Today on Total Retail

REI workers, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)/Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), held coordinated actions across eight states this past weekend in response to the retailer’s decision to unilaterally restructure jobs and working conditions in all of its stores. REI failed to meet its legal responsibility to negotiate with…

Shoppers are feeling the crunch. Analysts are anticipating just a minor bump in spending as we close out the year with interest rates and prices continuing to climb. Factor in the deluge of discounts and offers available to consumers — plus the expansion of omnichannel options for anytime, anywhere shopping — and winning wallet share…

In episode 39 of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Chelsie Hall, founder of ViralMoment, a startup AI social intelligence tool. Hall was the winner of the Startup Challenge at this year's Total Retail Tech event. Listen in as Hall provides an overview of ViralMoment (1:05), how brands can implement and access insights using the…

Today, more and more chief marketing officers (CMOs) are trying to navigate the change in customer relationship ownership from being sales owned to marketing owned. To stay ahead of the curve, modern CMOs must fully embrace data integration and analytics to deliver personalized experiences, optimize campaigns for maximum impact, and drive business growth. Furthermore, CMOs…

The shipping disruptions that proliferated during COVID-19 permanently altered the global supply chain landscape. These changes are continuing to transform the way manufacturing companies operate in today’s economy. In particular, more businesses have come to realize the benefits of producing goods in nearby countries, commonly known as nearshoring. For the first time in 2023, Mexico became…

Walmart is investing more than $9 billion over a two-year period to upgrade and modernize some U.S. stores with improved layouts, expanded product selections and new tech additions. On Friday, 117 stores in 30 states will be re-launched showcasing the enhancements, representing investments of more than $500 million, Walmart said in a statement. In total,…

Whether you call it Christmas, the holidays or simply time to re-watch "Home Alone," that time of the year is creeping up on us fast. ‘Tis (almost) the season for serious shopping — and retailers need to make sure their customers’ online experiences are merry and bright. However, as readers of this article well-know, the…

Emerging technologies, including the rapid development of artificial intelligence-driven tools, are driving some of the most creative campaigns in the marketing industry’s history. The options for personalizing content based on customer preferences, behaviors and buying history are evolving before our eyes. These tools are giving marketing teams the ability to enhance and grow loyalty programs…

How is this for a growth story? In October 2022, the shopping app Temu had 850,000 weekly active users in the U.S. A year later, it had 38 million. This eye-watering statistic says a lot about the buying habits of U.S. consumers in the post-COVID era. First, it reveals the insatiable desire of shoppers to…

Over the last few weeks, major retailers like Macy’s, Target, and Dick’s Sporting Goods have announced their seasonal hiring plans for the 2024 holiday season. In stark contrast to last year, which saw them struggling to hire enough workers to meet demand, many of them are hiring for about the same number of positions or…