Technology

Between rapid technology evolution’s effect on sales and smaller businesses stuck hiding behind the shadows of e-commerce giants, retailers are grappling with a great deal of uncertainty. Even in the best of retail sales and revenue growth, product returns are expected to have accounted for 30 percent of the 2018 retail economy — an estimated $37 billion. So,…

Fueled by the collective effort of dozens of new luxury-specific technology solutions in the market, the online shopping experience continues to evolve, adopting the best features of brick-and-mortar stores. Unfortunately, in the click vs. brick war, digital retail is still the weaker competitor as it’s tough to bring the emotions and engagement of physical retail…

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have become common terms among retail giants such as Amazon.com, Wayfair, Ikea and more as they discuss their futures. However, the question remains: Have consumers bought into this future-of-retail vision, which relies on a mix of virtual realities woven into shopping experiences? The answer might surprise you. A…

In episode 191 of Total Retail Talks, Executive Editor Joe Keenan speaks with Liz Thompson, chief people officer at Southeastern Grocers, one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the U.S. Listen in as they discuss Southeastern Grocers’ partnership with Axonify, a microlearning platform, and how Axonify’s technology has improved employee training and communications. This episode…

Many people are familiar with the outdated, traditional old store model — think long lines, limited assortments, out-of-stock inventory, and unhelpful sales associates. Considering the popularity of online shopping, customers expect more convenient, tailored in-store experiences to match the ease of virtual shopping. Although fewer people are shopping in physical stores, brick-and-mortar locations aren't disappearing…

While Amazon.com continues to dominate e-commerce, a report from Gartner suggests that its core business is slowing, with legacy retailers building up their own e-commerce operations. Like Amazon, successful online retailers are focusing on increasing average revenue per unit (ARPU) as a competitive strategy, not just to establish themselves in the online commerce space but…

When it comes to brands connecting with consumers, the Internet of Things (IoT) is often referred to as the third great technological transformation of a generation. It follows on the heels of the emergence of websites in the late 1990s and the explosion of social media and mobile devices in the mid-to-late 2000s. Given all…

In episode 190 of Total Retail Talks, Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Erik Lautier, chief marketing officer and chief digital officer at Francesca’s, a national fashion and accessories boutique. Listen in as they discuss how Francesca’s identifies a singe view of the customer across many channels, the brand’s partnership with customer data platform AgilOne, and the emerging…

Walmart announced Tuesday a partnership with Google to bring voice-activated grocery shopping to customers using Google Assistant, reports CNBC. The feature will launch this month, and will be available on any device with Google Assistant, including Home Hub, Android phones, iPhones, watches, and more. Consumers will be able to add products to their Walmart grocery…

In episode 189 of Total Retail Talks, Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Lisa Gold, director of showroom design at California Closets, a global custom storage manufacturer and retailer. Listen in as they discuss California Closets work with partner Elo to bring digital signage to its showrooms, how these touchscreens have helped customers access California Closet’s endless…