Today on Total Retail

The National Retail Federation (NRF) welcomed a lawsuit announced Tuesday by the Department of Justice accusing Visa of violating federal antitrust law in its debit card practices but said the card network’s anticompetitive practices go further. The DOJ has filed a lawsuit against Visa alleging that some of its practices involving debit cards are anticompetitive and…

Whenever something captures our interest we tend to think of it as completely different from everything that came before, but in reality most innovations build on past knowledge. Therefore, you may be underestimating what you already know. Bots used to train artificial intelligence models are a good example of this phenomenon. We often get questions…

California Senate Bill 478 (SB 478), also known as the Honest Pricing Law or the Hidden Fees Statute, went into effect on July 1, 2024. The law targets so-called “drip pricing” and prohibits businesses from advertising, displaying or offering a price for a good or service that doesn't include all mandatory fees or charges, other…

As online shopping continues to skyrocket, driven in part by annual internet platform sales events, it’s crucial for businesses to prioritize sustainable shipping practices. This approach is more than just a trend — it's a necessary shift towards reducing waste, cutting costs and promoting overall sustainability. The environmental footprint of traditional packaging is staggering. Oversized…

In the past few years, self-service tools have become a cornerstone of online shopping. These tools are great for confident shoppers who know what they're looking for but need a nudge in the right direction. Many great businesses have mastered self-service and the other tools necessary to support digital transactions. Nevertheless, companies still wish to…

Tempur Sealy International said on Monday it plans to sell more than 100 stores in a bid to get regulatory approval for its $4 billion deal with Mattress Firm. Tempur Sealy's merger with Mattress Firm, which would create a combined business of about 3,000 stores globally, raised concerns about price hikes and job losses and…

“Hot enough for you?” That was the common refrain during the summer of 2024. The excessive heat gave retail facilities managers and sustainability directors another stark reminder of the challenges they face to improve energy efficiency and meet sustainability requirements. It's all the more reason a robust energy management strategy is critical. Fortunately, there’s some…

Surveillance systems may help catch thieves in the act but they aren’t guaranteed to stop them, and criminals have grown bolder as a result. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2023 survey, losses from retail theft surged 19 percent to $112.1 billion in 2022, up from $93.9 billion the prior year. Jewelry theft alone recently…

In episode 465 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ellen Webb, vice president of shopper analytics and insights at PepsiCo, a global leader in convenient foods and beverages with a portfolio of more than 500 brands. Listen in as Webb provides an overview of PepsiCo's pepviz data analytics initiative (0:55), what they're learning…

Remember the days when brands only needed to advertise on a handful of TV channels, in print newspapers and magazines, and that was enough? These were the primary media for brand building for generations. However, with the decline of print media and the explosion of streaming content providers for video entertainment, these channels are no…