Technology
March 2, 2018 at 3:02 pm
In a panel discussion at eTail West this week in Palm Springs, Calif., Harsh Acharya, head of technology and product, Dell; Dhritiman Saha, senior vice president, digital, J.C. Penney; and Raghu Sagi, chief engineering officer, Sephora, discussed how their businesses are evolving for a digital future. Specific attention was paid to transforming company culture, making…
March 2, 2018 at 12:24 pm
Last year saw a lot of change for the retail industry. Brands that have been household names for decades closed their doors or filed for bankruptcy as pure-play e-commerce newcomers entered into the fray and found immense value in opening up their own physical stores. The term “retail apocalypse” also became ubiquitous, and artificial intelligence…
February 28, 2018 at 3:10 pm
Amazon.com announced yesterday the acquisition of smart home company, Ring. The $1 billion-plus price tag represents Amazon's second largest ever acquisition (the online giant paid $13.6 billion for Whole Foods). Recode reports Ring is now being bought for somewhere between $1.2 billion and $1.8 billion. The startup recently authorized a fundraising round that would have…
February 28, 2018 at 1:54 pm
In an interview at the eTail West conference in Palm Springs, Calif., this morning, Bruce Starnes, vice president, digital solutions, Target, addressed how the big-box retailer is evolving its business to thrive in a changing retail environment. Starnes was interviewed by Jenny Kaplan, consumer goods reporter for Bloomberg.
February 28, 2018 at 11:12 am
Retail personalization has long been the domain of the e-commerce retailers that redefined the concept of local retailing by bringing it to a geographically unrestricted audience at scale, leaving traditional retailers scrambling to combat their new, impersonal identity. And as retail stalwarts shuttered their doors and malls became modern American ghost towns, the narrative that…
February 27, 2018 at 10:42 am
Recently, Hubba, a global B-to-B commerce network, examined the trends impacting the retail economy and released a new whitepaper, The Curated Future - why less selection, not more, will be the defining retail trend of 2018. The study explores the past, present and future state of the retail industry, as well as the tools needed to…
February 20, 2018 at 12:02 pm
Customer-obsessed marketing is here, and retailers and brands are evaluating an increasingly complex advertising world filled with new questions around metrics, search performance and audience quality. In a recent study from RetailMeNot and Kelton Research on connecting retailers, brands and agencies with priority customers, retail marketers weigh in on the essential nature of identifying and…
February 15, 2018 at 3:03 pm
Modern retail as we know it had to start somewhere. From price tags, coupons and shopping carts, to customized in-store experiences, the “endless aisle” and zero-waste supply chains, the industry has evolved beyond our wildest imaginations. But how did we get from retail 1.0 to where we are today? Modern Retail is Born Retail began…
February 13, 2018 at 12:59 pm
1-800-Flowers.com is rolling out new digital features this Valentine's Day to optimize the customer experience on one of its busiest days of the year. With new ways to shop on-the-go, including ordering via chatbot or voice assistant; new payment options, including one-click transactions; a dedicated self-service customer service hub; concierge advice; a destination for enhanced…
February 9, 2018 at 1:51 pm
Traditional retailers are under tremendous pressure from online and other forces. But how bad is it? And what can retailers do to remain competitive? Formerly successful retailers like Borders, Aeropostale, RadioShack and Payless Shoes have gone bankrupt under the online onslaught. Just recently, the “category killer” Toys"R"Us filed for bankruptcy. While other retailers are keeping…
