Digital Innovation

The retail industry is changing, fast. Over the past decade, we've seen this sector move to a primarily online function and innovate to meet the needs of an ever-shifting assortment of consumers. In fact, 2019 showed great progress for e-commerce to close the gap in total market share of sales compared to brick-and-mortar retail. Furthermore,…

The notion of differentiating your retail brand based on price and merchandising is over. Today, winning customers boils down to the experience you provide. Easier said than done. According to a recent study by PwC, one in three consumers said they will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience. That’s…

A recent Salesforce.com report, Customer Expectations Hit All-Time Highs, uncovers how “Modern customers have much higher expectations, such as proactive services, personalized interactions, and connected experiences across channels.” This message is resonating across all retailers, from big-box stores to mom-and-pop shops, as online commerce solutions become more sophisticated in delivering these personalized interactions and optimizing…

In this week’s Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Kristina Stidham and Ashley Chiaradio discuss the top trends to emerge from the 2020 National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City. Here are three trends we heard frequently over the three-day event: the need for retailers to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives; an increased focus…

“Innovate or die!” is a mantra known to many industries, but is particularly relevant to today’s retailers. Recent headlines seem to highlight those that have failed to embrace innovation and have suffered the consequences — store closures, lost customers, bankruptcy filings. The truth is, however, that many have enthusiastically embraced the call for digital transformation,…

In an interview at eTail East in Boston earlier this year, Behzad Soltani, chief digital officer at Movado Group, parent company of leading watch brands such as Movado, Concord, EBEL, Hugo Boss Watches, and more, detailed the company's commitment to being an omnichannel organization, from operations to marketing, among other functions. Soltani participated on a…

In 2018, specialty retail was under assault. This year, it’s taking up arms. Specialty retailers have improved fulfillment speed dramatically. Consider, a fifth of brands now offer free two-day shipping, and the number of brands offering next-day shipping has doubled. Recognizing that mobile accounts for 55 percent of online traffic, on average, in this sector,…

Most retailers know that innovation is key to surviving — and thriving — in the accelerating digital age, but what most retailers don’t understand is how to get there. This is what John Trainor, chief information officer and senior vice president, digital product at Aaron's, discussed during last week's Total Retail Tech event in Philadelphia. Trainor's keynote presentation,…

The future of commerce is sitting on your counter. That’s right, Amazon Alexa, the familiar voice assistant who tells you the weather forecast, will also help you purchase a new umbrella. That was the consensus, anyway, until a recent viral statistic caused some backpedaling. According to a recent report by The Information, “just 2 percent…

Just when we thought Amazon Prime two-day shipping couldn’t get any swifter, the e-commerce behemoth announced same-day delivery, sending shockwaves throughout the retail landscape. The move further raises the bar for consumer expectations, setting a new benchmark not just for delivery speed, but personalization. There’s no denying that the one-size-fits-all experience doesn’t work anymore. Shoppers…