Joe Keenan

Gift cards continue to be one of the most resilient and valuable product categories in retail, and the latest research shows that their importance is only growing. According to new findings from NAPCO Research and Blackhawk Network (BHN), the U.S. and Canada gift card market is projected to reach $311.7 billion by 2029, reinforcing gift…

The traditional e-commerce website, defined by search bars, filters and static product grids, is increasingly misaligned with how consumers want to shop. According to a new report from Total Retail, From Website to AI Storefront: How Retailers Are Preparing for Agentic Commerce and the Future of Online Shopping, consumers now expect to describe their needs…

Destination XL Group and FullBeauty have agreed to combine in what the companies described as a “merger of equals,” bringing together a publicly listed brick-and-mortar retailer with a large private online platform focused on extended sizes. As part of the deal, FullBeauty will be folded into a newly created subsidiary of Destination XL, which will…

IKEA plans to source more products from factories in the United States, the Swedish furniture group's top supply chain executive told Reuters. The announcement comes as President Donald Trump's tariffs drive up the cost of importing bookcases, mattresses and sofas. This marks a significant shift for IKEA after the share of the company's U.S.-made products…

In episode 496 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ed Evans, CEO of Consumer Cellular, the top-rated wireless provider that provides cell phones and no-contract service plans primarily to those 50-plus. Listen in as Evans details what's driving Consumer Cellular's brick-and-mortar expansion (1:45), the strategy behind determining new store locations (3:40), and building…

In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan speaks with Len Covello, chief technology officer at Engage People, the only loyalty network that enables program members to pay with points directly at checkout. Listen in as Covello provides an overview of the business and his role (1:00), Engage People's unique pay-with-points capabilities…

Consumers spent a record $11.8 billion online on Black Friday, up 9.1 percent year-over-year (YoY) and above Adobe’s initial forecast ($11.7 billion, up 8.3 percent YoY). More than half of online sales (55.2 percent) came through a mobile device (vs. desktop), representing $6.5 billion (up 10.2 percent YoY). According to Salesforce data, the top performing…

Salesforce’s latest holiday findings, based on the global shopping data from more than 1.5 billion consumers across Agentforce Commerce, Marketing and Service, forecasts that Black Friday will remain the biggest day of the year for online shopping: Today is expected to drive $78 billion in online global sales (up 5 percent year-over-year) and $18 billion…

Consumers spent a record $6.4 billion online on Thanksgiving, up 5.3 percent year-over-year (YoY) as shoppers took advantage of Cyber Week deals that came in stronger than expected. The spend is above Adobe’s initial forecast of $6.37 billion for the day (up 4.9 percent YoY). Online sales peaked between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mobile shopping hit an all-time high on Thanksgiving,…

Kohl's announced Monday that Michael Bender, who has served as its interim CEO since May, will become its permanent chief executive as the department store tries to get back to sales growth. He becomes the third CEO for the department store in about three years. The move is effective as of Sunday. The retailer appointed…