Technology

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…

Montana Silversmiths, a manufacturer and retailer of Western-style jewelry, belt buckles and gifts, had been using an online catalog for custom products, but there wasn’t a direct connection between the products and checkout, leading to a less-than-desirable shopping experience for consumers and a headache for the brand. “All our custom orders had to be handled one-on-one…

I recently received a really interesting whitepaper titled "The Top 10 Retail Trends For 2016" from Synchrony Financial that included a list of the top 10 technology, marketing and consumer trends that Synchrony predicts will have an impact on retail sales in 2016. Here are five of the key trends highlighted. Are any of them affecting…

At Google’s I/O conference, Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) research unit offered an update on its interactive textiles project unveiled last year, Project Jacquard. ATAP’s Ivan Poupyrev announced that the company was collaborating with iconic clothing company Levi’s to launch a “connected” smart jacket aimed at urban cyclists that will allow wearers to do…

L’Oréal, the world’s largest cosmetic company, has announced an investment in the Founders Factory, a global multisector digital accelerator and incubator. The investment makes L’Oréal Founders Factory’s exclusive partner for investments in beauty tech startups worldwide, fulfilling part of L’Oréal CEO Jean-Paul Agon’s vision of the transformative power of digital for the beauty category.

In an industry that saw a 15 percent drop in physical retail sales in 2015, one brand continues to grow profits. For the third year in a row, GameStop profits per store increased. The electronics retailer reported profits of $176,000 per store, on average, or nearly 15 percent for each of its more than 6,600…

It’s no surprise to learn that retailers are in a rapid investment period in terms of IT systems. Historically slow to invest in technology, retailers are now playing catchup in an arena that punishes slow-movers. A retail CIO is faced with the daunting challenge of solving a myriad of complex issues fast, including: delivering the…

Much has been written about the customer experience and its importance to retailers, but it’s just one of many elements required to be successful. Another important aspect, which is often overlooked by brands, is the user experience (i.e., the experience that employees who are directly or indirectly serving customers have when using enterprise software). Many…