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For retail businesses, where net profit margins often hover around 3 percent, every efficiency gain is a lifeline. This makes artificial intelligence, especially agentic automation, a true game-changer. But as many companies rush to jump on the AI bandwagon, they're hitting a wall: their data just isn't ready. The AI Promise: Efficiency for Razor-Thin Margins…

Are you losing sales because customers would rather tap than talk? GoDaddy’s new Consumer Pulse survey of 1,500 U.S. shoppers suggests you might be. It found 54 percent of Gen Z and 50 percent of millennials would rather buy online and pick up in‑store, use self‑checkout, or stay fully online than interact with other people…

Retailers today are navigating a complex mix of pressures, from margin compression and shifting supply chain dynamics to evolving consumer expectations to ongoing tariff uncertainty. In this environment, understanding how peers and industry leaders are responding isn’t just useful — it’s essential. Technology and artificial intelligence can help retailers keep up. By processing and distilling…

According to a 2024 study by the National Retail Federation (NRF), retailers reported a 93 percent increase in average shoplifting incidents in 2023 vs. 2019. During the same time, 91 percent of retailers stated shoplifters were exhibiting more violence and aggression. Retailers also noted a 90 percent increase in dollar loss due to shoplifting in…

Performance lifestyle brand Vuori is accelerating its international expansion with new brick-and-mortar stores across Asia, reports Fashion United. This will include its first locations in Seoul, South Korea, in September through a franchise partner, followed by another debut location in Beijing, China, this October, as the brand continues to focus on adding retail stores in…

Target is ending its guarantee to price-match Amazon.com and Walmart on July 28. A spokesperson for the retailer confirmed the policy change to USA TODAY. Beginning July 28, Target will only match its own in-store and online prices at Target.com, if the price drops within 14 days, the spokesperson said. Eliminating the price match for Walmart…

Employee safety and well-being have become essential to operational success. While enhancing the customer experience is still key, retailers are realizing that a secure, confident workforce is the foundation for great service, efficient operations, and stronger performance. With rising incidents of theft, harassment and workplace stress, retailers are rethinking how they protect their staff. Beyond…

In today’s volatile economic climate, retailers are under immense pressure to make every pricing decision count — particularly during high-stakes retail seasons like back-to-school (BTS). Success during BTS season will demand a strategic and agile approach, moving beyond manual and spreadsheet-centric pricing methods to embrace data-driven insights and artificial intelligence-scaled precision. Understanding the prevailing consumer…

In episode 484 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kamanasish Kundu (KK), senior vice president and head of e-commerce and digital at Kendra Scott, a fashion lifestyle brand of big dreams, colorful confidence, and inspired design, founded on family, fashion and philanthropy. Listen in as Kundu discusses the digital checkout transformation underway at…

A recent survey from the Association for Financial Professionals revealed payment fraud is up while fraud recovery rates have plummeted. And this may be only the beginning of a new era of fraud challenges. Already, 2025 has become the year of agentic artificial intelligence, in which AI-powered systems can execute a series of tasks without…

By now, retailers are used to disruption — from the pandemic to the Red Sea shipping crisis, instability has become the norm. This year, tariffs may cast a shadow over the holiday shopping season, creating more volatility. The reality is there will be factors out of their control; however, the more retailers can prepare for…

Over the past decade, e-commerce search methods have evolved from simple text-based searches to more advanced, semantic, vector-based searches. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and large language models (LLMs) drive this transformation, elevating search to a new level by providing context-aware, personalized results. Customers now expect precise results using conversational language and advanced image and voice…

A new survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) released Tuesday reveals that shoppers are already spending for the back-to-school season in the face of looming tariffs and high inflation. The NRF surveyed 7,581 consumers during the first week of July to find out their shopping habits for the fall back-to-school period. The association found…

The growth of retail media has been stratospheric, with spend forecast to reach more than $176 billion in 2025. Retail media networks (RMNs) are an increasingly popular advertising channel for brands needing to access audience insights, plan and activate campaigns at scale. As this channel evolves, new opportunities are emerging not just for retailers but…

Retailers are feeling the squeeze. Costs are up across the board, from labor and materials to logistics, and with inflation lingering in many global markets (nearly 6 percent worldwide), the instinct is to brace for impact. But while inflation may be putting pressure on margins, it’s not the underlying issue. The real problem is how…

Amazon stretched out its annual Prime Day sales event so that it lasted four days – twice as long as in the past – and, as a result, blew away previous sales figures, reports USA Today. The online retailing powerhouse and tech giant said Prime Day 2025, which ran from July 8-11, was its biggest…

In the beauty industry, data has long been a source of power. From spotting emerging trends to shaping product development and marketing strategies, access to the right insights can mean the difference between leading the market and missing the moment. But for years, this kind of commercial intelligence was a luxury only the biggest players…

Small American retailers are under mounting pressure to match the service levels provided by larger brands, especially when it comes to payments. Consumers now want the same seamless checkout experience — and variety of payment options — regardless of whether they’re buying from a national chain store or a local independent. Small businesses are upgrading…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is undeniably transforming the retail industry, streamlining operations and redefining the future of work. However, much of the conversation to date has centered on AI’s impact on supply chain logistics, marketing optimization, technology infrastructure and contact experience systems. One crucial segment, though, has remained largely absent from this discourse: frontline retail workers.…

Retailers are navigating a complex economic environment marked by inflationary pressures, tighter consumer spending, and increasing scrutiny on marketing return on investment. As the macroeconomic outlook remains uncertain, businesses are being forced to reconsider their strategies and change the way they think about growth. In this new environment, marketers’ focus is shifting from acquiring more…