Today on Total Retail

Every year, the U.S. goes through enough cardboard boxes for shipping to pave a one-mile-wide road from New York City to Los Angeles three times, or build a mile-high cardboard wall around the entire continental U.S. Getting rid of overreliance on Amazon.com's signature brown box is a key goal of the retail giant and its…

Businesses are constantly having to navigate unexpected issues with their shipping processes and the real consequences that come to their bottom line. From upstream disruptions such as havoc in international waters that clog ports and upend access to goods, to downstream disruptions like inclement weather that mess with on-time-delivery (OTD) rates, the supply chain as…

Artificial intelligence integration is coming of age in the retail industry. Eighty percent of retailers are expected to adopt AI within the next three years, and according to a recent IDC Europe study, 40 percent of retailers are already in the experimentation phase with generative AI. While generative AI (think AI assistants and ChatGPT) is…

Recent news coming out of the supply chain industry shows how major players are continuing to make moves when it comes to their fulfillment and distribution processes, particularly around implementing more automation. While these advancements are great for trimming store-to-home delivery costs, industry professionals are asking themselves what this means for the future of the…

U.S. consumers have proven themselves a resilient bunch. In the face of persistently high interest rates and continued inflationary stress, they’ve maintained spending. But as a retailer, you cannot afford to take this for granted. In fact, we’re starting to see the first signs that the American consumer might be about to buckle under the…

DoorDash has entered the home improvement category with a new partnership with Lowe’s Companies. The delivery aggregator announced yesterday that it will offer on-demand delivery from more than 1,700 Lowes' stores nationwide. This partnership marks DoorDash’s first foray into the home improvement category and builds on the significant selection offerings on the platform, with more than 99…

In episode 446 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Stephanie Urban, vice president of marketing and e-commerce at Vince Camuto, the fashion footwear and accessories brand, part of Camuto Group. Listen in as Urban provides an overview of her role and professional background (0:50), the channels Vince Camuto is leveraging to improve its…

According to Gensler's 2024 Design Forecast, experiences are no longer either/or; they're AND. Blending convenience and engagement during every touchpoint is critical, which is why over 60 percent of customers switch to a different brand following a poor experience. Engaging displays and immersive audio capture shoppers' attention, with 42 percent reporting that they pay attention…

What’s still missing from hyperpersonalization strategies? Context, situation and situational markets. In fact, "hyperpersonalization" is a problematic idea. At least for retail. Let us explain why. People Want Customized Retail Experiences Retail experiences that are customized to individuals are an absolute must today. People will not tolerate retailers that don't remember purchases, provide tailored recommendations,…

While at Shoptalk in Las Vegas last month, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviewed Logan Dunn, head of e-commerce at WYZE, a smart home security company, about post-purchase customer experience (CX). During their conversation, Dunn provides an overview of the business' offerings and sales channels, the challenges WYZE faced in its post-purchase engagement strategy, and how customer…