Today on Total Retail

With the National Retail Federation predicting “record spending levels” for the holiday season, a lot rests on frontline workers being ready and capable to perform during the peak consumer surges. With managers tied up in scheduling, larger inventory volumes, and handling customer escalations, you need training that's consistent, engaging and effective. However, during these peak…

Staples announced Monday it had been hit by a cyber attack during the week following Thanksgiving that temporarily disrupted customer support channels and delivery systems. “Staples recently identified a cybersecurity risk [and] took proactive steps in an effort to mitigate the impact and protect customer data," the company said on its website. PC Magazine reported…

As part of its 2023 Top 100 Omnichannel Retailers report, Total Retail assessed leading retailers and brands across a host of operational criteria. One of those criteria was the ability for consumers to view in-store inventory availability and stock levels from a retailer's website and/or app. Inventory transparency is critical to not only the customer-facing…

Old Navy is facing a lawsuit in the Central District of California alleging that its artificial intelligence chatbot participates in illegal wiretapping by logging, recording and storing conversations, reports CNBC. The plaintiff’s filing argues that the chatbot “convincingly impersonates an actual human that encourages consumers to share their personal information.” In the filing, the plaintiff…

This year,  the U.S. experienced a 14 percent decrease in customer loyalty, falling from 79 percent to 68 percent. With inflation still impacting today’s consumer, businesses must become agile and shift how they reach their customers. The voice of the customer is more important than ever. One of the biggest challenges retailers face is determining…

The digital marketplace is thriving, with consumers increasingly turning to online channels for their shopping needs. However, this shift has brought about a concerning disconnect between online perception and offline reality, leading to a surge in return rates. During the holiday shopping season, it's crucial for retailers to address this issue to improve customer satisfaction…

Retailers are gearing up for 2024, setting their budgets, campaigns and strategies for engaging omnichannel shoppers in the new year. But what happens if a new trend changes the way customers shop in stores or online halfway through the year? Or what if you have the opportunity to engage an audience that wasn’t prioritized in…

Do your company’s supply chain leaders have an influential role in shaping your brand’s decisions? If your organization’s supply chain leaders haven’t gained prominence in the wake of the myriad supply chain disruptions over the past few years, the proliferation of artificial intelligence technologies might be what boosts their visibility among the C-suite and board…

Without question, retailers’ busiest days of the year are during the holiday season. Holiday sales in November and December averaged about 19 percent of total retail sales over the last five years. Nevertheless, the increased traffic can be a double-edged sword, overloading networks and causing outages. At the same time, cybercriminals are more active during the…

Retail behemoth Amazon.com took the top spot in terms of total retail sales on Black Friday this year, according to a report from data insight company Numerator. Walmart came in second, followed by Target, Best Buy, and Costco. Numerator tracks purchase data and surveys verified buyers to understand shifts in consumer behavior. Over Cyber Weekend…