Why merchandising must follow behavior, not dates

by Aneesh Dhawan — CEO & Co-Founder, Knit

Merchandising used to be about timing, but now, it has to be about understanding. With solid enough research, the smartest brands won’t predict the future…

AI has consumers rethinking recommended buy when website fall short

September 11, 2026

Nearly all shoppers (97%) will reconsider an AI-recommended purchase if the brand's website falls short, while two-thirds say they trust AI more than social…

Why back-to-school shopping is all about value

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

Rising costs, economic uncertainty and ongoing inflation are causing shoppers to rethink where they spend, what they buy and which brands earn their business.

Costco opening Oct. 28 in western New York

September 10, 2026

The first-ever Costco in western New York will open Oct. 28, just weeks before the holiday shopping season begins. While the Amherst location remains closed…

Southwest teams with Chase on first-ever airport lounges

September 8, 2026

Southwest Airlines Co. has started construction on the first of four airport lounges, initiating its first-ever airport lounge network.

Tariff timeline: White House actions, declarations, reversals

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

Given the tariff impact to the retail industry RetailCustomerExperience is keeping a timeline of tariff pronouncements.

Batteries Plus debuts AI platform to drive growth, amplify store experience

September 1, 2026

Batteries Plus, a battery and power solution retail service center, has debuted an AI platform featuring tools to boost the franchise development pipeline and…

Cashierless robot store highlights automation at conference

August 31, 2026

A cashierless convenience store demonstrated at the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing showed how multiple robots could complete an entire retail…

UK supermarket pauses facial recognition system after customer wrongly accused

August 26, 2026

British supermarket chain Sainsbury's has temporarily suspended facial recognition technology at its East Dulwich store in London after employees wrongly…

Costco opening in Ontario beach town, Buffalo store plans move forward

August 25, 2026

Costco is getting reading to open a warehouse in Wasaga Beach, an Ontario beach town.

The most valuable moment in retail media

by David Buckingham — CEO, Ecrebo

Retail media largely focuses on influencing shoppers before the transaction, while in-store media helps influence decisions during the shopping trip.

The Connected Guest Journey: Arrival to Departure

Connected technology helps hospitality businesses create more seamless, convenient experiences across the guest journey. This blog explores how connected…

Social media influencing back-to-school shopping

August 20, 2026

Over half of U.S. parents, 58%, shopping for back-to-school needs report that social media and online trends are influencing child requests.

Rethinking customer retention: From churn prevention to value creation

by Luke Smith — Principal Consultant, Optima Partners

Retention can no longer be treated as a narrow, model-driven function focused on preventing churn. Instead, it should be reframed as a strategic capability…

Wegmans testing revamped carts

August 13, 2026

Wegmans is piloting redesigned shopping carts at two Pennsylvania locations.

Back-to-school shopping getting more stressful for parents

August 12, 2026

Nearly half of consumers, 48%, shopping for back-to-school items are projected to spend more this year with 13% spending less than in 2025.

Fast brands, slow systems: Why retail's biggest players are running out of time

by Glebs Vrevsky — Co-founder and Executive Board Member, scandiweb

The biggest cost of legacy systems is not the technology itself – it's how people are used within the organization.

NRS Connects Retailers to Uber Eats

NRS's direct integration provides independent retail stores with seamless access to Uber Eats' delivery marketplace.

Vusion acquiring In-Store Media

August 10, 2026

Vusion, a provider of AI-powered digitalization solutions for physical commerce, has signed an agreement to acquire In-Store Media, an in-store retail media…

Defining the role of agentic AI in the retail customer experience

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

It’s rare to go more than a day without industry insight or retailer news that doesn’t involve agentic AI. Despite its great potential to impact CX agentic AI…