5 trends impacting the in-store experience

January 28, 2026

Retailers will focus more on spatial transformation in the year ahead, using physical appeal to attract new customers and will futureproof store backdrops and…

What recession pop reveals about the psychology of nostalgia

by Mike Ford — CEO of Skydeo, Skydeo

For marketers and brands, the takeaway is clear: nostalgia doesn’t just tell us what people like — it tells us why they buy.

Albertsons Media Collective debuts in-store incrementality measurement

January 23, 2026

Albertsons Media Collective has launched incrementality measurement that will enable advertisers to optimize in-store media using causal signals.

Birdzi launches Journey for grocers, retailers aiming to drive personalization

January 22, 2026

Birdzi has unveiled Journey, a tool that enables grocers and retailers to deliver real-time, behavior-based offers to drive smarter customer engagement.

The art of retail storytelling: Elevating hospitality through meaningful experiences

Explore how storytelling is reshaping the retail experience by turning stores into meaningful, hospitality-driven destinations.

Consumer text-based purchases on the rise

January 21, 2026

More than half, 65%, of consumers made a purchase from a brand's text message in 2025 and consumers now prefer redeeming offers via text more than email and…

The endless aisle gets smarter: 5 predictions that will shape retail in 2026

by Bennett Carroccio — SVP, Rokt Catalog, Rokt, Rokt Catalog

The endless aisle isn’t disappearing but it is getting smarter, more intentional, and more aligned with how people actually shop.

Woof Gang enjoys robust sales, footprint growth

January 20, 2026

Pet grooming brand Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming saw a 25% year over year sales boost in 2025 and doubled its footprint in three years.

Buc-ee’s planning biggest c-store yet

January 19, 2026

Buc-ee's aims to construct its biggest c-store to date. The store will be built in Fort Pierce, Florida.

WHSmith North America Media Network taps ISM for retail media network

January 16, 2026

WHSmith North America Media Network is partnering with In-Store Marketplace, a centralized platform for digital in-store media integration, on a retail media…

5 reasons why gamified loyalty programs fail

by Konstantin Melnikov — Founder, NTI Loyalty

Retailers often underestimate the complexity of gamification, and how hard it is to capture and hold consumer attention. This leads to mistakes that cause…

Home Depot launches creator portal

January 13, 2026

The Home Depot has launched the Home Depot Creator Portal aimed at connecting digital content creators to the home improvement retailers to monetize home…

Walgreens taps Rokt in AI-powered retail media expansion

January 8, 2026

Walgreens Advertising Group, the retail media arm of Walgreens, has expanded its retail media ecosystem with Rokt, an e-commerce technology company using…

Top read retail CX stories in 2025: Consumer behavior, AI ethics, brand tech deployments

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

The top most read articles in 2025 ran the gamut from tracking tariff policies to understanding generational consumer behavior to brand technology deployments.

What main street can teach Silicon Valley about building loyalty

by Andrew Helms — CEO – USA, SumUp

If Silicon Valley spent half as much time studying Main Street as Main Street spends studying its customers, we’d build technology that feels a lot more like a…

Academy Sports + Outdoors opens 5 stores

December 26, 2025

Academy Sports + Outdoors , a sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer, has open five locations in Russellville, Ark.; Seguin, Texas; Fort Wayne, Ind.…

Most UK marketers using AI for holiday campaigns

December 22, 2025

Nearly eight in 10 U.K. marketers (78%) are using AI to plan, test and optimize this year's seasonal campaigns, a 42% jump since 2024.

Why calls still matter in retail

by Victoria Berezhetska — Content Lead, Phonexa

Learn how you can build an omnichannel marketing funnel using retail customer experiences during phone calls. Synergize lead and phone call campaigns.

Target opens Target SoHo concept store

December 11, 2025

Target has officially opeed its transformed Target SoHo, a concept store located in New York city.

Swipe fees may cost consumers $20 billion this holiday season

December 11, 2025

Swipe fees, which banks charge retailers for processing credit card transactions, could cost consumers $20 billion or more in higher prices this holiday…