January often means the longest lines in the retail store are for returns. And, maybe ironically, those returns are regularly processed at the Customer Service desk. That right there — that’s an annual challenge. Consumers entering a store to make a return or exchange are already feeling inconvenienced. They bought or received an item they can’t use, and they’re at the store to resolve that problem.

With growing eCommerce channels and increased online shopping behavior, omnichannel retailers are grappling with the increased complexity brought on, in part, by current events, but more so the anticipated need to combine online and in-store merchandising, especially for the “new normal.” Siloed decisions around allocation, promotions, in-season pricing, inventory transfers, and fulfillment will fail to deliver the expected margin performance unless they address the interconnectedness of onlin

For retailers and ecommerce store owners, your bottom line is always affected whenever your service is down, due to today's consumers expecting their digital interactions to operate around the clock. This is particularly crucial during spikes in traffic due to sales, like Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

While it makes for bleak reading, the frenzy of sales and online shopping activity surrounding Black Friday, means this pre-holiday season is a key period for cybercriminals. And each year we see an increase in cyberattacks during what should be a feel-good time. With more consumers expected to be shopping online this year, the opportunity for fraudulent behaviour is rife. But that doesn’t mean we have to surrender to the risks of poor website security.

Survey results reveal online shopping is set to soar over the holiday season and retailers must ensure their applications are ready. Research published today by Cisco AppDynamics reveals that consumers around the world are planning to do more of their holiday season shopping online than ever before this year. On average, consumers expect that 59% of their spending on key shopping dates such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be online this year versus in-store, compared to 53% last year.

Wondering what's the big deal with Black Friday? And why does every business on earth seem to be obsessed with the quasi-holiday? Or are you just looking for great deals? Black Friday has become a sort of global cultural institution. Everyone knows about it, some look forward to it, and a few go crazy for the big day. It may be hard to believe, but Black Friday hasn't always been a thing, and it's actually a relatively recent development.