BLOG POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR
July 2022
July 29
Five retailers ready for this year’s holiday shoppers
With consumers poised to shift their holiday buying patterns, retailers need to be proactive, not reactive, in their response.
July 22
Don’t filter email out of your marketing strategy
A complete retail marketing program should include a healthy email component.
July 15
What Prime Day 2022 tells us about the state of e-commerce
Another Prime Day is in the rearview mirror, and a look back provides guidance on where e-commerce is heading.
July 08
Retailers see clear benefits from cloud integration
A variety of retailers are cloud-enabling different enterprise functions to promote efficiency and flexibility.
July 01
Walmart, H&M, Dragonfly Kitchen ‘race with the machines’
Retailers are discovering that technology and humans work best when they work together.
ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
Aug 2022
Aug 08
The Body Shop builds on same-day delivery offering
The Body Shop is expanding on a pilot with a well-known online delivery platform.
Aug 08
Walmart acquires merchandising technology provider
Walmart is investing in its ability to anticipate customer demand.
Aug 08
Study: Buy now, pay later poised for substantial global growth
New data suggests that several factors will help drive usage of buy now, pay later (BNPL) flexible installment payments in the next five years.
Aug 08
Amazon expands cashierless grocery format in California
Amazon is reaching a major milestone in the development of its Amazon Fresh high-tech grocery store concept.
Aug 04
Exclusive Q&A: Berkeley Research Group looks at BTS trends
Retailers must adapt to a unique set of supply chain, technology and consumer demand circumstances for the 2022 back-to-school season.
July 2022
July 29
Exclusive Q&A: Walmart combines human, AI insight for Spanish search
Walmart is utilizing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capability and employee expertise to streamline digital product discovery for Spanish-speaking customers.
July 29
Pottery Barn Kids ensures back-to-school gear fits correctly
Pottery Barn Kids is offering omichannel resources and tools to help customers purchase backpacks and other back-to-school items that fit their child.
July 29
Survey: Consumers have metaverse expectations
The metaverse holds potential as a consumer engagement tool, but retailers must provide the experience customers want.
July 29
UFC offers print-on-demand products via Amazon
A leading global mixed martial arts organization is collaborating with the Amazon Merch on Demand service.
July 29
Stern Partners unifies banners on single e-commerce architecture
A Canadian retail conglomerate is creating one multi-cloud e-commerce ecosystem for its seven retail brands.
July 28
Survey: Inflation impacting back-to-school shoppers
A new survey indicates that as most parents prepare for in-person schooling, they are altering their back-to-school shopping behavior.
July 28
Giant Eagle expanding food waste diversion program
Giant Eagle Inc. is offering reduced prices on soon-to-expire food at a growing number of stores.
July 27
Dick’s Sporting Goods goes back to school – on Roblox
Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. is partnering with a popular digital gaming platform for its new back-to-school promotion.
July 27
Dollar General to build three new distribution centers
Dollar General Corp. is supporting its fresh product and private fleet expansion with new supply chain infrastructure.
July 27
Giant Food to offer reusable packaging option
Giant Food will provide durable, reusable containers at select stores in the Washington, D.C. metro area starting in fall 2022.
July 27
Exclusive Q&A: CitrusAd unifies grocery shopper data
A new digital platform enables multiple grocery retailers to open their customer bases to targeted CPG ads.
July 27
Gap focuses on inclusivity in omnichannel fall campaign
Gap is featuring a wide range of real kids of all abilities and talents in a wide-ranging promotion for its fall kids’ collection.
July 26
Chipotle promotes digital currency with gamified campaign
Chipotle Mexican Grill is accepting digital currency, including cryptocurrency, and is letting customers know in a playful way.
July 26
Prime Day update: Discounting produces record results
Continuing analysis of Prime Day 2022 indicates inflation-weary consumers were receptive to heavy price slashing.
July 26
David’s Bridal launches shoppable TikTok campaign
The nation’s largest bridal retailer continues to expand its omnichannel capabilities with commerce-driven content on TikTok.
July 25
The state with the most data breaches is…
New data indicates where, and how, criminals are successfully committing online fraud.
July 25
Stater Bros. unifies store operations at POS
The largest privately-owned supermarket chain in Southern California is reducing the complexity of its store technology infrastructure.
July 25
What do drive-thru customers want?
A new consumer survey indicates ways retailers can make the drive-thru experience more satisfying for customers.
July 25
Rite Aid works toward ‘four pillars’ of ESG
Rite Aid Corp. is reducing energy usage while increasing supply chain transparency and workplace diversity.
July 25
Amazon rolls out new digital wallet – for sellers
Third-party sellers on Amazon are gaining more control over management of their own funds.
July 22
Amazon upgrades success metric for selling partners
Amazon is making it easier for third-party sellers on its site to track their account performance.
July 22
Exclusive: Festival Foods automates temperature monitoring with IoT
A Wisconsin-based regional grocer is ensuring food safety and minimizing shrink with Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
July 22
Kohl’s enhances retail media network
Kohl’s Corp. is developing new features to help advertising partners target its customers.
