Are restaurants ready for what comes next?
A study says that more than four out of five of us have changed food habits during the pandemic. Food service companies are responding to these changes with new...
Does keeping it real, really work?
During the pandemic, successful brands were able to adapt an online presence to build trust and establish a deeper level of connection with the customers, teams...
What’s so funny about authenticity, integrity and transparency?
Face it. Outside of the Big Four — Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas — flowers are special occasion purchases. So how is Farmg...
Do retailers need to jump on the e-gift card bandwagon?
While gift cards were once considered to be impersonal or a means to a quick and easy last-minute gift, that is no longer the case. Usage, particularly in e-gif...
Stores move to the front and center fulfilling customers’ expectations
Over a year ago, Patricia Waldron asked in a RetailWire article if 2020 would be the year when retailers instituted supply chain improvements with an eye toward...
Beauty becomes a digital beast
Beauty and self-care sales have traditionally been dependent on high-touch, personalized experiences in retail stores, yet online sales in these categories have...
Retailers and brands make a quick pivot in the pandemic
Talented executives from a variety of brands and retailers shared their own COVID-19 pandemic experiences at this week’s eTail Digital Summit, with examples o...
Pandemic stresses retail HR departments
Retail staffing has become its own version of a “Tale of Two Cities” in the age of COVID-19. Essential retailers are hiring like crazy, even as non-essentia...
What’s not to love about ThirdLove?
It’s a fact. Finding quality, comfortable, flattering and beautiful lingerie, jeans and swimsuits are women’s top apparel challenges, according to ThirdLove...
‘Be your brand’ and other lessons for succeeding in the phygital world
E-commerce and omnichannel executives came together at eTail West in Palm Springs this week with an update on digital strategies that are working in the marketp...
Will 2020 be the year retailers digitally transform their supply chain ops?
Satisfying customers is a tricky business. In 2019, retailers paid special attention to digitizing the shopping experience and removing friction in the selling ...
What is retail’s role in building a better society?
We see many examples of retail industry leaders taking definitive action to protect and serve public interests when other systems don't or can’t. These are co...
Nordstrom’s Local concept needs work
Nordstrom Local, a hub for online order pickups and returns, is heavy on services and helpful staff but low on inventory. Do you think service-oriented “showr...
Who owns customer service in an age of co-branding?
New initiatives — call them co-opetition, frenemy agreements or partnerships — are bringing together retailers, brands and online marketplaces. With so many...
Do retailers have an online reputation management problem?
Effectively managing online perception requires a systematic approach that supports brand strategy. How can brands and retailers manage word of mouth and online...
What does innovation mean to retailers and brands?
What does innovation mean for your brand? Here’s how brands are applying innovation in areas of their businesses to connect with customers, fulfill on-demand ...
For relevancy’s sake: a tale of two mall upgrades
Developers have a big stake in reinventing the shopping experience. Shopping center companies and mall operators around the world are upgrading properties to ap...
Do grocery stores have a customer engagement problem?
Consumers are making significantly fewer trips to grocery stores these days, now that they have other options ranging from alternative store formats to online s...
Lessons from Comic-Con – the world’s biggest pop-up store
Comic-Con International is an extravaganza that turns sleepy San Diego into the world’s pop culture capital, transforming downtown into a playground for atten...
Can retailers appeal to both ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ shoppers?
New research shows that 49 percent of shoppers go to a site intending to make a purchase. The remainder seeks a combination of entertainment, social engagement,...