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Consumers are increasingly skeptical. Name brands can no longer assume customer loyalty based on reputation alone. Today’s consumer doesn’t hesitate to study the reviews and experiences of others to determine the highest quality products at the best price — brand name or not. While some popular review sites (think Amazon.com) are no longer assumed to…

The shopping experience has always been a social activity. From the agoras of ancient Greece to the 1980s mega malls, people have rarely shopped alone. However, in recent times, the surge in e-commerce has altered the landscape, making the process of purchasing concert tickets, fashion, and travel less social. It can be cumbersome to reach…

At the Total Retail Tech conference earlier this month in Denver, generative artificial intelligence was a theme of ongoing conversation. From keynote presentations and panel discussions on stage to peer group sessions and one-to-one meetings off stage, attendees were buzzing about generative AI and its current and future impact on their work and the organizations…

Imposter scams were the most common type of fraud reported to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2022. Consumers lost $660 million in the U.S. alone to business impersonation scams that year. Brand impersonators and counterfeits have always been a problem for retailers, but technology is making it easy for organized imposters to run scams…

Artificial intelligence is no stranger to the retail industry. Amazon.com was an early adopter of AI, leveraging it more than two decades ago to provide online shoppers with fairly rudimentary product recommendations. The use of AI in retail has advanced substantially since then and is now an important staple for brands’ e-commerce technology stacks, driving…

E-commerce giant Shopify is now a stakeholder in the wholesale platform Faire, the companies announced Wednesday. The deal establishes Faire as the recommended wholesale marketplace for Shopify and expands Shopify’s B2B offerings, helping drive growth for the brands as well as the independent retailers the two companies serve. “At Faire we have long admired Shopify’s like-minded…

For several years now, retailers have been deploying creative digital marketing tactics and transforming how consumers engage with them online. But what if they’ve been doing it all backward? A recent digital experience benchmark report found 85 percent of consumers are unhappy with their online shopping experience, so there’s room for improvement. Companies looking to…

A frictionless checkout experience and a need for data security and portability are crucial concerns for retailers and consumers alike. On one side, consumers demand payment optionality at checkout, while on the other, retailers strive to meet that challenge by utilizing various payment service providers (PSPs) and payment methods. It’s no wonder then that at…

Consumers, retailers and intellectual property (IP) owners are likely to benefit from the INFORM Consumers Act. The sale of counterfeit and pirated goods totaled $509 billion globally in 2016, according to an OECD report. Traditionally, individuals sold such goods at flea markets and on street corners. Today they reach a much wider audience through online…

Rising inflation and changing marketplace trends are among the key concerns of retailers around the U.S., as shoppers not only display unprecedented behaviors but also watch every dollar they spend. This makes it even more difficult for businesses in this space to create compelling marketing campaigns that drive conversions and increase loyalty Shopper Behavior in…

Counterfeiting is a pressing concern for businesses globally, transcending all sectors and demographics. It affects the brick-and-mortar, catalog, and e-commerce sectors and undermines customer retention, service, management, merchandising, mobile, and omnichannel integration. It encompasses everything from fake consumer goods to fraudulent copies of digital products. This rising tide of counterfeiting is fueled by an intricate…

Loyalty is big business. In the U.S., research has shown that there are over 3.3 billion loyalty memberships. Programs span across almost all markets, from supermarkets and restaurants to beauty and hospitality. For organizations, a loyalty program that resonates with consumers can set them apart from competitors. Last year, for example, Starbucks told investors that…

Physical and digital retail have largely remained separate, with purchases made either offline or online. But consumer behaviors are changing; we scan QR codes in physical stores to make payments or learn more about a certain product; we use mobile apps to redeem offline discounts on our frequent purchases. And now, brands are increasingly embracing…

In the past few years, browser extensions have transformed the online shopping experience. These online shopping aids offer great value and convenience, allowing savvy consumers to find the best bargains, block ads, and rapidly access product information. Despite their growing popularity, some browser extensions are still met with lukewarm responses from e-commerce professionals, who fear…

Delivering a seamless customer experience across multiple channels requires an e-commerce solution with omnichannel capabilities to ensure a consistent brand experience across all channels. Whether customers are interacting with your business through a website, mobile app, social media or physical store, this consistency builds trust, strengthens brand loyalty, and reinforces the brand image. In addition…

There has been much talk of late around artificial intelligence and its growing applications across many use cases in business. In the retail sector, AI is being leveraged in a variety of ways, from demand forecasting to automated inventory management to pricing decisions to optimizing product placement. Another way, perhaps not often considered, is the…

In today’s highly competitive retail market, customer loyalty is often a pivotal driver of business success. So much so that studies have shown that increasing customer retention rates by just 5 percent can boost profits up to 95 percent. However, gone are the days of one-size-fits-all loyalty programs that offer the same rewards and incentives…

For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), assimilating artificial intelligence (AI) into their everyday operations seems overwhelming, which creates hesitancy to its widespread adoption. A combined study by Deloitte and Stanford University discovered that 25 percent of smaller businesses currently use AI in chatbots, predictive analytics, and marketing automation. In comparison, there's a 40 percent adoption…

TikTok has officially brought e-commerce to the U.S. with the launch of its TikTok Shop. The social media company, which is in direct competition with Meta's social media channels Instagram and Facebook, announced the U.S. debut of TikTok Shop on Tuesday. The app now features shoppable videos and livestreams directly to For You feeds across…

Today’s consumers are more demanding, less loyal and more distracted than ever before. Retailers face new, complex challenges as they attempt to connect to new customers, provide a more seamless shopping experience, and improve their overall profitability. Consider the following: 82 percent of global consumers regularly use multiple digital touchpoints during their buying journey; and…