Digital Innovation

Macy's launched an Apple shop at its Herald Square store last week, becoming the first U.S. department store with a hub devoted to the brand. The shop features a range of products, including iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and the new Nike-branded Apple Watch. Staffed by Apple associates, the shop is on the main floor in the busy…

Responsive web design (RWD) continues to be one of the biggest hypes for digital marketers. If you don’t already have a responsive site, chances are good you’ve at least thought about making this a priority, especially if you’re in the e-commerce space. However, as is true for most trends, getting caught up in the excitement…

I recently moved into a new house and was doing the requisite purging of years of accumulated stuff, including a few boxes of old work files. One of the dusty files was a project related to developing a vendor performance scorecard when I worked at Lands’ End around 20 years ago. At the time, we felt…

“Why the Future of Retail Will Blow Your Mind” reads the title of an Entrepreneur article from nearly two years ago. The piece detailed how brick-and-mortar retailers were planning to leverage technology to improve the often mundane in-store experience and boost slowing store sales. A primary way in-store customers were going to be "mind blown" was an "immersive personalized mobile experience" which would ping…

Jason Goldberger, Target’s chief digital officer, has left the company in a sudden shakeup at the Minneapolis-based retailer. Goldberger’s responsibilities will be divided up between Chief Information Officer Mike McNamara and Mike Triton, chief marketing officer. Goldberger is the second high-profile executive to leave Target this month. Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Jones abruptly resigned earlier this…

Brand authenticity and reputation are more critical than ever in today’s digital economy. While customer experience has always been a factor in the retail equation, the shift to consumer-centric planning has transformed retail’s business model and separated the successful retailers from the rest of the pack.

The San Francisco 49ers announced last week that it has partnered with Amazon.com to offer the team's fans who tailgate before games one-hour Prime Now delivery for tens of thousands of items from Amazon. Fans will be able to order everything from more beer to 49ers gear via the Prime Now app starting four hours…

The last of our game changers is Jodie Fox, co-founder and chief creative officer, Shoes of Prey, an on-demand customized women's shoes retailer. Below is our interview with Jodie, which appeared in the summer issue of Total Retail. (And here are interviews with our other game changers: Meaghan Rose, Rocksbox; Luke Sherwin, Casper; Chris Lindland, Betabrand; Kate…

Camuto Group has acquired Sole Society, a shoe and apparel online retailer. The move is part of Camuto Group’s digital commerce expansion and strategy of enhancing category offerings and continuing to build on its strong accessories platform through extensions in apparel and other key classifications. The acquisition also expands Camuto Group’s reach — Sole Society merchandise…

Macy’s announced a major strategy shift last week that will affect a significant number of its brick-and-mortar stores. The department store chain will be closing 100 of its 728 locations next year — approximately 14 percent of its stores. These closures signify Macy’s acceptance of the modern retail landscape laid out by e-commerce giant Amazon.com,…