Omnichannel

The key to retailer success was once very simple: provide the lowest prices on the products people wanted. Times have changed. Today’s consumer has multiple shopping options and several ways to make a purchase. It’s no longer just about the best deal; it’s about the customer experience (CX). We live in an experience economy. Making…

The retail industry has undergone sweeping changes in the past decade, with brands revamping stores and providing new services and delivery options to meet customers’ rising expectations. Until recently, grocery had been largely untouched by these new forces roiling Main Street. However, grocery is now going through its own transformation as new competitors arrive and…

In episode 235 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kevin Moffitt, chief retail officer at Office Depot. Listen in as Moffitt discusses Office Depot’s transformation from a B-to-C office supplies retailer to a business services platform, why the brand is making this transition, and how the brand's history plays into that decision. Moffitt shares…

Technology has changed the way consumers shop and relate to brands. As digital channels, platforms and devices continue to evolve, consumer behaviors do too. Consumers today are digitally savvy, and many have become masters at navigating the omnichannel landscape. Accustomed to being everywhere at once, they’ve become channel agnostic, turning upside down the traditional concepts…

Two conflicting sentiments — hope and trepidation — are the driving force behind many U.S. retailers’ marketing plans for this year. U.S. retail sales rose 3.4 percent during the 2019 holiday season. The online sales for apparel, jewelry, and department stores all saw year-over-year increases. In 2020, retailers hope for growth rests on their ability to…

Online shopping’s share of the retail market has been growing ever since Amazon.com and eBay first came on the scene more than two decades ago. The astonishingly fast worldwide adoption of mobile devices created another e-commerce portal, allowing people to make purchases using their phones from anywhere with a connection. Retail branded apps and the…

Heightened brand experience. Systemic integration. Ultra-efficient inventory and fulfillment. Sales associates turned sales superstars. This is retail 2020. The question is, will your organization be ready? Retail has experienced tremendous evolution since the inception of new technology, increasing consumer demands, and rapidly shifting economic conditions. The latest iteration of digital transformation in retail has already…

For all the prognosticators out there trying to predict which digital commerce brands and retailers will be the winners and losers in 2020, there’s a simple litmus test: the customer experience. Without a doubt, succeeding in 2020 will require companies to have 20/20 vision into how consumers want to experience a brand — both online…

The grocery industry is undergoing momentous change. With online consumer packaged goods sales promising to reach over $70 billion in 2019, and that number set to double by 2025, these purchases will directly cannibalize brick-and-mortar supermarkets’ in-store sales if grocers don’t take action. The pressure on brick-and-mortar retailers has reached an inflection point with Amazon.com…

You’ve heard it again and again: the customer is in control of the shopping journey, and only those retailers that provide memorable and meaningful experiences will win long-term loyalty. While this is a widely accepted truth, the reality is that only a handful of brands are fulfilling this promise. We all know the biggest names…