UK-based urban streetwear brand SikSilk saw a 25% increase in ecommerce purchases from on-site search and a 36% drop in site exits from its search pages after implementing AI-powered site search technology. The retailer partnered with solution provider Nosto to help it keep the products that appear in search results in line with inventory levels,…
The Home Depot has named Melanie Babcock to the new position of VP, Retail Media+ and Monetization, responsible for providing improved supplier experiences while driving new sources of ad revenue, profitability and sales. Launched in 2019, the Retail Media+ organization offers suppliers managed service and self-service media buying opportunities on both physical and digital retailer-owned…
Amazon has reportedly instituted a new fee for certain returns at UPS stores as the ecommerce giant aims to reduce the impact of return costs, according to Seeking Alpha. The charge only occurs if return options at Whole Foods, Kohl’s or Amazon Fresh locations are closer, or just as far as, the nearest UPS store…
Walmart will close four Chicago stores on April 16, noting in an unsigned announcement that the “difficult decision” stems from a lack of profitability for the retailer in the city. The stores’ pharmacies will remain open for up to 30 additional days to serve patients. “We know the community will have questions about why we…
As a result of changing consumer behaviors and spending patterns, many retailers are focused on right-sizing their store footprints, especially in shopping malls. In fact, results from Retail TouchPoints’ latest Store Design & Experience Survey revealed that 58% of respondents plan to remodel and/or renovate a minimum of 11% of their store footprint through 2024….
Ikea U.S. is expanding its existing slate of design tools and services with the debut of an Interior Design Service, offering consumers and businesses the chance to connect virtually with an interior design expert to help develop any space. Ikea has long offered expert support for the kitchen design process, but this new offering covers…
Walmart has filed a lawsuit seeking to end its credit card contract with Capital One Financial, alleging that the payment company failed to live up to certain terms of the agreement. Walmart has accused Capital One of falling short on customer care practices, including delivering replacement cards to customers within five days and promptly posting…
Sleep Country Canada Holdings will purchase the Canadian assets of Casper Sleep for $20.6 million (USD). Toronto-based Sleep Country operates 290 corporate-owned stores and 20 warehouses across Canada as well as ecommerce operations. “We are very excited to acquire 100% of Casper’s Canadian retail business, who invested over $1 billion globally to build a leading…
Editor’s note: This is the fifth and final article in our series on AI in retail (though we’ll continue to cover the tech and its impact on an ongoing basis). Check out our previous coverage of the consumer attitudes toward AI, store design applications, customer-facing applications and AI’s operational impact. Soon, we journalists are going to need…
