User Experience

Black Friday 2020 broke records, representing the second biggest e-commerce spending day in U.S. history. With 2021 likely to offer more of the same, competition for wallet-share has never been higher and the margin for customer experience (CX) errors never thinner. Retailers looking to gain an edge should focus on how they can upgrade their…

Online retail is on a steady climb as consumers shift to digital channels for the convenience of using any device, anywhere, at any time to complete purchases. According to eMarketer, worldwide retail e-commerce sales are growing from $4.28 trillion in 2020 to $6.39 trillion in 2024, which is forecasted to correspond to 21.8 percent of total…

In the past year, retailers have quickly ramped up their e-commerce offerings, but they still have a blind spot: when shoppers stumble on obstacles along the path to purchase, they’re unlikely to ask for help. As a result, sellers are losing out on big opportunities. That’s the surprising truth revealed by new consumer research from digital experience…

There's no doubt that consumers are changing the way they spend, but how much of the change is permanent? Much has impacted established retailers and consumer product companies, from massive societal shifts and cultural change to marketplace disruption and accelerations in direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) models. As businesses emerge from one of the most sustained periods of…

The omnichannel approach to customer experience (CX) has become an essential investment among companies focused on maintaining a strong brand reputation. It means providing a unified experience through all channels and platforms that consumers use to interact with the brands they shop. In other words, it’s become more important than ever to communicate the same messages across all channels in which customers choose to engage.…

Smart retailers start planning for their winter holiday shopping season during the summer to ensure the best outcomes for positive customer experiences and revenue growth. Gifting and e-commerce operations should be critical to those plans, but don’t often get the attention they deserve. A thorough assessment of a retailer’s gifting capabilities can help ensure a…

We’re now well into 2021, and we can say with certainty that retail’s rebound is legitimate. By continuing to invest heavily in in-location experiences, retailers have bounced back admirably from unprecedented adversity. As of early June, the National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts retail sales to continue growing between 10.5 percent and 13.5 percent throughout the remainder…

Workforce turnover has reached an all-time high with a record 9.2 million vacancies. In June, the number of Americans who quit their jobs increased by 164,000 to 942,000, and retail is leading the charge with the most resignations of any industry. The resulting labor shortage has retailers across the country struggling to keep enough qualified people…

For decades, big-box stores drew in foot traffic by offering a combination of convenience mixed with a healthy dose of selection and savings. Shelves were fully stocked with a variety of trusted brands, all available at the low price only large-scale chains can offer. Because the stores created a one-stop retail experience outside of urban…

If, like me, you’re of a certain age, you’ll be able to remember the first version of the Apple website. It was all text, had an appalling layout, and was light years from today’s sleek offering. Although that was all of 10 years before the first iPhone appeared so we shouldn’t be too hard on…