Digital Innovation

We’re now well into 2021, and we can say with certainty that retail’s rebound is legitimate. By continuing to invest heavily in in-location experiences, retailers have bounced back admirably from unprecedented adversity. As of early June, the National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts retail sales to continue growing between 10.5 percent and 13.5 percent throughout the remainder…

The other day I purchased a hoodie from a direct-to-consumer brand that I like. “The softest hoodie ever” was how they hooked me, but post-checkout I found myself upsold to buying eye cream. How did they do it? Co-selling. And it’s going to transform every brand into a marketplace. Co-selling is on the rise, and…

Despite physical retailers opening their doors to a higher capacity of people, post-pandemic shoppers don’t have the same habits they did before the pandemic. They're spending less time in stores, with 43 percent moving more quickly in stores than they did before COVID-19, according to a recent Quotient survey. Although advertisers are combatting less time…

American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) has recently introduced its first digital clothing collection on Bitmoji, the cartoon avatar creation platform owned by Snapchat, according to a company news release. With this new initiative, users can view the retailer's back-to-school collection on virtual representations of brand ambassadors Addison Rae, Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey, Caleb McLaughlin and Jenna Ortega. Their…

Luxury fashion brands were once infamously technophobic. Unlike direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) brands born with digital in their DNA, luxury was slow to embrace e-commerce. Iconic names and signature styles were enough to secure a loyal following, and most high-end consumers preferred to shop in stores. But recently — especially during the pandemic-induced e-commerce boom — this…

Although adding digital channels to their business might have already been on the to-do list for many small and midsized business (SMB) leaders, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digitization of customer interactions in North America by three years, according to McKinsey & Company. Suddenly, small businesses were expected to deliver digital experiences that rivaled big-box…

Companies in many industries, including technology, construction, and healthcare, are completely revamping the way in which their manufacturing arms are designing, building, producing and servicing the goods they need for projects and customers. Just a short five years ago, these manufacturers began to embark on the second coming of their own industrial revolution. It wasn’t enough that the…

During a virtual keynote hosted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) on June 24, Jeff Gennette, Chairman and CEO of Macy’s Inc, discussed the company’s digital transformation since the beginning of the pandemic, how customer behaviors have changed and what the department store is doing to adapt, and why diversity and inclusion is critical to…

Senior-level women in retail discuss the leadership strategies and hiring best practices they’re using to lead their team to success.

When it comes to how cities serve their citizens, success is a long game. It takes years (and even decades) to shift a city to accommodate changes in how we live, and that’s precisely why city planners, businesses, and real estate agents alike are closely watching recent trends surrounding how and where we live, work…