Trend Watch

How Returns Drag Down Sustainability Efforts (and what Retailers can do About it)

It’s becoming increasingly clear that returns have costs that go well beyond the financial. Each year in the U.S., 5 billion pounds…

How Adore Me is Driving Awareness Around Social Algorithm Bias

2020 could easily be considered a breakout year for social commerce. Consumers reported spending 45% more time on social media in Q4…

Cars, Wine, Trees — COVID-19 Proved Once and For All that You Can Sell Just About Anything Online

The COVID-induced ecommerce boom of 2020 saw online sales climb across almost all categories last year, including some unexpected ones. Propelled by…

Convenience Increasingly Trumping Cost on Online Shoppers’ Priority List

Offering items at a lower price than competitors was once an almost guaranteed method of increasing online conversion rates, but today’s consumers…

How the Rise of the Conscious Consumer is Fueling Resale’s Rapid Growth

Not too long ago, the sale of secondhand goods was driven primarily by value: shoppers looking to avoid breaking the bank on…

Post-COVID Consumer Priorities: Personal Budgets, Brands’ Social Responsibility

As the world emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, consumers plan to fundamentally change how they spend money and live their lives. According…

How Amazon’s ‘Trench Warfare’ Against Unions Could Damage its Consumer Confidence

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional information about Amazon. An Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Ala. has become the…

Why Investors are Racing to Buy Up Amazon’s Hottest Third-Party Sellers

There’s a modern-day gold rush on, except instead of the hills and creek beds of the American West, the landscape of this…

‘A Reckoning for the Advertising Industry’: The Death of Third-Party Tracking Opens New Opportunities for Retailers

A new era of advertising is taking shape. Driven by growing consumer concern over how their personal data is being collected and…

4 Ways COVID-19 Gave Beauty Brands a Makeover

U.S. beauty spending took a hit across all categories in 2020, with makeup dropping 36%, skincare falling 13% and fragrance falling 21%,…

What Motivates Customers to Contribute UGC? Exclusivity, Sampling and Community

Brands know that user-generated content (UGC) — ratings, reviews, and consumers submitting video, imagery and Q&A content — are effective tools for…

3 Ways Livestreaming is Shaking Up the Retail Marketing Playbook

As retailers shift more of their attention and dollars to digital content and community-building activities, livestreaming has moved into the spotlight. Its…

ERP vs. PLM: A Step-by-Step Guide to Spot the Right Investment for You

Payments Tech Guide: How to Keep Up with Demand for Convenience, Contactless and BNPL

Transforming Retail: Navigating the Next Era of Store Design & Experience

In-Store Convenience Sales Rose 1.5% in 2020

Easing Shopper Uncertainty & Reinforcing Brand Value with Video-Powered Experiences

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NRF Retail Converge 2021

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retailX 2021

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