User Experience

Both property companies and retailers are reporting a crisis and the death of retail. Stores are being shut down or shrinking their footprints, and the traditional retail format with merchandise lined up on shelves is a dying breed. Yet at the same time there's a renaissance going on in retail, and we're seeing examples of…

Futurum Research principal analyst Dan Newman said it best: “Retailers are no longer selling things. They’re selling the experience of buying those things.” The new consumer expectation is one of instant, coordinated, automated and personalized shopping experiences in an omnichannel fashion. It’s no wonder retailers are racing to digitally transform, and their challenges are many.…

In episode 148 of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Sid Gupta, founder, president and CEO of Lolli and Pops. Gupta discusses why Lolli and Pops is different from other candy shops, what experiential retail means to the brand, how it's using technology as a competitive advantage, among other topics.

Let’s face it: omnichannel was a cool buzzword 10 years ago. With the acceleration of disruption and change, being “omnichannel” isn’t going to bridge the gap between tomorrow’s leaders and laggards. Nordstrom is a notable example of a retailer with a forward-thinking approach. I worked there in 2008, so I can attest that Nordstrom was…

Since the industrial revolution, retailers have occupied physical storefronts, the hub of traditional consumer engagement. But with today’s integration of the digital experience, online customer experience is the differentiating factor that encourages brand loyalty. New research by NTT DATA Services analyzed the digital and physical customer experience of 15 enterprise retailers to determine where friction…

In the era of e-commerce and its on-demand convenience, there’s a question we hear quite often: Is today’s omnichannel environment killing the physical store? The truth is that many traditional retailers are failing, with physical stores closing in significant numbers. However, it’s also true that certain retailers are alive and flourishing. The winners in avoiding…

They say one man’s fortune is another’s opportunity. As Toys"R"Us auctions off 30-plus properties and shutter hundreds more following its recent bankruptcy, other retailers such as Target, Aldi and Big Lots are lining up to bid massive amounts of money with the hopes of expanding their physical presences and upping foot traffic. Across the retail…

The media has painted millennials as killers of many things — whether it’s napkins, diamonds or bars of soap. And if you pay attention to any of these headlines, you might view the generation as a group of ruthless avocado toast fiends who aren’t interested in any of the traditional products or marketing tactics that…

It goes without saying the majority of today’s businesses’ transactions happen digitally. In retail, we saw the shift from brick-and-mortar to online, and we're increasingly seeing the shift from desktop to mobile. In fact, according to Google, the internet is now mobile-first, as consumers are choosing to browse the internet on their phones rather than…

It goes without saying the majority of today’s businesses’ transactions happen digitally. In retail, we saw the shift from brick-and-mortar to online, and we’re increasingly seeing the shift from desktop to mobile. In fact, according to Google, the internet is now mobile-first, as consumers are choosing to browse the internet on their phones rather than […]