Technology

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…

During the Women in Retail and Total Retail Virtual Exchange, held on May 28, Chieh Huang, CEO of Boxed, participated in an interview that touched on a variety of topics, from changes to brand messaging during COVID-19 to some positive ways he thinks the current climate will reshape the retail industry. In this video clip from the session,…

There’s a major shift happening in the healthcare industry to make itself more a part of consumers’ everyday environment, and it’s happening outside of the doctor’s office. Retailers are pushing to use technology to hype up the health management experience and bring consumers into stores for services that typically take place at a medical office.…

The focus for many retailers in 2020 is delivering differentiated customer experiences (CX) that are highly personalized to each individual. This is evident by a recent report we commissioned with eTail and WBR Insights, Retail CX and Data Management Strategies in 2020, which revealed an industry that’s investing heavily in new technologies to improve their businesses,…