Today on Total Retail

Amazon.com has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity that demands the artificial intelligence startup prevents its Comet browser from making purchases on Amazon. In a blog post responding to Amazon's letter, Perplexity claims Amazon is "bullying" the company and that its demands pose "a threat to all internet users." Amazon alleges the Comet agent violates its terms…

As Cyber 5 and the holiday season loom large, retailers are speeding up artificial intelligence adoption in personalization engines, chatbots, fraud detection, and operations. These technologies can enhance revenue and efficiency, but they also amplify risks like shadow AI, data leakage, and AI-driven attacks. Cyber 5: A Stress Test for AI and Security Readiness The…

Laura Bollier, CEO of VENUS Fashion, discusses the modernization of the VENUS brand, focusing on honoring its strong legacy while evolving it to meet contemporary needs. Drawing on her 25-plus years of experience in the retail industry, Bollier highlights the importance of elevated quality, intentional fit, and a curated assortment for the modern woman. In…

In the age of hyperpersonalization, delivering seamless, secure digital retail experiences is no longer a competitive edge. It’s now becoming a consumer expectation. As retailers race to tailor every interaction, the need for a modern, adaptive customer identity and access management (CIAM) strategy has never been greater. Today’s consumers want personalized experiences, but they also…

E-commerce has been moving at warp speed lately, and it’s thanks to artificial intelligence. The last two years have brought more changes to online shopping — and how we discover products — than the two decades before. Consider this: Think back to 2023: Back then, shopping online for a game-day barbecue meant searching for each…

Back-to-school no longer signals just the end of summer; it sets the direction for the rest of the retail year. It has become a litmus test for consumer confidence and a preview of the behaviors that will drive the holiday season. Recent survey findings show households are making more deliberate choices, prioritizing long-term value, and…

Rally House, the fastest-growing officially licensed sports apparel and merchandise retailer in the nation, recently expanded from 140 to nearly 300 stores. To help support that growth, Rally House used real-time data and predictive analytics to launch geo-targeted hiring campaigns, enabling the retailer to staff new locations even before construction was complete. The retailer partnered…

Despite being around since 2012 when Amazon.com launched Amazon Ads, retail media is still evolving and different regions have approached it from different angles. While North America has scaled fast, it has also accumulated complexity: stitched-together stacks, negotiated measurement instead of designed frameworks, and a heavy tilt toward search as the default growth engine. Europe…

Last holiday season, one of a brand’s most loyal customers ordered three party dresses, intending to keep the one that fit best. What should have been a routine return turned into a viral disaster: confusing instructions, a missing confirmation email, and a delayed refund pushed her frustration onto social media. The brand scrambled to respond,…

For two decades, Amazon.com has been the gold standard for “effortless shopping.” One-click checkout, simple returns, and friction-free buying built a habit that reshaped consumer expectations. The magic wasn’t just about speed — it was certainty. You knew you could return anything. You knew checkout wouldn’t make you second-guess. Amazon has redefined what shoppers expect…