Internet of Things

When it comes to brands connecting with consumers, the Internet of Things (IoT) is often referred to as the third great technological transformation of a generation. It follows on the heels of the emergence of websites in the late 1990s and the explosion of social media and mobile devices in the mid-to-late 2000s. Given all…

Retail buzzwords like “personalization” and “omnichannel” are no longer just concepts and strategies that companies are working toward. Today, more retailers are actively deploying new technologies and migrating to an intelligent environment to reclaim their relevance in the on-demand economy. The results from Zebra Technologies’ second annual Intelligent Enterprise Index reveal that organizations have become…

Brick-and-mortar retail isn’t the darling it used to be for consumers. As e-commerce has exploded in recent years, brands have waged a daunting battle for foot traffic and in-store sales. The trend has forced retailers to take a hard look at themselves to determine ways to fight back by adapting to the evolving retail landscape.…

“Alexa, place an order for AAA batteries.” This simple request is just one example of the millions of purchases made each day by digital assistants. As connected devices like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home become more mainstream, the very act of going to the store to buy batteries, for example, is becoming antiquated. But as…

Nearly 90 percent of retail sales still take place in physical stores. Yet the rise of voice-activated “intelligent assistants” such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home is taking the brand relationship out of the store and into the home, forever changing the way that consumers engage with products and services. Fortunately for retailers, the same…

Consumers are eager to embrace connected devices and automation; however, they remain wary of the Internet of Things (IoT), security breaches and their long-term effects. People want the ease and accessibility that automation can provide but want assurance that there are protocols and security measures in place before they fully adopt these practices. Optimistic for…

The retail industry is experiencing the effects from the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) and its connected devices. According to the information services firm IHS Markit, there will be more than 20 billion internet-connected devices by the end of 2017, and this number is expected to grow to more than 30 billion in…

Technology is top of mind for most retailers today, no matter their size, product category or any other variables. As such, Total Retail surveyed its audience with the goal of finding out what types of retail technology retailers are interested in (as well as investing in), what retail trends and digital trends they’re tracking, and their…

An overwhelming majority (95 percent) of U.S. consumer goods and retail CEOs are confident about the growth outlook for the global economy, the industry and their companies over the next three years, despite potential technological risks, according to a recent survey by KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm. In other parts of…

Sears has fallen on hard times in part because e-commerce has taken market share from the department store chain, but now the company is looking to use the growth in online shopping to its advantage. Sears announced last week that it will begin selling Alexa-enabled Kenmore appliances on Amazon.com. Sears CEO Eddie Lampert was hopeful…