Today on Total Retail

Now that Google’s Privacy Sandbox is officially open, it’s time to explore the implications it holds for the advertising world, especially for retailers. The recent updates to Android’s privacy guidelines, which restrict tracking across apps for Android devices, mark a pivotal shift in how retailers gather customer data for ad targeting. These guidelines are reshaping…

The highly anticipated Golden Quarter is the peak season of holiday shopping that starts Black Friday and runs through Christmas. This has always been a vital revenue generation period for retailers, as consumers flock to stores and online in search of their chosen gifts and bargain deals in time for the holidays. However, the Golden Quarter…

Adobe Analytics released its Cyber Monday data on Tuesday morning, reporting $12.4 billion in consumer spending on the shopping holiday, up 9.6 percent year-over-year (YoY) and surpassing Adobe’s initial projection. In the peak hour (10:00 pm to 11:00 pm Eastern), consumers spent $15.7 million every minute. This year's Cyber Monday now ranks as the biggest online…

This holiday season it appears that it’s retailers vs. the behemoth in the room — Amazon.com. To keep up, retailers must embrace technology and better adapt to ever-evolving consumer behavior changes. Here are three data-packed trends making their mark this holiday season. Customer Experience is the Key to Retention Success  Having a strong data strategy…

Accurate demand forecasting is crucial for retailers year-round, but especially so during the holidays, when they experience significant surges in demand. These surges can potentially disrupt processes across the business, from inventory to labor operations. Without proper preparation, those disruptions can impact the customer experience, jeopardizing business results during one of the most critical periods…

The time leading up to the holidays is stressful for retailers. With the season accounting for about 27 percent of total retail sales — and more than a third in some categories — providing an experience that keeps customers online, in stores and spending can make or break a retailer’s profitability for the entire year.…

Instacart‘s partnership with OpenAI was a significant first step in showing how generative artificial intelligence will fundamentally change the digital shelf and retail media. Amazon.com also has several generative AI-powered initiatives, including AI-generated review highlights and Project Nile, a GenAI search concierge reportedly set to launch in January. If the feature fulfills its potential, it…

The digital age has fundamentally transformed the retail landscape. As we adapt to the new era dominated by e-commerce, where approximately 20 percent of all retail transactions are made online (and growing every year), it's crucial to also recognize and adapt to shifting consumer behaviors and preferences — especially during peak season. This high-stakes period…

According to the most recent Mastercard SpendingPulse report, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment, U.S. retail sales on Black Friday (Nov. 24) were up more than 2.5 percent year-over-year (YoY) excluding automotive, not adjusted for inflation. Key trends included from the Black Friday shopping data include the following: E-commerce sales were strong: E-commerce…

In episode 429 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jeremiah McElwee, chief merchandising officer of Thrive Market, a leading online marketplace specializing in a highly curated assortment of organic and non-GMO products. During the wide-ranging episode, McElwee provides an overview of Thrive Market and his role within the organization (0:55), including how merchandising…