Technology

While in New York City recently, I had the opportunity to interview Martin Gilliard, chief information officer, senior executive vice president at Barneys New York. I'm excited to share his fresh perspective on retail and the ever-evolving role of CIOs, which is informed by his expertise in technology and other diverse studies. Holly Vander Wall:…

Today’s digital landscape has created an uncertain retail climate for all; even long-established brick-and-mortar retailers like Toys”R”Us and Sears have fallen to the so-called “retail apocalypse.” The reason? When it comes to shopping, power has officially shifted from the retailer to the consumer, who demands what they want, how they want it, and when it’s…

The benefits of online shopping are obvious: its speed, ease and convenience drove Q2 2017 e-commerce sales to $111.5 billion, a 16.2 percent increase year-over-year. Still, if given a choice, 64 percent of online shoppers prefer buying from physical outlets — a number that, surprisingly, increases when talking about younger shoppers. Millennials and even Gen…

LIDS, a Genesco brand that operates within Hat Word Inc., earned the No. 1 ranking in Total Retail’s analysis of 100 publicly traded retailers based on its omnichannel capabilities/programs offered and the execution of said programs. LIDS was part of a three-way tie for first place, joined by DSW and UGG. The full rankings can…

Amazon.com is reportedly working on an an ambitious, top-secret plan to build domestic robots. According to a report in Bloomberg, the project is code named “Vesta,” after the Roman goddess of the hearth, home and family, and is being overseen by Gregg Zehr, who runs Amazon’s Lab126 hardware research and development division. Lab126 is responsible for…

Home Depot announced this week that it will hire more than 1,000 technology positions this year. Recode reported the home improvement retailer is using the hiring spree as a means to support an $11 billion multiyear investment plan to extend its lead in brick-and-mortar retail over competitors like Lowe’s as well as fend off increased…

If you’re a fashion and apparel retailer and have ever asked the question, “What matters most to my online shoppers?” this article is for you. Rakuten Fits Me recently conducted a global survey investigating online search behaviors as well as the size and fit challenges of today’s fashion and apparel-seeking consumers. This is what they…

Consumers today have seemingly endless retail options. Beyond price, product and delivery options, shoppers can choose how they communicate with their favorite brands, whether that’s through a voice assistant, chatbot, Facebook Messenger, etc. A recent study by Narvar revealed that shoppers are indeed choosing a combination of these channels and expect that brands use them…

When it comes to e-commerce, growth is a trend you can’t ignore. Globally, the e-commerce industry is projected to reach $4.5 trillion by 2021, and in the U.S., online sales are increasing by about 15 percent every year. But when looking at more specific e-commerce trends, it can be difficult to discern fact from fiction.…

April showers bring May flowers. And for online floral retailers, May flowers mean Mother’s Day, one of the biggest sales events of the year. Like a fine Swiss watchmaker, floral retailers determine shipping prices, and precisely when orders need to occur to ensure on-time arrival to surprise and delight that special mom in their life.…