Today on Total Retail

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Joe Keenan and Kristina Stidham discuss trends and insights from the 2025 National Retail Federation Big Show, held in New York City from Jan. 12-14. Keenan shares the key themes discussed during the event; the growing implementation of artificial intelligence in retail; concerns over potential new…

Retailers are under constant pressure to balance maintaining adequate stock levels with minimizing the financial burden of unsold inventory. This challenge has become even more critical in a fast-paced retail environment shaped by omnichannel demand and fluctuating customer preferences. To navigate this complexity, many retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Walgreens, are turning more to scan-based…

A union representing thousands of Costco employees voted to authorize a strike, paving the way for a work stoppage if the labor group and retailer do not reach an agreement, reports CNBC. Costco Teamsters, the union with 18,000 employees for the retailer nationwide, said 85 percent of members voted to approve the action. The current…

In November, REI reached out to 4,800 people with an email to let them know they would never be able to make another return due to past abuse. Other brands including Saks Fifth Avenue and Target have updated their policies to refuse returns and send items back if they suspect fraud or if a product…

As holiday campaigns dominated the social media landscape, retail businesses look forward to 2025 for cutting-edge strategies and approaches to stand out amongst competitors. E-commerce and retail businesses face increasing competition due to in-app shopping features and targeted retail ads across platforms such as Google, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, and Pinterest. We expect more…

The monetization of customer data is a significant trend in retail, but today’s shoppers are as tech-savvy as they are sensible and acutely aware of how their personal data is used. This poses a unique set of challenges and opportunities for retailers, as customers expect exceptional shopping experiences while remaining vigilant about their privacy. In…

While at the 2025 National Retail Federation Big Show, held in New York City from Jan. 12-14, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan sat down with Kelly Pedersen, partner and global retail lead at PwC. In this video interview, Pedersen shares his analysis of the key themes and trends that emerged during the 2024 holiday shopping…

Beyoncé offered some pointed advice for securing something you like: You shoulda put a ring on it. Security teams in the retail commerce sector should take note. If you aren’t putting a ringfence around critical applications, your sensitive data is at risk. Yet many organizations are still using outdated segmentation methods that are no match for…

Corie Barry has worked at Best Buy for 25 years, the last five-plus as its CEO. As you can imagine, she has witnessed a lot of change during that time, both within the organization as well as the larger retail industry. During the National Retail Federation's (NRF) Big Show in New York City last week,…

In episode 473 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kevin Tulip, president of Primark U.S., the international value retail chain. Listen in as Tulip provides insight into his 22-year career journey with Primark (1:05), the brand's history and mission (3:05), and its continued expansion into the U.S. market (4:55). He discusses the European…