July 31, 2021
 

 WEEKEND EDITION

Welcome to this issue of the Total Retail Report: Weekend Edition, a recap of what you may have missed this past week on myTotalRetail.com. Have a great weekend!

What Prime Day Taught Us About the Supply Chain, Back to School, and the Holidays

by Tom Buiocchi

Merchandise facility managers are having a hard time catching a break this year, dealing with labor shortages and a dearth of shipping containers and air freight capacity. All of that has caused major inventory backlogs for brick-and-mortar retailers. These ripple effects, of course, stem from the pandemic, which temporarily shut down factories and other production…

 
 
 
Supported By Quantum Metric

Live Shopping Events on Facebook Help Abercrombie & Fitch Engage Customers, Drive Sales

In episode 308 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Megan Brophy, senior director of brand marketing at Abercrombie & Fitch and Abercrombie Kids. Brophy discusses Abercrombie’s partnership with Facebook for its Live Shopping Fridays initiative, how livestream shopping brings the in-store and digital experience together, and what customers experience when engaging with the live…

 
 
 
Sponsored by Sidecar

2021 Benchmarks: The Future Roadmap for Retail Ads

Now in its fifth year, Sidecar’s 2021 Benchmarks Report analyzes how top retail verticals performed on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon advertising and how your business can compete in the year ahead. This report will arm you with the data you need to thrive in a fast-changing advertising landscape.

 

An Inside Look at Zulily's Back-to-School Strategy

by Kendra Franklin

The 2021 back-to-school shopping season figures to be unique. After over a year of online/virtual school for most students, kids are looking to finally express themselves creatively through fashion. While younger students may not have the money to buy their own back-to-school items, they still play a major role in purchase decisions. According to Zulily’s…

 

The Not-So-Hidden Cost of Headless E-Commerce

by Jake Loveless

While developers and CTOs worldwide perform Oscar-worthy “Red Queen” impersonations, screaming that for e-commerce it’s “off with its head,” it’s worth stepping back to review the actual costs of going headless. Here, we’ll discuss headless e-commerce and its associated effects on costs and content. Headless, Simplified Headless e-commerce isn’t new. “Going headless” means separating your…

 
 
 
Sponsored by Quantum Metric

7 eCommerce Blockers to Avoid before Holiday Surge

Lost sales and revenue opportunities can make or break your holiday success. With code freeze right around the corner, learn how to avoid 7 top e-commerce blockers before online traffic and orders spike. Get the digital retail playbook now.

 
 
 

4 Ways CX Broke in 2020

This eBook digs a little deeper into the main four Ship from Store challenges experienced by retailers, and how those challenges broke the Customer Experience. We’ll explore the causes, and some creative ways to address them.

 
 
 

Key Leadership and Strategy Learnings From the 2021 Top International Women in Retail

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail’s Kristina Stidham and Marie Albiges discuss the recently released Top International Women in Retail report, produced by Total Retail’s sister brand, Women in Retail Leadership Circle. We know that women are impacting the retail industry not only in the United States, but across the globe. Each…

 

Defining Retail’s Next Phase: Obstacles and Opportunity for the Cloud

by Tyson Cornell

The pandemic and subsequent acceleration of digital transformation made the cloud a rallying point for the entire C-suite. When COVID-19 hit, retailers needed to pivot to strategies like online delivery and adjust their supply chains based on constantly changing conditions. Cloud-enabled retailers had the visibility and data to make these changes quicker than analog counterparts.…

 
 
 

2021 Customer Experience Imperatives

With a lasting impact from pandemic norms, what’s it going to take now for a business to thrive? One thing is certain, it will involve a big shift in thinking and in working. An adjusted center. A total customer experience transformation. This year’s Imperatives take you beyond the marketing bubble, where the total customer experience is achieved by connecting experiences across marketing, sales, commerce, and service. It all hinges on achieving both data transformation and digital transformation — and ultimately, how your organization adapts to customer obsession. Download your FREE eBook now!