Technology

Supply chains and logistics have seen seismic shifts forward in recent years. In 2020 alone, companies fast-tracked the digital transformation of their internal operations — and their customer and supply chain interactions — by three years to four years. The digitization of third-party logistics (3PL) providers began in the mid-90s, but the pandemic fueled progress…

Walmart has rolled out a virtual try-on tool that helps shoppers see how a shirt or another piece of clothing would look on their own bodies. It's the latest feature the company has added to its website, and it comes following the acquisition of Zeekit, a virtual fitting room startup. Walmart launched its first iteration of the tool…

In episode 366 of Total Retail Talks, Michael Cleavinger, global commercial data science lead at PepsiCo, discusses the organization's data strategy for both customer and product data, and its unique data collection process. He shares examples of how PepsiCo is leveraging data to inform decision making, as well as how his data science team shares information with other departments across the organization.

Retailers have been under excruciating pressure as inflation, supply chain woes, and recession threatens consumer spending, impacting their bottom line. As a result, many are leaning into promotional sales periods as a way to push inventory to consumers, ensuring they receive a portion of the limited discretionary spending. With the back-to-school shopping season underway on…

When successful larger businesses run into operational stumbling blocks, they're often tempted by enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. Meanwhile, brands on a smaller budget often turn to "single point" solutions to overhaul their operations cheaply and easily. These solutions include order management systems (OMS) and warehouse management systems (WMS). Implementing an ERP system, or even…

How retail brands handle the influx of customer support inquiries during another record-shattering back-to-school (BTS) season will make or break Q3 and beyond. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), BTS spending will match 2021’s record high of $37 billion. You may be thinking, it’s August, it’s too late, school is back in session. However,…

Brick-and-mortar retail is in a technology boom. While innovations like self-checkout, mobile apps, and digital kiosks were already popping up in stores, the pandemic only accelerated the adoption of new technologies to connect with customers and keep them safe. Despite focusing on face-to-face interactions and physical products, brick-and-mortar retail’s past is filled with technological innovation…

Retail headlines were grim these past few years, from supply chain woes and unfilled jobs to mounting inflation and spiking demands for faster delivery. However, as the adage goes, these hard times may make stronger retailers — many have already taken an honest assessment and made efforts to innovate their legacy systems and strategies. Perhaps the most…

No one likes paying for backup. Obviously, retailers need it. Businesses today operate on data, and without it, commerce grinds to a halt. But it’s painful to spend money on something that you hope you never have to use. The value is all tied up with the nasty what-if of corrupted data, a fire, a…

Ulta Beauty has become the latest retailer to launch a venture capital arm after announcing a new digital innovation fund Wednesday. The fund, called Prisma Ventures, earmarks $20 million for digital innovation in beauty, according to a company press release. The fund will invest in emerging technology startups that "seek to shape future online and in-store…