E-Commerce

When you browse an online store, chances are you've encountered a persistent chat bot lurking in the bottom right corner, eagerly offering its assistance to help you track your order, locate specific items, or handle other mundane tasks. Now, imagine a scenario where this chat bot steps out of its digital boundaries and guides you…

Consumers continue tightening their belts as the cost-of-living crisis bites. And the outlook isn’t ideal. The cost-of-living crisis, combined with the rising cost of raw materials, packaging, transport and labor, is putting insurmountable pressure on retailers and increasingly price-conscious consumers. Many e-commerce businesses, especially those operating in the last decade, were set up on high-growth,…

It’s a fact of life: When you’re selling online, the platforms that send traffic your way can make or break your business. Therefore, you should always keep an eye out for any changes that can impact user behavior. In recent months, two of the biggest platforms around — Google and Microsoft — have integrated coupons,…

Today, people are shopping online more than ever before. The reality is that many people just prefer the convenience of shopping from their mobile devices. To meet this demand, e-commerce has become widely accessible to entrepreneurs around the world thanks to Shopify. In fact, e-commerce sales are expected to grow 10.4 percent in 2023 alone,…

Nowadays, any organization looking to thrive needs to think seriously about global expansion, but there’s no possible way to expand without being able to communicate effectively with your various customers, vendors and stakeholders in multiple languages. That’s why, in 2023, e-commerce localization has become one of the industry’s biggest trends. E-commerce localization is the process…

Have you ever compared your online shopping experiences to your in-store experiences? Physical and digital retail experiences should both be inspirational and filled with entertainment and emotion. But that doesn’t change the fact that when it comes to engaging customers and eliciting sales, physical retail has a “leg up” on e-commerce because real-world shopping experiences…

In episode 403 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mari Corella, general manager of home and hard goods at eBay, a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world. Corella discusses her role and career history in e-commerce (0:44), the eBay Refurbished program…

Walmart raised its full-year forecast Thursday, as fiscal first-quarter sales rose nearly 8 percent and its large grocery business helped offset weaker sales of clothing and electronics. The retailer now anticipates consolidated net sales will rise about 3.5 percent in the fiscal year. Nearly 60 percent of Walmart's annual U.S. sales come from groceries. In the quarter,…

Consumers barely kept up with inflation in April, as retail sales increased but fell short of expectations, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. The advanced sales report showed an increase of 0.4 percent, below the Dow Jones estimate for 0.8 percent. Excluding auto-related figures, sales increased 0.4 percent, which was in line with expectations. As the numbers are not…

The in-store experience has always been a big part of luxury goods retailing. You can immerse yourself in the elegance of a store’s décor and merchandise, and some retailers create full sensory experiences in their spaces — from signature scents in the air to complimentary beverages in the shopper’s hand. Even window shopping at a…