Customer Data

The holiday season has always been retail’s pressure test. Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t just high-volume days. They expose the strengths and weaknesses of every system a retailer relies on. When traffic spikes and customer behavior shifts hour by hour, you see very quickly whether your data foundation is built to keep up or…

Retail media isn’t new. It’s been called the next big channel for years, and today it’s finally living up to the hype. Shoppers are spending more time in retailer ecosystems, brands are eager to meet them there, and retailers are eager to keep them there. But here’s the thing: while the headlines highlight enterprise wins,…

In the age of hyperpersonalization, delivering seamless, secure digital retail experiences is no longer a competitive edge. It’s now becoming a consumer expectation. As retailers race to tailor every interaction, the need for a modern, adaptive customer identity and access management (CIAM) strategy has never been greater. Today’s consumers want personalized experiences, but they also…

Retailers everywhere are trying to prepare for a host of unknowns this holiday season, not least of which is how tariffs may impact consumer spending. Deloitte predicts that peak-season sales will grow only about 3 percent this year, the slowest pace since the pandemic. Yet within those muted expectations lies a bright spot: e-commerce is…

In the same way that retailers wouldn't only stock size 8.5 sneakers — even though that's the average adult American woman's shoe size — they can't take a one-size-fits-all approach to key sales events either. Similarly, they can't try to fit their entire audience into one pigeonhole, nor can they afford to rely on out-of-date shopper…

In episode 492 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Debbie Woloshin, chief marketing officer at Stitch Fix, the leading online personal styling service. The interview was recorded at at Shoptalk Fall in Chicago last month. Listen in as Woloshin discusses innovating the product discovery process (1:40) as well as Stitch Fix's "Retail Therapy"…

This video features a keynote presentation by Kelly Pedersen, partner, global retail leader at PwC, titled "The Data-Driven Consumer: How Tech Behaviors Are Reshaping Retail" from Total Retail Tech in Atlanta last month. As technology rapidly evolves, so do consumer behaviors — and the implications for retail are profound. In this data-centric session, Pedersen shared…

Retailers are moving fast to incorporate generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) into every corner of their operations. However, there's one major obstacle standing in the way: their data. While most data teams are skilled at managing traditional retail data (e.g., transactional, inventory, etc.), many of the most promising Gen AI use cases rely on unstructured…

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming cybersecurity, and retail is feeling the impact. As retailers adopt AI to personalize customer experiences, optimize supply chains, and streamline operations, the cybersecurity stakes have never been higher. For chief information security officers (CISOs), AI is more than a defensive tool — it’s a strategic asset that reshapes how organizations…

Artificial intelligence has become the centerpiece of 2026 retail planning, promising lower costs, faster decisions, and more personalized experiences. Consumers are on board, showing growing interest in tools like conversational AI and purchase agents. However, even as 90 percent of retailers say they’re using AI, a recent Amperity survey reveals that only 11 percent are…