Today on Total Retail

Consumers are waking up to a new economic reality: things cost more. From hot sake to tinted moisturizer to vehicles, the everyday evidence is piling up. For brand leaders, especially in retail, this isn’t just about inflation. It’s about trust — and how it's built or broken in the age of tariff trickle-down. The assumption…

Originally coined by Chris Messina (inventor of the #hashtag) back in 2015, conversational commerce marries text messaging with e-commerce, empowering retailers to better manage the entire customer journey, from origination and customer service, all the way to checkout. Brands are tapping this trend by integrating real-time messaging throughout various parts of the customer journey. Essentially,…

Artificial intelligence has transformed retail by allowing retailers to make the most of predictive analytics and automation. Generative AI, in particular, helps retailers develop personalized content and automated customer engagement. And now, agentic AI is poised to upend e-commerce via automated merchandising, competitive analysis, and even shopping assistants. But is all this technology evolution simply…

The convergence of traditional linear TV, streaming platforms, and digital media has clearly created a new era of complexity for advertisers. The meteoric rise of streaming hasn’t entirely replaced linear television. Still, it has dramatically expanded the playing field when it comes to measuring and optimizing channel spends and individual network or publisher performance, making…

The North Face and Cartier have become the latest brands to report that hackers have stolen customer data in cyber attacks, reports Yahoo Finance. Both brands have reported that data such as customer names and email addresses have been accessed, although financial information hasn't been affected. Outdoor clothing brand The North Face said it was…

For decades, Google’s search market dominance left brands and consumers with limited options. However, with antitrust enforcement against Google’s search monopoly and the emergence of native search advertising — the fastest growing search media channel outside of the legacy search engine results page (SERP) — competition, choice, and innovation are essential components of the search…

Retailers are under growing pressure to automate customer interactions and deliver faster, more responsive service. Agentic artificial intelligence, a new class of AI tools that can act independently and adapt to real-time signals, offers the opportunity to improve customer experience (CX) without constant human oversight. However, many brands still operate with systems and budgets tied…

With today’s volatile trade landscape and unpredictable global supply chain disruptions, e-commerce retailers can’t risk alienating customers — or leaking profits — through stockouts. Yet overselling remains a serious problem, with 40 percent of sellers cancelling one in 10 orders and the cost of out-of-stocks estimated at $1.2 trillion in 2024. Overselling occurs when demand…

Loyalty programs are indispensable tools for brands aiming to harness customer data, drive revenue growth, and enhance the lifetime value of their customers. However, membership in these programs doesn't guarantee customers will remain actively engaged. According to Gartner research, 79 percent of customers who participate in loyalty programs say they do not actively use all…

Hundreds of CVS pharmacies are set to close in 2025, the national drug store chain confirmed last week, as part of an ongoing effort to "realign" the company's retail footprint. According to a statement, CVS plans to close 270 stores nationwide in 2025. The closures were first announced in October 2024, the company said. In…