Today on Total Retail

Consumers spent a total of $11.3 billion online on Cyber Monday, representing 5.8 percent growth year-over-year (YoY), according to Adobe Analytics. It registers as the biggest online shopping day of all time. In the peak hour (8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Pacific), consumers spent $12.8 million every minute. On Cyber Monday, online spending was driven by purchases of toys, with sales growing 684…

The Great Resignation. The rise of e-commerce. The supply chain squeeze. These are just the latest in a string of challenging issues facing the retail industry, with a possible recession looming on the horizon. Retailers have rebounded from economic downturns before, however, relying on an economic recovery will not be sufficient without a workforce ready…

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a global collaborative initiative that aims to raise awareness and help organizations to protect their sensitive data from increasing cyberattacks. With retailers beginning to harness a data-driven approach to provide personalized experiences and omnichannel strategies to boost sales, the retail sector has become one of the tempting targets for hackers. Ahead…

As in the past few years, the retail sector in 2023 will be heavily impacted by macroeconomic trends such as supply chain constraints and inflation. We remain in a challenging environment characterized by uncertainty. Consumer spending continues to increase, but will it plateau? Inflation appears to be slowing, but will this relief continue? And will…

The last three holiday seasons have each been unique as the pandemic first roiled consumer behavior and then unleashed pent-up demand, all the while playing havoc with the economy. This year, with inflation rising and discretionary spending squeezed, retailers are already preparing for a slower holiday shopping season, and a new set of challenging dilemmas.…

E-commerce exploded during the pandemic, growing by 50 percent in just a couple years. This incredible growth came hand-in-hand with an increase in retail media networks (RMNs), which help retailers grow their online advertising business and allow brands to put their product ads right in front of online shoppers who may be looking for a…

Consumers spent a record $9.12 billion online shopping during Black Friday this year, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks sales on retailers’ websites. Overall, online Black Friday sales were up 2.3 percent year-over-year. Adobe also predicted that consumers were set to spend more than $9 billion online over the weekend ($4.52 billion on Saturday, $4.99 billion…

Amidst varying themes of the upcoming winter season, an unexpected and adverse development has occurred regarding holiday spending: consumers are having to adjust budgets and consider inflationary concerns along with supply chain shortages, both affecting the price and availability of many products this year. As a result, the retail industry will experience much earlier shopping…

Talks of an impending recession have brands scrutinizing marketing costs more diligently. Retailers are also seeking ways to bolster the bottom line as consumers tighten their grips on their wallets. Amidst the ongoing recessionary pressure, data collaboration, specifically retail media networks (RMNs), has become increasingly popular for its ability to help brands gain insights on…

In episode 376 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Stacia Andersen, chief customer officer at PetSmart. In the wide-ranging conversation, Andersen discusses her current role and career background (0:41), why she was drawn to work in the pet category after a long stint at Target (2:48), and the genesis of PetSmart's new small…