Technology

The rise of online shopping has brought many benefits with it — convenience, an expanded selection of products and competitive prices. One of the most dramatic side effects of the online shopping phenomenon, however, is that it's forced us to re-examine the traditional brick-and-mortar shopping experience. We’ve learned that the in-store shopping experience isn’t easily…

This summer, Apple is teaching children the basics of coding in its retail stores. For three days, kids 8-12 will use Tynker software to learn coding and then program Sphero robots. Apple Camp began in 2003 as a way to introduce technology and Apple products to kids, but this is the first year a coding…

In today's news roundup, find out why Home Depot is suing Visa and MasterCard; the issue that almost caused Macy's workers in New York City to go on strike; Wal-Mart's strategy for optimizing in-store workers; and Target's latest collaboration.

There’s a new generation on the horizon, one that has the potential to completely change the way retailers do business. It’s not the ever-vilified, oft-studied millennials; they’re (finally) becoming old news. This next generation, called centennials, was born after 1995 and currently accounts for roughly 25 percent of the population. Contrary to what many retailers…

The crowded aisles and booths in Chicago last week were again a reminder of the longstanding industry presence of the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition (IRCE) within the maturing digital marketplace. The list of exhibiting companies ran the gamut from niche startups to established platforms. The historically B-to-C-driven conference continues to broaden its appeal beyond…

With smartphones enabling consumers to be connected at all times, retailers are forced to cater to shoppers staring at their phones.

Transitioning from startup to a growth-stage company isn’t easy. This session is a fascinating look into the world of retail startups.

Reacting to consumers’ evolving shopping behaviors, noticeably their transitioning between online and offline channels, retailers have had to make adjustments to their organizations to ensure customers and employees alike are satisfied. Internal departments that used to operate in silos — e.g., web and store teams — have become interchangeable, including how they're compensated for their…

The on-demand economy movement is big — and getting bigger. It’s poised to disrupt trillions — yes, trillions — in GDP, according to Scot Wingo, executive chairman of ChannelAdvisor. Nearly half of all U.S. consumers have tried at least one on-demand service. The appeal? Zero friction. Consumers tap a button and their ride arrives, dinner…

You hear it time and time again — the customer is the center of the universe for retailers. Brands are constantly trying to stand out from the competition to attract new customers and keep their current ones happy. In FitForCommerce's report “Commerce Disrupted,” disruptors and innovators for areas such as websites, digital signage and personalization are…