Omnichannel

Cross-platform integration operations run on a variety of operating systems, databases and applications. These had always been cumbersome and time consuming at The Container Store. With more than 6,000 employees and 59 locations, the retailer was challenged by a solution that required different skill sets for each platform, as well as multiple developers to learn a variety of languages in order to move data across multiple platforms.

An order management system is a critical resource for omnichannel retailers who sell merchandise that they ship from either their own warehouse or via a third-party service bureau or logistics provider. To take full advantage of all their benefits, however, you need to make a strategic decision about which OMS is right for your organization. Here are some tips to help with that process. 

In the final part of this two-part series on the “20-Plus Things to Watch in Retail” section of JWT’s Retail Rebooted report, I discuss

For brands selling and marketing to consumers in multiple channels simultaneously, attributing orders to the marketing channel responsible for generating a purchase is a problem that's been vexing retailers for years. In a session at this week's eTail East conference in Philadelphia, a panel of retailers (and one vendor) discussed how their companies handle the troublesome task of order attribution.

In a keynote session at the eTail East conference in Philadelphia, Tripp Sessions, the former chief information officer at Benchmark Brands, the parent company of FootSmart, a cross-channel retailer of shoes, socks and foot care products, laid out his tips on how companies can seamlessly and effectively roll out a new technology implementation. Sessions was recruited to lead the turnaround of the information technology and e-commerce operations teams at Benchmark Brands. Here's a recap of Sessions' tips:

Merchandise and inventory planning for catalog retailers used to be a thorough, highly detailed process from start to finish. The goal,

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, retailers and their business partners often tout the ways they put customers at the center of their strategies. But while many companies do a good job of understanding their customers, many fail to maximize demand because they don't adequately coordinate across marketing, sales and innovation functions.

Omnichannel is the buzzword du jour in retailing. From large chains to midsize independents, brands across the retail industry are eager to leverage new digital opportunities as drivers of increased revenues and market expansion. But while many retailers are talking about omnichannel opportunities, a much smaller number understand what omnichannel really means.

We live in a day and age when browsing the web is no longer an anonymous activity. In addition to all of the "+1's" and "Likes" we leave in our digital wake, we're also the recipients of retargeting (or remarketing) advertisements and emails. We've all experienced retargeting by now.

In the second and final part of this interview with Beth Guastella, the recently named president and COO of giggle, a specialty retaile