Customer Retention

In episode 426 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Emily Essner, chief marketing officer of Saks, the premier digital platform for luxury fashion in North America. During the wide-ranging conversation, Essner discusses the fashion retailer's quarterly Saks Luxury Pulse survey (0:55) and key findings from its most recent survey data released in September (2:33), including…

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos said in 1999 that what matters most to him is providing the best experience he can to his customers. In the same interview, he added “If there’s one thing that Amazon.com is about, it’s obsessive attention to the customer experience end to end.” Decades later, Amazon never wavered from its commitment…

As each day passes, the difference between physical and digital storefronts becomes increasingly blurred. Technological advancements, a wealth of creativity in the retail sector, and the exciting emergence of Web3 integrations and activations continue to bring physical and digital retail experiences closer together. For brands, online interactions go beyond sales as we enter an era…

In the last few decades, the market has witnessed a gradual power shift between brands and consumers. Previously, brands would work on their ideas and develop a product or service that they believed would help customers. Now, brands are taking notes and working on innovating and devising products and services that customers believe in. By…

Retailers, particularly those in high throughput categories like footwear and apparel, are still feeling the effects of the inventory glut that started in 2022. The issue is so severe for some brands that the tactics being used to clear inventory have moved from desperate to dangerous. We’re already seeing brands offering 40 percent off site-wide…

In today’s highly competitive retail market, customer loyalty is often a pivotal driver of business success. So much so that studies have shown that increasing customer retention rates by just 5 percent can boost profits up to 95 percent. However, gone are the days of one-size-fits-all loyalty programs that offer the same rewards and incentives…

In the rapidly evolving retail landscape, the brands poised for success in 2023 and beyond are those that can effectively demonstrate empathy toward their customers and deliver a highly personalized customer experience.  These times present significant challenges for retailers. The escalating cost of living has caused consumers to scale back on spending. Geopolitical uncertainties have…

The job of a retail marketer is to adapt. Adapt to new trends and changing customers behaviors. Adapt to declining channels that were once effective. Adapt to customers' high expectations. Adapt to changing data privacy regulations. But instead of being reactive to trends, why not be proactive? Look to where consumer marketing is headed, and…

Several companies are experimenting with new initiatives to improve customer loyalty, including Amazon.com paying customers to pick up purchases and retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch, Anthropologie, and Gap ramping up discounts. Others, like Jenni Kayne and Madison Reed, are leaning into membership programs — but are these efforts truly worthwhile? Companies often turn to business…

In episode 406 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Emily Teele, retail loyalty expert, Nike leader and KindWork board member. Listen in as Teele provides an overview of her role at Nike (0:42), what drew her to take on the international position (1:33), and how she's seen the loyalty space evolve throughout her…