July 21
Amazon makes $3.9 billion healthcare move — third biggest acquisition to date
Amazon has made another big move into health care.
July 21
Amazon shifts to full-scale deliveries with electric vans
Amazon intends to be making deliveries with custom electric vehicles in more than 100 U.S. cities by the end of 2022.
July 21
Amazon brings cashierless grocery format to New Jersey
The two newest Amazon Fresh high-tech grocery stores are located in a new state and the state where the format began.
July 21
Uber expands grocery delivery offerings for customers, retailers
Uber is rolling out a range of new features designed to strengthen its position in the online grocery delivery space.
July 21
Walmart integrates Walmart Connect with automation platform
CPG brands participating in Walmart’s retail media network have a new artificial intelligence option for automating and optimizing ad management.
July 21
Chipotle invests in kitchen automation, plant-based meat alternative
Chipotle Mexican Grill is making the first two investments from its new Cultivate Next venture fund.
July 20
Rebag expands into two new product categories
A leading luxury resale retailer is diversifying its assortment.
July 20
Exclusive Q&A: Lovesac explains strong e-commerce performance
Modular furniture retailer The Lovesac Company is putting a spotlight on the customer experience and supply chain to ensure success.
July 20
CitrusAd connecting CPG brands to shoppers across multiple grocers
A new digital platform provides a single source for first-party data from grocery retailers nationwide.
July 20
Amazon offers embedded Alexa shopping experiences
The new Alexa Shopping Kit enables customers to discover, research, and purchase relevant products available on Amazon via voice.
July 20
Tennessee Titans home field makes frictionless shopping play
Nissan Stadium is opening several checkout-free stores in time for the 2022 football preseason.
July 20
Collectors competes with eBay’s secure trading card facility
Trading card collectors have a new option for securely storing, buying and selling merchandise.
July 19
Exclusive: Michaels improves personalization via email program
A leading North American specialty arts & crafts retailer is successfully reactivating customer email addresses for marketing purposes.
July 19
Rite Aid provides access to COVID-19 molecular testing
Rite Aid Corp. is entering a new partnership to offer COVID-19 molecular tests at stores across the country.
July 19
Amazon files suit against alleged Facebook fraudsters
Amazon is taking legal action in response to what it says is a major effort to place fake reviews on its site.
July 19
J.Crew streamlines product development
J.Crew Group is easing the process of engaging consumers about in-development products.
July 19
Shopify partners with YouTube for video-based shopping
Retailers on the Shopify platform have a major new digital channel to sell their products.
July 18
Walmart to officially launch expanded drone delivery program
A new era in Walmart’s last-mile delivery operations begins this week.
July 18
Survey reveals perils of poor delivery experience
Online shoppers are not forgiving when it comes to quality of delivery.
July 18
Marks & Spencer bases omnichannel experience on POS platform
A British retail giant will offer new omnichannel shopping services based on its in-store POS platform.
July 18
Exclusive: Bestseller offers bilingual virtual assistance
A global specialty apparel/accessories retailer is using artificial intelligence to automate Canadian customer service interactions in English and French.
July 18
DoorDash partners with Walgreens in summer membership promotion
DoorDash Inc. is running a five-week campaign to promote its DashPass subscription program.
July 15
Consumers change online shopping behavior
A new survey reveals that consumers have shifted their approach to e-commerce quite a bit in the past year.
July 15
Amazon to bring drone delivery to Texas
Amazon drone delivery is taking off in at least two locations in 2022.
July 15
Gen Z and millennials have more complex path to purchase
Retailers targeting customers under 40 need to offer a robust omnichannel experience.
July 15
Prime Day may signal return of online discounts
New analysis indicates Amazon Prime Day produced mixed results for retailers, but bodes well for consumers.
July 14
Amazon debuts cashierless grocery store format in New York
Amazon is opening two more Amazon Fresh high-tech grocery stores, including the first location in New York.
July 14
Saks: Higher-income shoppers continue to spend; spending focus shifts
Higher-income or “luxury” shoppers are still willing to spend money and are widening the product categories they shop.
July 14
Walmart targets book lovers with latest livestream offering
Walmart is connecting customers directly with authors as part of its newest livestream shopping effort.
July 14
Prime Day 2022 breaks records with $11.9 billion in sales
Early results from the 2022 edition of Amazon Prime Day indicate that consumers were spending more on a larger number of products than ever before.
July 14
Kroger expands online delivery in Tennessee and Illinois
The Kroger Co. is opening two new fulfillment facilities to support fast online delivery.
July 13
Texas A&M leverages Amazon technology for frictionless stores
Texas A&M University football fans will be able to skip the checkout when they’re purchasing concessions this fall.
July 13
99 Cents Only Stores provides mobile shopping, targeted ads in stores
99 Cents Only Stores is connecting users of its new mobile app to experiences inside its stores, as well as to personalized digital ads.
