Digital Innovation

The future of retail will be shaped by a growing appetite for hyperpersonalization in the design, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of products and services. In the future, the possibilities offered by our growing intimacy with data — gained from our wearables and under-the-skin technologies, to our smart homes and even our DNA and genomics —…

In episode 152 of Total Retail Talks, Stephen Kuhl, co-founder and CEO of Burrow, discusses the startup furniture brand's approach to disrupting the traditional retail furniture business. Kuhl addresses how Burrow is differentiating itself in the increasingly crowded online category, why he believes the future of the furniture industry is direct to consumer, his top…

Meet Jen Forman, the founder and CEO of Charlotte’s Closet, an online platform where teens can borrow designer dresses for every occasion at a fraction of the retail cost. Jen is the subject of our latest installment of the Inner Circle Q&A!

Prime Wardrobe, Amazon.com's “try before you buy” shopping service, is officially out of beta and open to all Prime members in the U.S. The service has been gradually offered to more customers over the course of the year, so many Prime members may have already had access before yesterday's official unveiling. Prime Wardrobe is Amazon’s answer to…

This report examines how the activities traditionally associated with commerce are being disrupted and transformed by innovations that will redefine how we produce, distribute, market and consume products and services. Our analysis points to a redefinition and upgrade of commerce practices around rapid technological, operational and societal shifts that are already disrupting how we experience reality as well as what and who we trust. It offers a view into the future of commerce.

For a long time, common business perception was that customers demanded having more choices. However, a new study surveying consumers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany shows that expectations of consumers are more nuanced. Consumers do want more choices, but they don’t want to be overwhelmed by them. More is less. Choice overload, customer confusion and…

There's lots of buzz surrounding digital-native brands and what's making them so disruptive and relevant today. While the definition of digital native is evolving, they are companies that launch as web-only retailers with the belief that superior technology can be a differentiator. They often engender loyalty by projecting authenticity and effectively leveraging social media. More…

Google announced yesterday a new service designed to help retailers take on Amazon — and give Google a cut of their sales in the process. The service, Shopping Actions (formerly known as Google Express), gives consumers an easy way to shop for retailers’ products on the Google Assistant app and search via Google Search with…

As has been written about ad nauseam in this e-newsletter and countless others retail trade publications, personalization is the Holy Grail for retailers. After all, done right, personalization elevates consumers’ lives and promotes engagement by providing products and/or content that tune into and even anticipate the needs of customers. The benefits of personalization to the customer…

As Nick Wingfield, technology correspondent for The New York Times described in his vivid, first-hand account of shopping at the Amazon Go store, it’s hard not to get excited about the future of retailing. And while the retail industry can use all the good press it can get, I’m not sure this is it. It was…