Omnichannel

Walmart opened a high-tech market fulfillment center in its hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas on Monday, underlining its strategic move toward expanding the use of its stores as fulfillment centers. Located inside Store 100, the center is powered by a proprietary storage and retrieval system named Alphabot. According to Walmart, the new market fulfillment centers will…

Too often, brands and retailers treat their e-commerce and in-store operations as separate businesses. Each has its own product assortment, pricing strategy, inventory availability, and key performance indicators. These businesses tend to wage harmful internal battles for resources and attribution that distract from the needs of the larger organization and/or end consumer. The truth is…

This year, a perfect storm of economic, social and technological headwinds are buffeting the retail industry. Despite analysts’ fears of a 2023 recession, consumers have switched from online to in-store sales in such large numbers, analysts describe the trend as “boomerang” shopping. Even so, researchers are finding that inflation is eating away their purchasing power by…

Nearly 30 years after its introduction as a method for consumers to pay for Blockbuster video rentals, the gift card has evolved from a simple paper gift certificate to a multipurpose tool that brands and consumers are putting to use in new and innovative ways. According to the Annual U.S. Prepaid Consumer Insights Study from…

In episode 400 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kevin Moffitt, president of Office Depot, a leading provider of business services and supplies, products and technology solutions with banner brands Office Depot®, OfficeMax®, CompuCom® and Grand&Toy®. Moffitt discusses Office Depot's new Imagine Success™ brand platform (0:58), how associate and customer feedback helped influence the…

As part of the 2023 US Merchant Gift Card Omnicommerce Evaluation, US Edition, a comprehensive report produced by Total Retail in conjunction with sponsor partner Blackhawk Network, best practices for the three channels (digital/e-commerce, in-store, mobile) evaluated were included. The best practices are intended to help readers improve the performance of their gift card programs, including…

In the modern age of shopping, there isn't a standard path to purchase. When consumers want to buy a product, they're not limited to purchasing from a brick-and-mortar store. They have countless options on the digital landscape to aid in their journey to check out. From online marketplaces to social media platforms to mobile apps,…

For the sixth consecutive year, NAPCO Research, in conjunction with Blackhawk Network, has undertaken a comprehensive review of the state of U.S. merchants’ gift card programs. The 2023 review included an assessment of retailers’ e-commerce/digital, mobile, and in-store gift card offerings, providing an omnicommerce view into the consumer gift card purchase and recipient experience. The full report…

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Target is making it easier for customers to return products, launching curbside returns last week that allows people to make returns from the comfort of their cars. The retailer's goal is to roll out the service to all stores by the end of the summer, but for now it's available in a quarter of Target's…