm a bit lost, I'm looking for Brunswick Place, can you help me?' His intention was to draw her close. He got out of the car, saying 'Get in the f***ing car'. In the ensuing struggle, her bra broke." ‌ Her head was pulled into the footwell of the Mini Cooper, Mr Burrows said. Despite her desperate attempts to fight, the victim was dragged into the car and Boxall drove off with the door still open. The court heard Boxall was driving around Hove in the early hours of August 5 wearing a balaclava after stealing the Mini Cooper and switching the numberplate. Mr Burrows said: "The complainant saw the black Mini he was driving and noticed he was wearing a face covering. She said it seemed insignificant at the time." ‌ He bought the Marigold gloves at a corner shop and was filmed by a CCTV camera putting them in his pocket. Boxall's mum, sister and partner were in court to hear the screams of his victim. Video played in court showed Boxall reversing into a parking space on a corner where he knows the woman he has identified as his victim will have to walk past. Boxall tried to claim he wanted to rob the young woman to pay a drugs debt, the court heard. Her handbag was found untouched on the pavement where she was snatched. Mr Burrows continued to outline the details of the harrowing attack, saying: "As he was driving away, he repeatedly attempted to close the door, causing her legs to be struck a number of times. she was punching him in every manner she could and this likely thwarted his objective. He pushed her out of the moving vehicle and she was found on the ground in a state of shock." ‌ Recorder Lucy Beaumont told Boxall: "The seriousness and impact of your offending cannot be understated. The CCTV is hard to watch, imagining what was going through the victim's mind at the time." Detective Sergeant Jack Sagar, from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: 'Boxall is a dangerous predator who preyed on a young woman innocently walking home putting her through a horrific distressing ordeal, where she feared for her life. We commend her for the immense strength and bravery she has shown throughout the incident and during our subsequent investigation. ‌ "With the details she was able to provide, combined with our fast paced and intensive enquiries, we swiftly identified Boxall as the suspect and brought him into custody. We built a strong evidential case which, when presented to the court, resulted in a guilty plea ensuring this dangerous violent offender has been caught and taken off the streets.' Superintendent Petra Lazar, of Brighton and Hove Division, said: 'Everyone has the right to feel safe and be safe in a public place. We are fully committed to ensuring that is the case and work incredibly closely with partners to ensure a range of measures are in place to address vulnerability, tackle crime and provide reassurance. "Violence against women and girls will absolutely not be tolerated. An incident such as this is appalling, and every effort will be made to bring offenders to justice and safeguard victims.' Boxall was jailed for five years with a two year extended sentence under new guidelines issued on April 1 this year. He will serve two thirds of the custodial sentence in prison before he is eligible to apply for parole.

The Green Day of Zagazig: Vemto Builds a Dream From the Rooftop Up
The Green Day of Zagazig: Vemto Builds a Dream From the Rooftop Up

CairoScene

time10-04-2025

  • Entertainment
  • CairoScene

The Green Day of Zagazig: Vemto Builds a Dream From the Rooftop Up

A teenage band with messy hair, eyeliner, and giant hearts, Vemto is building a punk scene in Egypt's quietest corners. What Vemto is doing isn't just punk—it's punk in a place where punk shouldn'tWhen I met Vemto, I felt like I'd stepped into one of those '90s coming-of-age movies. You know the scene: you sneak into the older brother's room, and are immediately overwhelmed by the smell of hair gel and walls plastered with Nirvana and Green Day posters. Except here, the 'older brothers' in question are three teenage boys from Zagazig who welcome you in like an old friend and offer you a seat beside their amp. Vemto is made up of Mahmoud, Fares and Tohamy, a trio of 16 and 17-year-olds who look like they've walked straight off the set of 'Ten Things I Hate About You' if it had been recorded on a rooftop in Egypt. Despite the first impression some may have after seeing their messy hair and eyeliner, they're truly the kindest, most grounded kids I've met, handing me their skateboard to mess around with during their photoshoot and teaching me their own made-up punk handshake that I still can't quite get right. 'We are Vemto the band, we're 16 years old—well, not all of us, some just turned 17—and this is our interview with SceneNoise,' Mahmoud grins into the mic. It's chaotic, charming and completely them. Punk Starts in the Quietest Places Before there was a band, there were three boys trying to make sense of boredom, bullying, and that teenage restlessness that has nowhere to go in small towns. 'We were really hated in school,' Mahmoud tells me. 'So we decided to annoy people even more by making music.' The name 'Vemto' itself is an inside joke. 'Fares and I were arguing on a call,' Mahmoud says, half-laughing. 'I said Vimto was the best drink ever. He started swearing at me. I was like, cool—guess that's our band name now.' It stuck. Because of course it did. First Songs, First Stages Like most teenage bands, they started with covers. After a brief back-and-forth about which was their actual first, they land on 'Marigold' by Nirvana. 'That's the one,' Fares nods. The influence is clear—not just in the music, but in the way they carry themselves. A bit slouched, a bit sarcastic, but always present. Their first original track, 'مكحله عينها', was born out of impulse. 'We played it on a rooftop party,' Mahmoud says. 'It wasn't even supposed to be a gig—just 30 of our friends. But people loved it. We recorded it on a phone at first, then our manager Cherine Amr helped us clean it up. Put it on TikTok—and boom.' Now that rooftop has become their headquarters. 'We used to rehearse at a friend's house,' Tohamy says, 'but he kicked us out of the band and the house. So we built our own space on the roof. Got egg cartons for soundproofing. Spray-painted the walls.' The room there is punk-chaos incarnate: stacked cassettes, empty Vimto cans, a filthy old mattress, spray paint on everything, and this one dodgy fan that threatens to fall at any moment. It shouldn't work—but it does. It feels like home. Even the neighbours, who once complained about the noise, have grown used to it. 'They actually kind of like us now,' Fares smirks. Zagazig's Only Band (For Now) In a town where the most live music you'll hear is probably a wedding DJ, Vemto is something of a phenomenon. 'We're the only band in Zagazig,' Mahmoud shrugs. 'It's cool, but also… kinda lonely.' That solitude doesn't stop them—it fuels them. 'People have started dressing like us,' Fares says. 'More eyeliner. More hair dye. Some kids want to start bands now exist. No venues. No gear. No infrastructure. Just energy and heart and noise. And maybe that's why it hits different. No School, No Rules, Just Songs When the question of school is brought up, Mahmoud laughs. 'Ask them,' he says. 'I dropped out.' Fares and Tohamy are still technically students, but music is the real curriculum. 'We don't study,' Fares admits. 'We just play.' So far, it's been working. Ziad Zaza reached out. Sherine and Massar Egbari sent love and support. In the middle of all the chaos, they're finding recognition—not for being polished, but for being real. The Future's a Rooftop Away When asked what's next, Mahmoud responds, 'Maybe a tour? Banha, Mansoura… cities no punk band's been to before.' Their dream collab? 'MTM,' Mahmoud says. Fares nods. 'Or Green Day,' he grins, pointing to their faded band tees. And five years from now? 'Same rooftop. Same mattress. Same dodgy fan,' Mahmoud says. 'Waiting to perform at a party the next day.' The magic of Vemto isn't in the noise they make—it's in the space they create. A space where being loud, weird, kind, and passionate isn't just allowed—it's the whole point. A space that, for a moment, made me feel like a teenager again—skating across a dusty roof on a borrowed board, learning a punk handshake, and listening to someone play a song they just wrote. And maybe that's what punk's really about.

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