E-Commerce

The fate of the retail sector remains uncertain with consumers continuing to turn to e-commerce to purchase both necessary and luxury items. As shopping habits evolve, so do the channels that customers return to time and time again for their items of choice. In a year that saw social commerce boom and channels like Instagram…

Retail and economic experts who wondered how long consumers’ resiliency could last in the fourth quarter of a year marked by dwindling savings and stubbornly high prices got their answer in December. Online sales for the month increased by 11 percent over December 2022, according to Signifyd Holiday Season Pulse Tracker, to cap off a…

In episode 436 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ciarán Long, interim CEO and chief financial officer of a.k.a. Brands, a brand accelerator of next-generation fashion brands, including Princess Polly, Culture Kings, Petal + Pup, and MNML. Listen in as Long gives an overview of the company (0:40), discusses the a.k.a. Brands' portfolio's…

While at NRF 2024: Retail's Big Show in New York City this week, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan spoke with Michael Challinger, CEO of Houzer, an emerging kitchen and bathroom product company, to learn more about the brand's partnership with commerce platform BigCommerce. Challinger discusses transforming the Houzer digital business after joining the company as CEO, why…

A looming recession. Mass layoffs. The rise of generative artificial intelligence. There’s no doubt that 2023 presented the e-commerce industry with a myriad of obstacles. For many retailers, this provided an opportunity to experiment with new technologies and ways of selling. This year, we’ll see the outcomes of those experiments come to fruition as merchants…

If 2023 marked brands' initial steps into integrating generative artificial intelligence into their e-commerce strategies, 2024 is set to witness its explosive growth. There's palpable anticipation as conversational commerce gears up — and not just for major industry players, but gradually becoming accessible to brands of all sizes. Consider conversational commerce and dynamic personalization. These…

While e-commerce adoption accelerated in the last three years — with nearly three-quarters of Americans (73 percent) now shopping online multiple times a month — e-commerce has become much more competitive. One strategy brands should consider to differentiate is to offer a seamless, enjoyable and personalized shopping experience, enabled by generative artificial intelligence. E-commerce leaders…

Consumers are generally dissatisfied with their retail experiences, at least according to a global study from the IBM Institute for Business Value called "Revolutionize retail with AI everywhere: Customers won't wait." The report points out that only 9 percent of consumers said they were content with their in-store shopping experiences and 14 percent content with…

In episode 434 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kathy Doyle Thomas, president of Half Price Books (HPB), a chain of new and used bookstores. Listen in as Doyle Thomas provides an overview of the HPB's business (0:50), discusses her career with the company (2:25), offers insight into how the resale book industry…

Online spending rose 4.9 percent year-over-year, setting a record for e-commerce during the holiday season, as shoppers pounced on discounts and leaned on buy now, pay later to cover more of their purchases, according to Adobe Analytics. Sales totaled $222.1 billion on retailers’ websites and apps from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, according to Adobe. Adobe’s…