Augmented Reality

The world is adjusting to life in self-isolation, with many people working from home and stores shutting their doors. Brick-and-mortar stores are no longer an option for many retailers, with over 15,000 shops in the U.S. are estimated to close this year due to COVID-19. As the commerce industry acclimates to this new normal, those…

It’s always risky to try to predict the future of any industry because no one wants to look foolish when their predictions turn out to be wrong. However, it’s also important to look ahead to see where our industries are headed so we don’t fall behind. The world of e-commerce is rapidly changing as consumer…

The writing has been on the wall for a long time. Product photos are eating up an inordinate amount of marketing budget, and that’s when the shoot goes right. When a shoot goes wrong, the costs go up. A change? Up. Variations? Up. Prototypes? Up. Factor in shipping costs for big-ticket items like motorcycles and furniture,…

Conversational commerce is the latest trend taking the retail industry by storm. By leveraging human brand specialists, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and augmented reality (AR), conversational commerce delivers a more simplified and personalized shopping experience for consumers on participating retailers’ online stores and social media platforms. This model provides consumers with a seamless, on-demand shopping interface…

With the prominence of the internet and social media in our daily lives, many companies think direct mail’s importance has dwindled over the years. However, an increasing number of marketers are actually adding mail back into their marketing toolbox once again. According to the Data & Marketing Association, customer response rates have increased year-over-year by…

A new generation of visual tools is now available to bring the physical environment into the shopping process, allowing consumers to locate, evaluate and share products in new ways. Thanks to the near ubiquity of smartphones, consumers are viewing — and creating — more visual content than ever. This has made image-centric social media networks among…

Walmart has hired Scott Eckert to run its investment arm and startup incubator, Store No. 8, according to an internal memo from Marc Lore, the retailer's head of e-commerce on Monday, and obtained by Reuters. Eckert is a former executive of Bain Capital Ventures, where he evaluated potential new investments and advised CEOs about existing…

Ever sit in a department store, try some shoes on and wonder how they might look with an outfit? Or see some chairs and wonder if they go with your dining room set? Does that microwave fit well in your kitchen? Does that piece of jewelry actually fit? Well, all these things have happened to…

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have become common terms among retail giants such as Amazon.com, Wayfair, Ikea and more as they discuss their futures. However, the question remains: Have consumers bought into this future-of-retail vision, which relies on a mix of virtual realities woven into shopping experiences? The answer might surprise you. A…

Online shopping has undergone many drastic changes in recent years as consumers demand a personalized, convenient experience right in their homes. To address this shift in consumer sentiment, e-commerce brands are leveraging new technologies, trends and partnerships to help improve their customer experience and convert more browsers into buyers. One trend picking up momentum is…