Technology

Retail sales over the past year have declined 21.6 percent, with recent months piling on additional unprecedented challenges. Not only are consumers embracing e-commerce, but how they seek out support is also changing. Even though these trends started to emerge before the global pandemic, they're now playing out on an accelerated timeline and putting retailers…

Today, a retailer’s website is more important than ever. With the coronavirus pandemic dictating where consumers make purchases — increasingly online — retailers have no time for “moving target” projects like website redesigns. As studies show that one-third of marketers are unhappy with their most recent website redesign, it’s time for progressive retailers to improve website…

Most people think 5G technology is only related to the telecom industry. However, the 5G wireless network will affect more than cell phone coverage. As this next-generation network gains traction, it will have far-reaching effects for many industries, including retail. According to a recent Ericsson report, five years from now 65 percent of the global…

In the age of e-commerce, retailers are facing serious challenges to stay competitive, including high employee turnover rates, massive amounts of customer data, and the need to meet rising consumer expectations. Artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as a key solution to overcoming those challenges, but retailers also see significant barriers to widespread adoption, a new…

Microsoft said on Friday it will permanently close all of its 83 store locations and will instead focus on its e-commerce business, where customers can visit for support, sales, training and more. The decision comes after Microsoft temporarily closed stores in March due to the spread of the coronavirus. Microsoft said the thousands of workers from these stores have…

Today’s retail experience looks a little different than it did three months ago. Despite a decrease in foot traffic, online sales have surged 146 percent, and 72 percent of consumers are using their mobile device to shop online. As retailers scramble to adjust their strategy to be more focused on e-commerce while improving the customer experience,…

As consumers living in a digital world, we're well aware of the pervasive data collection practices of companies that monitor online behaviors. What many consumers are not aware of, however, is that in an effort to stay on par with digital retailers, brick-and-mortar stores are beginning to use technologies that can turn stores into “physical websites.” Using facial recognition software,…

In episode 252 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Pradeep Elankumaran, co-founder and CEO of Farmstead, an online grocery retailer that offers free delivery and fresh, locally sourced foods. Listen in as Elankumaran discusses his career background in technology, his inspiration for founding the company, and the growth of online grocery during the COVID-19…

Before the rise of e-commerce, success in retail was driven by customer service, including interactions between store associates and customers. A hallmark of mom-and-pop shops, close relationships between associates and customers enabled a highly personalized level of service that drove sales and retailer loyalty. Yet, with the emergence of big-box retailers, shopping centers and eventually…

Customer loyalty has been on the decline, with consumers having an abundance of options to choose from when making all sorts of retail purchases. If a retailer can’t meet a consumer's needs, whether it be related to price, product, experience, etc., he or she will often move on to a competitor that can. To help address…