Today on Total Retail

In episode 410 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jeffery Fowler, CEO at Hodinkee, an influential editorial and e-commerce site for new and vintage wristwatches. Fowler provides an overview of the Hodinkee business, including its start as a blog (0:58), his professional background that led him to join the brand (7:00), and the drivers…

After the pandemic, customers returned to shop in-store. While this is undoubtedly great news for the industry, it does put further pressure on retailers. As a result, retailers must find innovative solutions to mitigate these effects by implementing sufficient brand identification solutions that assist in relieving in-store pressures and maximizing sales. The retail industry is…

There’s a palpable shift unfolding in the world of social media as the lines between platforms and e-commerce increasingly blend and blur. It's a trend we've all been noticing — even if we haven’t realized it yet. Meta, for one, has made several attempts to tap into this realm by integrating shopping features into Instagram,…

In an increasingly omnichannel and digital landscape, shoppers expect quick and dynamic communication from brands they engage with. Unfortunately, a significant portion of retailers are falling short in meeting this basic expectation.  At my company, SOCi, we recently conducted our fifth annual audit of nearly 600 U.S. chain retailers. We found that 54 percent of all…

Shopping for back-to-school essentials, such as clothes, shoes and electronics, will be a bigger struggle for families this year who are trying to manage their household budgets with less disposable incomes because of inflation. Back-to-school spending by parents with children in grades K-12 is expected to decrease 10 percent this year over last year to…

Brick-and-mortar retail has seen a huge rebound as consumers defied expectations and quickly returned to pre-pandemic shopping patterns. After a long period of isolation, shoppers flocked back to physical stores to reconnect with the brands and products they love. In 2022, major U.S. retailers announced plans to open nearly 8,000 stores, almost five times the…

Consumers love bargains. At the time of this writing, 12 of the 13 top Chrome extensions in the Shopping category offer some flavor of automated coupon codes, price comparisons or cashback. For consumers, these browser-based tools are a way to find the best bargains at a time of global belt-tightening. For online stores, they're a…

In today's era of booming e-commerce, the significance of efficient packaging cannot be overstated. As we strive towards a greener and more sustainable future, it's essential for companies to address this issue by implementing right-sizing strategies. By customizing packaging to fit each shipment precisely, businesses can enhance customer satisfaction, reduce costs, and mitigate the environmental…

In an earlier-than-expected launch, Meta's new platform, Threads, is separating from the visual storytelling of its sister social networks. Threads gives brands the ability to strengthen relationships with existing audiences via conversations and real-time commentary, and also reach new audiences who don't pay attention to the visual space. While there isn’t a monetization model in…

We all have emotions. We've laughed, cried, and felt fear, concern and surprise. It's a major way that humans connect. But what if your brand could do the same thing? Emotional marketing is connecting with customers through feelings to build stronger relationships. The theory is that emotions, rather than rational arguments, can influence customer behavior.…