Digital Innovation

How Whatnot is Driving the Growth of Live Commerce
April 13, 2026 at 5:30 pm

At Shoptalk in Las Vegas last month, Total Retail Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviewed Tom Verrilli, chief product officer at Whatnot, the largest livestream shopping platform in the U.S., UK, and Europe. They explore the rise of live commerce and the customer experience within the Whatnot platform that combines the ease of e-commerce with the personal…

David's Bridal Partners With Shopify for Agentic Commerce
April 13, 2026 at 5:17 pm

David's Bridal has launched Shopify's Agentic Storefronts across ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, further cementing its reputation as the leading artificial intelligence-powered marketplace, media network, and planning ecosystem for life's most meaningful celebrations. The move unlocks a new, high-growth commerce channel where products are discovered, recommended, and purchased through AI conversations. David's is among the first…

From Stockroom to Screen: How Real-Time Inventory Feeds Elevate In-Store Digital Signage
March 31, 2026 at 9:51 am

Imagine this: a shopper walks into a store, spots a sleek digital display promoting a popular item, and makes a beeline toward it, only to come away empty-handed because the item is sold out. It’s a small moment, but one that leaves a lasting impression. While retailers have invested heavily in digital signage to modernize…

Gap to Launch Checkout Within Google’s Gemini AI Platform
March 24, 2026 at 8:13 pm

Gap is partnering with Google's Gemini to allow shoppers to check out directly within the AI platform, making it the first major fashion company to work directly with the tech company to fuel agentic commerce, CNBC has learned exclusively. The partnership comes as an increasing number of shoppers move away from traditional search and toward artificial…

From Clicks to Conversations: How MCP Will Redefine the Future of Retail
February 17, 2026 at 2:27 pm

Online shoppers don’t wake up wishing for fewer clicks between them and checkout. They wish for ease, trust, and to feel understood. Until recently, the idea that a shopper could describe what they wanted in plain language, get curated options, and complete a purchase all inside a single artificial intelligence chat window felt like a…

SharkNinja CEO Mark Barrocas on Building Strong Consumer Advocacy
January 27, 2026 at 10:07 pm

At the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City earlier this month, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan spoke with Mark Barrocas, CEO of SharkNinja, a global product design and technology company known for its two $2 billion-plus brands, Shark ($2.6 billion) and Ninja ($2.9 billion). In the interview, Barrocas emphasizes SharkNinja's consumer obsession and shares…

Pacsun Uses Agentic Checkout for Seamless CX
January 20, 2026 at 5:47 pm

While at the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City last week, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviewed Shirley Gao, chief digital and information officer at Pacsun, a purpose-driven, leading specialty retailer, and Sharon Gee, head of AI at Commerce, an open, AI-driven commerce ecosystem and parent company of BigCommerce, Feedonomics, and Makeswift. They discuss…

Walmart Teams With Google's Gemini for AI-Assisted Shopping
January 12, 2026 at 3:26 pm

Walmart and Google announced on Sunday that consumers will soon be able to use Google’s artificial intelligence assistant Gemini to more easily discover and buy products from the retail giant and its warehouse club, Sam’s Club. Incoming Walmart CEO John Furner and Google CEO Sundar Pichai made the announcement on stage at the National Retail…

How Lowe’s is Reimagining the Digital Customer Journey
November 24, 2025 at 1:57 pm

In episode 495 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Joe Cano, senior vice president of digital commerce at Lowe's, a FORTUNE® 100 home improvement company. Cano details the company's approach to personalizing the digital shopping experience for both DIY homeowners and professional contractors (1:45). He explains how Lowe's uses real-time data and artificial…

Retail Media 2.0: From Silos to Scale
October 21, 2025 at 1:48 pm

The value of retailer first-party data has been undeniable since the launch of Tesco Clubcard with dunnhumby in 1995. That breakthrough proved purchase data could drive loyalty and monetization. Three decades later and retail media has blossomed into one of the fastest-growing and most fragmented parts of digital advertising. Opportunities are immense, but so are…