Today on Total Retail

Dick’s Sporting Goods reported a 23 percent drop in profits and slashed its earnings guidance for the year after it saw an uptick in retail theft. The sporting goods retailer also implemented aggressive markdowns to clear out excess inventory in its outdoor category, reports CNBC. On Tuesday, Dick's announced a “business optimization” plan that includes cutting jobs and streamlining…

Securing a top spot on search engine result pages is crucial for driving traffic, boosting sales and, ultimately, achieving business success. But what happens when your website mysteriously drops in rankings or fails to rank at all? There are a handful of common reasons retailers struggle with Google ranking issues and they’re easy to fix…

It’s true: American consumers love shopping online. But are they ready to abandon in-store shopping? Not anytime soon. Data from the popular traffic and navigation app Waze shows visits to retail locations are up significantly in 2023. What consumers really want is the best of both worlds. They want to blend digital and physical shopping…

How much does a fulfillment center's geographical positioning matter in the grand scheme of things? And what role does third-party logistics, or 3PL, play? To understand what is a 3PL, let’s go over their basic task: 3PL providers offer services that encompass the entire supply chain management process, which includes warehousing and fulfillment. As competition…

Everyone is unique, so why do many marketing initiatives treat everyone the same? The answer lies with identification. When retailers can’t identify shoppers, they have no choice but to lump them together in one undifferentiated group. Often, the issue is not that a retailer can’t identify site visitors, it's that its approach to identification isn’t…

Amazon.com has revived its shipping service, paused during COVID-19's onset, competing with FedEx and UPS. Amazon Shipping lets sellers ship Amazon and external platform orders. Businesses must sell on Amazon to be eligible for the service. Amazon already provides shipping to merchants who use its storage and delivery service, Fulfillment by Amazon. Amazon Shipping allows…

In episode 415 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Chris Ebel, former assistant vice president, marketing and CRM at Pep Boys, the leading automotive aftermarket chain in the U.S. Listen in as Ebel discusses his role at the organization (0:40), why it's critical for retailers to track shoppers' paths to purchase (1:10), and how…

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) businesses have been put through the ringer in recent years with unpredictability abound. Between supply chain disruptions, the rising costs of goods and services, and shipping delays due to global events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine War, many businesses have been struggling to survive. To further complicate business operations, consumer spending…

A compelling and engaging omnichannel strategy is critical to garnering customer acquisition and loyalty — something most retailers and brands are well aware of by now. A consistent brand experience both in-store and online ensures strong digital and foot traffic, while promoting a brand reputation that’s reliable and consistent. There are plenty of examples of a…

Between 2023 and 2028, artificial intelligence in retail markets is expected to grow from $7.3 billion to upwards of $29.45 billion — more than a 400 percent increase. But when most of us imagine how those innovations and implementations will transform the retail world, we tend to only focus on how those technologies benefit consumers. However, the…