E-Commerce

E-commerce is fast becoming the lifeblood of the retail economy. In 2021, the e-commerce industry generated $5.2 trillion worldwide, with a 56 percent increase expected by 2026. With statistics like these, it's no surprise that e-commerce has become a driving force for businesses of all sizes. However, serious blind spots threaten that profitability. Entering the next…

Many consumer products start from niche beginnings. Why? Appealing to small audience groups makes marketing simpler and more cost effective initially. However, sooner or later, most successful brands want to broaden their appeal. In today's market ecosystem, that usually translates to expanding their e-commerce experience and footprint. This is where using data and following a…

U.S. retail sales increased by 3 percent in January, far exceeding expectations for the month, according to the Commerce Department. This is the largest increase since March 2021. The Commerce Department said Wednesday it expected January sales numbers to rise 1.9 percent. Food services and drinking establishments saw the biggest increase, at 7.2 percent. Motor…

In episode 388 of Total Retail Talks, which was recorded at the ICR Conference earlier this year, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews John Merris, CEO of Solo Brands, a pure-play direct-to-consumer (DTC) company with a portfolio of rapidly growing lifestyle brands, including Solo Stove, Oru Kayak, Chubbies, and ISLE. Merris discusses why so many public DTC…

Aligned with expanded omnichannel capabilities, brands looking to ramp up efforts to accommodate in-person and online shopping interest can look across a variety of avenues — including social media. A new method of selling, social commerce was the shiny branch of omnichannel that many expected to take off thanks to social media’s advantages of appealing to…

We're all familiar with Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol," where counting-house manager Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. What might those ghosts have looked like if Scrooge had been responsible for managing an e-commerce website? New data from Pack’s inaugural E-Commerce Trends Report, a survey of more than…

In episode 387 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews John Stratford, vice president of global e-commerce at MillerKnoll, a collective of dynamic brands that comes together to design the world we live in. During the wide-ranging interview, Stratford provides an overview of the MillerKnoll business and its brands (0:57), his professional background (2:40),…

We’ve all found ourselves wandering through stores, browsing the shelves, picking up items to check them out and deciding which to buy — and which to put back. Digital shelves work the same way but in the virtual world. Shoppers rely on this collection of digital touchpoints to engage with brands and seek, research and purchase…

Walmart last week launched a dedicated e-commerce site tailored to small and midsize business (SMB) customers. The website, Walmart Business, will offer “a curated assortment of more than 100,000 items with categorization and navigation tailored to busy organizational shoppers, Walmart said in a press release. The product categories include office supplies and furniture, food and beverage, restroom,…

Facing an economic downturn and reduced spending, 2022 was arguably one of the toughest year’s retail has ever faced. As the cost-of-living crisis continues, thoughts are now turning to what 2023 will have in store and how e-commerce merchants will respond to the challenges ahead. We spoke to a range of industry experts to get…