Omnichannel

The holidays are just around the corner. Is your company ready? A recent Periscope By McKinsey study of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers examined shopping attitudes and behaviors for this coming holiday season. Findings not only revealed consumers’ plans, but also emerging trends with big implications for retailers. Consumers Are Seeking Inspiration With almost half…

In an interview at eTail East in Boston earlier this year, Behzad Soltani, chief digital officer at Movado Group, parent company of leading watch brands such as Movado, Concord, EBEL, Hugo Boss Watches, and more, detailed the company's commitment to being an omnichannel organization, from operations to marketing, among other functions. Soltani participated on a…

It seems the holidays come earlier every year — Lowe’s and Walmart have had their Christmas trees up since late September — but for many there's still time left to prepare for the onslaught of gift-givers. The time to do so is now. While this author has been predicting holiday trends for several years, this…

In 2018, specialty retail was under assault. This year, it’s taking up arms. Specialty retailers have improved fulfillment speed dramatically. Consider, a fifth of brands now offer free two-day shipping, and the number of brands offering next-day shipping has doubled. Recognizing that mobile accounts for 55 percent of online traffic, on average, in this sector,…

Retail is facing more stress and complexity than ever before. U.S. population growth is less than 1 percent annually, shopper journeys no longer follow predictable demographics, and customers are simultaneously demanding more human interaction and more self-service technology. Add to that the rising cost of shipping, the looming threat of tariffs, and the tight labor market. Retail…

Now more than ever, it’s important for retailers to deliver products to the hands of customers where and when they want them. Shoppers want choice and flexibility in how their orders are fulfilled, and they want to be able to complete their purchases or make returns quickly and efficiently. In an age when shoppers are…

Despite the perception that shoppers are divided into two camps — those who prefer brick-and-mortar stores and those who like to buy online — a recent holiday shopping survey conducted by Shopkick shows that consumers actually want both. This holiday season, half of shoppers plan to do the majority of their shopping at physical retail stores. But…

In episode 217 of Total Retail Talks, Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Ran Reske, co-founder of Resident, a house of direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) brands in the home goods space, including Nectar and DreamCloud. Listen in as Reske discusses the growth of Resident from a digital-native company into an omnichannel organization, and why he views Resident's D-to-C…

As retailers face enormous pressures to innovate each year, their products, services and experiences must continue to resonate with consumers — no matter who or where they are. Thankfully, the retail landscape remains healthy, which provides numerous opportunities for retailers to connect with consumers in strategic ways. There are more than 1 million retail establishments…

In episode 216 of Total Retail Talks, Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Luke Kingsnorth, CEO of Charles Tyrwhitt, a leading U.K.-based menswear retailer specializing in dress shirts, suits, ties and accessories. Listen as Kingsnorth discusses his background in the retail industry, his recent promotion to the chief executive position, and the expansion of the brand into new…