Today on Total Retail

The holiday season can be a tough period for retailers, with more customer interactions, sales and chances to leave a lasting brand impression. However, in today's constantly changing retail world, businesses need fresh approaches to attract attention. This is where immersive technologies, such as 3D visualization and augmented reality (AR), come into play. Here's how…

Going into this holiday season, shoppers are budget-conscious and hungry for deals, but they find it hard to resist impulse buying. Retailers can expect fierce price competition, but they can avoid a race to the bottom by using artificial intelligence (AI) to provide enticing recommendations, simplify gift discovery, and deliver relevant personalized offers that have…

The entire world is buzzing about artificial intelligence, but most Americans are more concerned than excited. However, when used responsibly, AI can actually bring joy to everyday life — and chances are it’s already doing so thanks to early adoption from the retail industry. The beauty sector in particular has quietly been ahead of the curve when it…

Walmart is diving into the world of artificial intelligence by launching a series of AI improvements, including a new customer support chatbot, a Roblox activation, and personalized Walmart.com homepages. Calling it a "strategy to accelerate adaptive retail," Walmart said in a press release its propriety AI, generative AI, augmented reality (AR) and immersive commerce platforms…

As part of Total Retail's 2024 Retail Technology Report, one of the areas retail executives were surveyed about is the processes within their organizations for vetting and purchasing technology systems. The growing influence of technology across retail businesses, from operations to customer and employee experience, among many other functional areas, requires leadership and decision-makers to…

In this video, Linh Calhoun, chief marketing officer of Replacements, Ltd., talks about the evolution of the role of the retail marketer; technology's influence on marketing strategy; and her advice for rising marketing leaders. She also shares Replacements Ltd.'s new campaign highlighting the generational relevance of its product, enabling customers to maintain old traditions and…

In the E-Commerce Business Loans: What Sellers Need to Know article, I defined an e-commerce loan, how it works, the pros and cons, and the best candidates for getting traditional funding support. Now, let’s explore other funding options for online sellers. Business Credit Cards Credit cards allow small e-commerce companies to manage daily operational expenses…

As we think back on the Olympic Games, it’s easy to marvel at the dedication and preparation that athletes pour into their training. That same spirit is found in retail, as the industry gears up for its own kind of Olympics: the holiday season followed by the inevitable surge in product returns. Returns present a…

For anyone who has ever worked in the service industry, “the customer is always right” is a motto so essential it borders on creed. But has the time come for us to admit that we’ve helped blur the lines between customer empowerment and customer entitlement? A single glance at return rates and impact reveals we've…

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's case accusing Amazon.com of stifling competition in online retail will move forward, though some of the states that sued alongside the agency had their claims dismissed, court documents showed. U.S. District Judge John Chun in Seattle unsealed his ruling from Sept. 30, which dismissed some of the claims brought by…