Today on Total Retail

Cyber Monday is fast approaching, and retailers are gearing up to take advantage. Last year’s Cyber Monday sales broke records, and experts predict this year will as well. The problem? Many small companies trying to place their products with large retailers are simply not prepared to cope with the Cyber Monday demand, and this can…

Without knowing what an omnichannel experience is, customers say they want it and, in many cases, have come to expect it. According to PwC’s June 2023 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey, 80 percent of consumers shopped across at least three channels in the first half of the year. If we ascribe to the common belief that…

Consumers showed surprising strength in September, boosting retail sales well above expectations despite high interest rates and worries over a weakening economy. Retail sales rose 0.7 percent on the month, well above the 0.3 percent Dow Jones estimate, according to the advance report the Commerce Department released Tuesday. Excluding autos, sales were up 0.6 percent, also well…

The holiday season is a bustling time for retailers and advertisers alike, as each year we all ramp up our strategies to capture the attention and wallets of eager consumers. Retail media networks (RMNs) are the new kids on the block, touted as the next big thing. While RMNs offer immense value, they aren't poised…

The artificial intelligence-enabled e-commerce solutions market size is projected to reach $16.8 billion by 2030, growing at a rate of 15.7 percent CAGR in the next eight years. AI is an asset to companies, providing relevant data and insights that can help retailers improve financial performance and customer satisfaction. However, it's crucial that companies couple…

As connected TV (CTV) ad inventory has increased, it has unleashed a wave of opportunities and challenges for retailers, blending the traditional television viewing experience with the precision and data-driven capabilities of digital advertising. Three transformative trends are emerging as retailers navigate this dynamic landscape, heralding a new era of retail advertising. Performance-Centric, Full-Funnel Differentiation…

While inflation rates stayed in check over the summer, the cost of goods remains high. As a result, consumers are looking for creative ways to stretch their dollar so they can budget for the 2023 holiday season. According to the Q3 2023 Gift Card Gauge from Fiserv, more than one in four U.S. consumers (27…

Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey on Sunday and said it would begin restructuring to significantly reduce its debt. The company said it reached a deal with creditors on a restructuring plan that includes evaluating its retail footprint and closing underperforming locations. Rite Aid also said lenders agreed to extend $3.45 billion…

In episode 423 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mandy Rassi, senior vice president, chief marketing officer at Michaels, the largest arts and crafts retailer in North America. Listen in as Rassi discusses the core components of Michaels' omnichannel transformation (1:15), including the role that customer feedback plays in its work to improve…

Dr. Seth Dobrin, founder and CEO of Qantm AI, a consultancy which provides robust data governance solutions to ensure data accuracy, integrity, and security, presented a keynote presentation at Total Retail Tech last month in Denver. Among a multitude of talking points, Dobrin addressed the ways that retailers and brands must be thinking about how…