July 13
Average Prime Day orders up 18% from last year
As Prime Day approaches its final hours, a clearer picture of its performance emerges.
July 13
Kroger goes national with paid, two-tier loyalty program
The Kroger Co. is moving a paid subscription pilot into full rollout across the country.
July 13
Etsy adds features to new seller app
Etsy Inc. is crafting a new and improved mobile app designed to ease the process of selling items on its platform.
July 13
Walmart expands online Spanish search capability
Walmart is making digital product discovery easier for Spanish-speaking customers.
July 13
Walmart expands e-commerce fulfillment infrastructure
Walmart is opening a new fulfillment center dedicated to e-commerce and third-party marketplace orders.
July 12
GetGo equips coolers with digital ‘smart screens’
Customers at GetGo Café + Market no longer have to open the refrigerator to see what’s inside.
July 12
Starbucks and Amazon team up again for frictionless store concept
Starbucks and Amazon are expanding their store concept that lets customers bypass the checkout when they pay for orders.
July 12
Sephora turns to cloud-based seamless commerce
Sephora is freshening up its omnichannel shopping offering with a new cloud platform.
July 12
Amazon rolls out revamped smart shopping cart
Two years after its debut, the Amazon Dash Cart is getting a reboot.
July 12
Online prices continue slow growth trend
Online inflation increased for the 25th straight month in June, but is trending in a positive direction.
July 12
Inflation affects first day of Prime Day
New data reveals how early Prime Day spending results in 2022 compare to 2021 results.
July 12
GameStop makes it a go with new NFT marketplace
GameStop is the newest retail player in the burgeoning NFT space.
July 12
Grocery inflation sets new record in June
Soaring grocery prices are having an impact on consumer optimism.
July 11
Elon Musk backs out of $44 billion Twitter deal
Twitter says it will go to court after the world’s wealthiest person announced he is terminating a planned $44 billion acquisition.
July 11
Walmart upgrades Mexico digital payment app
Walmart is expanding the app-based services it offers unbanked consumers in Mexico.
July 11
What factors will influence Prime Day purchase decisions?
A new survey provides insight into what products consumers plan to buy during the 2022 edition of Amazon Prime Day – and why they’ll buy them.
July 11
Survey: Supply chain disruption to continue; here’s the impact and actions taken
With fuel costs pressure and other threats looming, a return to a “normal” supply chain is not expected in the near future.
July 11
Pinterest adds four new e-commerce features
Pinterest Inc. is not standing still in its efforts to become an e-commerce platform.
July 08
Instacart introduces new shopper rewards program
Instacart is rolling out tailored incentives for its delivery personnel.
July 08
Exclusive Q&A: U.S. Polo Assn. thrives digitally despite crises
The official brand of the United States Polo Association is jockeying for e-commerce success despite COVID-19 and global supply chain disruption.
July 08
CVS offers rewards members digital features, summer deals and gifts
CVS is bolstering the perks of being an ExtraCare rewards member.
July 08
Amazon opens latest cashierless grocery store
Northern Virginia now has five high-tech Amazon Fresh grocery stores.
July 08
Walmart won’t directly challenge Prime Day
Walmart is apparently passing on countering Amazon’s Prime Day sales extravaganza this year.
July 07
Study: Here’s how retailers are responding to changing employee needs
Retailers are adapting to the changing needs of the modern workforce in different ways— and some more than others.
July 06
Amazon takes stake in Grubhub, offers free Prime food delivery
U.S. Prime members are gaining a new perk while Grubhub is obtaining a competitive advantage against DoorDash and Uber Eats.
July 06
Kirkland’s launches in-home delivery service
Kirkland's Inc. is now providing last-mile delivery and light assembly to customers.
July 06
Walmart combines in-home delivery with paid membership
Members of the Walmart+ loyalty program now have a new delivery option.
July 06
Report: Walmart to add fuel, transportation surcharges for suppliers
Walmart will reportedly be sharing the cost of supply chain inflation with some of its partners.
July 06
Target begins big back-to-school sales push — with emphasis on savings
It’s only the beginning of July, but Target Corp. is already out of the gate with its back-to-school offerings.
July 05
Survey reveals impact of video on e-commerce
Retailers can gain a number of different benefits by integrating video content into their e-commerce efforts.
July 05
Survey: Online grocery shoppers have unique habits
A new survey reveals differences in the shopping behaviors of online and in-store grocery customers.
July 05
What do consumers want from metaverse commerce?
A new survey reveals generational differences in how consumers view the metaverse as a retail channel.
July 05
CSA Exclusive: Crocs opens metaverse store with Saweetie
Crocs’ latest immersive virtual shopping experience involves a partnership with a popular rap star.
July 01
Who will shop Amazon Prime Day?
New data provides insight into likely customer behavior patterns for the upcoming Amazon Prime Day sales extravaganza.
July 01
L’Occitane creates ‘fear of missing out’ in promotional emails
A global beauty and skincare products retailer drove digital Black Friday sales by integrating customer polling data into targeted emails.