Today on Total Retail

By all accounts, this year’s Black Friday was one of the most successful in a long time. Retail sales topped the charts at $9.8 billion, up 7.5 percent from last year. However, retailers shouldn’t pop the celebratory champagne just yet. Even with strong Black Friday and Cyber Monday showings, businesses must pull out all the…

Following a record-breaking “Cyber Five,” retailers are crossing their fingers for robust sales to continue throughout the holiday season. But as online spending rises, so does online shopper frustration — and this has the potential to harm both immediate and long-term sales. Retail data from FullStory shows that online shoppers experienced a 16.3 percent year-over-year…

U.S. retail sales unexpectedly rose in November as the holiday shopping season got off to a brisk start amid deep discounting, likely keeping the economy on a moderate growth path this quarter and further alleviating fears of a recession, reports Reuters. The Census Bureau said overall retail sales in November were up 0.3 percent from October…

As peak seasonal shopping continues, global consumers are seeking to capitalize on deals. This year's holiday shopping season is expected to see an increase in digital transactions compared to previous years, partially due to rising cost of living. Therefore, shoppers are hoping to take advantage of the best deals to help their dollar go further.…

The holiday season is the Super Bowl for retailers, with November and December accounting for 19 percent of total retail sales — even higher for some retailers — in the last five years. Since online purchasing comprises nearly 40 percent of holiday shopping, retailers can't afford to lose sales and frustrate consumers through website outages. Unfortunately,…

Challenging economic and labor markets combined with evolving consumer behaviors have required many retailers and brands to adjust their ways of doing business. However, times of uncertainty and disruption present an opportunity for companies to rise above the competition, increase market share, and win their customers’ loyalty. To accomplish this goal, retail organizations need to…

Crate & Barrel has launched its first immersive virtual store in partnership with experiential e-commerce platform Obsess. The fully shoppable virtual environment takes the form of Crate & Barrel's new flagship store in New York City, which features engaging animations and interactive personalization tools that let consumers visualize their own sofa and living room set…

In the retail industry, customer data is a prized possession. It’s the lifeblood that fuels personalized marketing and tailored experiences. However, this treasure trove of information also makes retailers prime targets for cyberattacks. The ongoing battle to safeguard this sensitive data is a constant struggle, especially during the high-stakes holiday season. The consequences of these…

The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter and owned by Elon Musk, is reportedly in conversations with Amazon.com to incorporate itself into the e-commerce company's ad-buying software, The Wall Street Journal reported. The news outlet reported that the potential collaboration would aim to target small and midsized businesses on Amazon’s marketplace and convince…

Total commerce, in its most basic definition, is the ability for a brand or retailer to be present wherever and whenever its customers are shopping. While easy to understand in theory, the reality of total commerce is increasingly complex as new channels of buying emerge, consumer attention is increasingly scattered, and digital transactions continue to…