Omnichannel

Mobile chat apps have completely taken over the app ecosystem. WhatsApp reports that it delivers 55 billion messages every day. The top five apps in the world in terms of frequency of use are all messaging apps. We’re more addicted to messaging than to Facebook or Instagram. How did we get here, and what does this…

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In a session last week at the Shop.org conference in Los Angeles, Grace Glenny, director of site merchandising at Target, discussed how the big-box chain is ensuring its mobile app is primed for performance — without sacrificing functionality — to give its customers the instantaneous shopping experiences they’ve come to expect. Target has recently shifted…

It’s difficult to go even one day without coming across a news article that highlights how virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual assistants like Amazon.com's Alexa will transform not just our shopping experiences but our lives. However, Bill Gates’ famous aphorism, “We always overestimate the change that will…

Millennials, Generation Y, Echo Boomers, the Demand Generation — call them what you want, but this key group of over 75 million U.S. consumers is undoubtedly changing today’s shopping scene. Brands have been forced to evolve their omnichannel strategies as well as tailor their offerings and merchandising to millennials, since this demographic now has over $200 million in annual…

In episode 111 of Total Retail Talks, Richard Last, chairman emeritus, board of directors, Shop.org; founding partner, Axcelora; senior director, Global Digital Retailing Research Center, University of North Texas, offers his insights into the state of the retail industry, including how legacy brick-and-mortar retailers must evolve in order to remain viable in today's digital environment,…

Imagine this: A shopper walks into an apparel store looking to find the perfect pair of jeans and top for a night on the town. Instead of the shopper stressing over finding the right ensemble without any help, a store associate opens up the customer’s shopping profile on an enterprise mobile device and identifies a…

With reports swirling about the uncertain future of the retail industry, retailers are working to stand out in a highly competitive market, deciphering what customers really want from the brands they interact with, and delivering those things in a timely manner. While determining what consumers want may seem daunting to retailers, according to a recent…

Although the majority of consumers still prefer to shop in-store, 72 percent admit to showrooming in the last 12 months. Smartphones are changing the way people shop, challenging retailers to adapt to the changing times. In August, Salesfloor, a technology platform for omnichannel retail associates, announced a mobile messaging feature that connects customers to their local store…

This article originally appeared in the cover story of Total Retail’s Summer issue, Game Changers. Total Retail is the sister publication of Women in Retail Leadership Circle. Total Retail: Where did you get the inspiration to launch your company? Jen Rubio: My old suitcase broke during a trip, and while looking for a replacement, I…