Pandemic didn't deter holiday sales

January 19, 2021

The retail holiday sales in late 2020 hit an unexpected high point given a 8.3% spike compared to the previous year, according to the National Retail…

A glimpse into 2021 retail: The times they (will continue) a-changin'

As the wild and bumpy ride known as 2020 comes to a close, David Wilkinson, president and general manager, NCR Retail, takes a look at some of those changes…

Seize the new year with 6 lessons from the COVID-19 holiday rush

Mike Chou, director of business development at Harbor Retail, shares six lessons retailers can learn from the COVID-19 impact on the 2020 holiday sales season.

Men, women not so different when it comes to shopping behavior

January 12, 2021

Over two-thirds of men and two-thirds of women do the majority of their shopping online and more than two-thirds of men and women are using their smartphone…

Ensuring customer satisfaction through AI

by Pat Shea — Editor, NetworldMedia

Artificial intelligence is getting lots of interest since the coronavirus pandemic hit. President and CEO of Rekor, Robert Berman, shares insight on a…

Inspiration, joy top consumer motivators

January 5, 2021

When it comes to retail engagement and response to marketing, consumers are all about inspiration, joy, hope and love.

Loyalty success metrics to start the year on

by Christine Sullivan

Christine Sullivan, director, product development for SessionM, a Mastercard company, explains why brands need to determine the best ways to understand and…

Making curbside a critical component of the customer experience

by Ram Venketaraman

Ram Venkataraman , chief product and technology officer at Kibo, says buy online-pickup curbside should not be viewed as a niche trend to sustain retail during…

Data: Omnichannel consumption up 50% during 2020

December 29, 2020

Omnichannel consumption in the U.S. spiked 50% during 2020 with nearly half of all consumer goods purchases completed via e-commerce, according to Nielsen…

Survey: Consumers hungry for messaging, conversational AI

December 28, 2020

A good majority, 85%, of worldwide consumers are on board with messaging brands, up from 65% last year, and 75% would spend more with brands that offer…

Winter is here: How retailers can tap digital tools to boost the customer experience

by Kevin Grauman — CEO, QLess, Inc

Kevin Grauma, CEO of QLess, explains how technology is helping ease the retail que in times of social distancing amid COVID-19. But writes that retailers need…

How retailers can remain competitive during the pandemic

by Myles Kleeger

Myles Kleeger, president and chief customer officer, Braze, believes the retail winners of the holiday season, and of the ongoing pandemic, are those using…

Lounge Underwear teams with Emarsys to gain customer insight

December 22, 2020

The women's underwear brand Lounge Underwear is partnering with omnichannel customer engagement provider Emarsys in an effort to get a deeper understanding of…

Survey: Holiday returns, post-holiday spend will be robust

December 22, 2020

Consumers will be busy shopping as well as returning gifts once Christmas is over, with 92% of Americans participating in post-holiday purchases.

US shipping system crippled by online sales, snowstorms

December 21, 2020

The U.S. shipping system is fast becoming overwhelmed this holiday season due to three major factors: the surge of online shopping due to COVID-19, winter…

How brands can thrive in the COVID-19 holiday shopping season

by John LeBaron

John LeBaron, CRO of Pattern, shares three recommendations for retailers aiming to make this holiday season a lucrative one.

Study: Automated prescription kiosk improves pickup rates

December 18, 2020

A University of California San Diego and UC Irvine study found that patients using an automated workplace kiosk had better prescription pickup rates than those…

Using location data to create a more personalized in-store shopping experience

by John Kavulich — Vice President, IoT Solution Sales, Acuity Brands

John Kavulich, VP, IoT Solution Sales, Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc., shares insight on how retail leaders can close knowledge gaps when it comes to customers…

How retailers can continue to ensure in-store shopping is worth the trip in 2021

by Chip Miller

Chip Miller, CEO at Miller Zell, writes that regardless of the surging COVID-19 pandemic consumers are still venturing out to their favorite brand or retailer…

Global activewear market to hit $354B this year

December 15, 2020

The global activewear market is expected to hit $353.45 billion this year, boasting a 3.7% annual growth rate for the next six years, and reaching $439.1…