Today on Total Retail

“Scott, we’re doing all we can to support our managers, but they just can’t seem to motivate our employees. What do we do?” I meet many business leaders in my work as a speaker and consultant and I hear their challenges. Four out of five conversations are about employees. Usually it’s their hourly employees, those…

In 2023, the e-commerce industry was largely focused on strengthening brand equity, enhancing the customer experience, and keeping up with the evolution fueled by new platforms and artificial intelligence-based technologies. Notably, the adoption of composable commerce, which refers to building a modular, component-based, cloud-native tech stack, empowered companies to build the agility required to remain…

One of the most lucrative holiday shopping times of the year is almost upon us, and retailers must be ready to capitalize on it. Text messages can play an integral role in the success of the Valentine’s Day shopping season if retailers plan ahead and utilize a strategy that can both boost sales and increase…

Imagine you’re shopping for a new dress. You have a vision of your colorful, dream dress, but you haven’t been able to find it anywhere online or in-store. But what if you could create it yourself with the help of artificial intelligence (AI)? Generative AI is fundamentally reshaping the product development process, offering many unique…

Helena Helmersson, who served as H&M's CEO for four years, gave her resignation in a surprise announcement Wednesday. The Associated Press reported that Helmersson said the past few years have been "very demanding at times for me personally. I am very proud of what we together have achieved during the last [few] years when we…

Picture this: You need a new pair of running shoes so you visit a website to do a little research. Your screen fills with page after page of options. Before long, it’s information overload and you’re paralyzed by choice. You end up clicking on a pair from a brand you recognize. But that logo alone…

Identification helps retailers create more informed marketing and customer experiences, from personalizing messages early in their journey to treating loyalists like loyalists. The more site visitors can be identified, the more retailers can provide relevant, timely experiences that drive other critical performance metrics. A retailer that does very little to increase its visitor identification typically…

Defined by rising prices and growing inflation, the last two years have been full of financial challenges for consumers. While all age groups have felt the pain, Gen Zers have faced particularly difficult headwinds. Research indicates that three-quarters of this generation — those born between 1996 and 2012 — have had to adopt new spending…

The theme for retail marketers in 2024 is push forward when others pull back. Amid continued budget consolidation, unpredictable consumer demand, and macroeconomic factors, marketers naturally tend to conserve their resources for a brighter day. Despite industry challenges, the retail landscape is ripe with opportunities. The strong holiday season shone a light on the way…

For retailers, the game has changed when it comes to returns. Pandemic-era purchase habits have pushed online sales higher than ever before, but the double-edged sword is that return rates are also through the roof. Still, with consumer habits shifting more online, returns can provide retailers with a rich opportunity to turn a negative into…