Customer Data

Remember the days of punch cards that stores gave out to encourage customers to return, typically by offering discounts or freebies? In today’s world, the punch card has been replaced by digital identity: customers join loyalty programs by creating personal accounts on a website or app. A lot of online rewards programs nowadays are still…

When it comes to delivering top-notch customer experiences, one size doesn’t fit all. And what motivates one shopper to convert may be completely off-base for another. This isn’t news to retail marketers. They’ve long acknowledged the importance of treating customers like the individuals they are, and delivering cohesive, personalized experiences across touchpoints. It’s important, though,…

There's pressure for brands to compete on customer experience (CX) in nearly every industry. Retail marketers, in particular, are pressured to meet growing expectations from today’s empowered customer for an experience tailored to their preferences at every stage of their specific journey. For retailers, this change may seem daunting, as companies must update their business…

Not quite everything in the world of e-commerce is digital. Shipping, based on customer-provided data, may be the weakest link in a smooth, cost-effective transaction. Even slight inaccuracies can delay deliveries, add expensive reshipping fees, and create unhappy customers in the process. Equally painful to any supplier are credit card chargebacks, charges to cover return…

With 2019 in full swing, retail marketers are recovering from the biggest drop in holiday-season sales since 2009. Not only was it a tough holiday season, but U.S. consumer confidence may be declining as well. Marketers are under the gun to perform against these odds, and building and maintaining customer trust is the key to…

You may be under the impression that the more technology you use for customer engagement, the more information you're gathering about your customers. However, more data doesn't necessarily mean better data; in fact, more data coming from different sources makes analysis and action far more complicated. Data from one solution might be telling you one…

When you work for Amazon.com, you rely on two decision-making maxims for everything you do: First, you must test and gather data. Second, you must make decisions based on that data. With the recent announcement that Amazon will create a new grocery concept, the retailer's leadership followed this model to a tee. This is a…

Total Retail is excited to present to you its third annual Top 100 Omnichannel Retailers report. The report, produced in conjunction with Radial, an omnichannel commerce technology and operations provider, features a ranking of 100 publicly traded retailers based on their omnichannel retail programs offered as well as the execution of said programs. Why focus on omnichannel retail? The…

Good relationships, including the ones between a business and its customers, are built on trust. Consumers need to feel confident that they're being told the truth and that a company’s products will match up to its claims. Furthermore, in today’s cyber society, many customers are highly concerned about the safety and security of their private…

The retail landscape is unrecognizable from what it was just 10 years ago. Innovative technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and automation coupled with constantly shifting consumer preferences have resulted in retailers needing to evolve more rapidly than ever. It seems that nearly every day we’re hearing about another retailer that has had to…