Key 2020 holiday shopping takeaways: It’s imperative to adapt as customer expectations evolve

by Tara Bartley — Industry Marketing, Akamai

Tara Bartley, senior manager, industry marketing, and Ashitha Bhanu, industry marketing, Akamai, share Akamai data relating to the most recent holiday shopping…

UK shoppers missing the in-store retail experience

February 2, 2021

When it comes to in-store retail activity, a majority, 74%, of U.K. shoppers, are missing the physical brick-and-mortar customer experience.

Vaccine won't propel consumers back to retail stores, claims survey

January 27, 2021

As millions of consumers are being vaccinated to combat the COVID-19 virus it's not likely too many will be increasing trips to retail stores.

Pandemic propels big spike in customer service calls

January 25, 2021

The increased use of online shopping led to a huge spike, 69%, in customer service call volumes during 2020 as COVID-19 spread throughout the world, according…

COVID-19 vaccine bodes well for a retail recovery

January 25, 2021

Top U.S. retailers view the COVID-19 vaccine as a key part of retail recovery in 2021 and a good number of big retailers are optimistic about the industry this…

IoT market to reach $677B by 2025

January 22, 2021

The global internet-of-things market is expected to reach $677 billion by 2025, according to research by BuyShares.co.nz. The market is also expected to grow…

Self-service enters new era; employees take on new importance

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Consumers want self-service, but they also want to speak to an employee when necessary, according to the keynote presentation during the recent Self-Service…

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…

Using chat to engage and serve the retail customer

by Pat Shea — Editor, NetworldMedia

Hannes Van Rensburg, chief commercial officer for Clickatell's, offers insight on chat commerce and its potential impact on payments.

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.

Holiday sales spur brighter outlook for Lululemon

January 14, 2021

Consumer activity during the recent holiday sales season has Lululemon expecting higher earnings and sales in its fourth quarter.

Augmented reality central to retailer agility in 2021

by Rob Weaver

Rob Weaver, chief revenue officer at Vertebrae, explains how augmented reality technology supports the blended experiences that will continue to dominate…

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…

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…

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…

Talking With: Diebold Nixdorf retail VP Arvin Jawa

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

Retail Customer Experience reached out to Arvin Jawa, vice president of global retail strategy and regional VP, Americas Retail, at Diebold Nixdorf, to get his…

Here’s what’s in store for the 2020 holiday shopping season

by Karl Haller — Consumer Center of Competency leader and retail industry expert for IBM Global Business Services, IBM

Karl Haller, Consumer Center of Competency leader and retail industry expert for IBM Global Business Services, shares insight from IBM's annual Retail…

NRF report: Pandemic driving 'most challenging time' for retail

December 3, 2020

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is making this year's holiday season one of the most unusual and most challenging in retail's history, according to National…

Holiday sales growth to hit between 3.6% to 5.2%, predicts NRF

November 24, 2020

Holiday sales between November and December won't be as dim as some may think due to the pandemic as there will be growth, according to the National Retail…

How the pandemic is changing U.S. holiday shopping behavior

Brian Ruwadi, senior partner and global leader at Periscope by McKinsey, outlines key retail trends shaping this holiday season.