Retail is in a state of flux.
By 2023, global retail sales are projected to reach $30 trillion. Of which, digital retail sales are expected to account for 22%, up from 14.1% in 2019. While eCommerce continues to grow, physical stores will remain a significant revenue channel.
As retailers compete for shoppers, a way to keep one step ahead is staying up to date with the latest retail insights, trends, and strategies.
Here are seven credible, must-read retail and eCommerce blogs to help brands find out which goals and strategies can best deliver competitive customer experiences.
1. NRF
The National Retail Federation (NRF) is the world’s largest retail trade association. Established in 1911, the NRF has seen brands and trends come and go. Today, it serves as the go-to source for everything retail—from research and policies to news and technologies.
This is one of the most comprehensive eCommerce blogs, covering a wide range of topics including consumer trends, small businesses, careers and leadership, connected commerce, startup spotlight, and customer experience. In addition, NRF has an equally insightful must-listen podcast. One of the recent episodes tackles the impact of social values on consumer behavior.
2. Practical eCommerce
For eCommerce merchants, the internet is full of guides on how to run a successful online store. But who should you trust? Practical eCommerce publishes articles, commentaries, webinars, and podcasts to help online merchants. eCommerce practitioners from diverse industries manage the blog, providing well-rounded points of view.
Practical eCommerce writes about trends, insights, and advice relevant to online commerce including shipping & fulfillment, seasonal marketing, finance, data analytics, and more. Here’s an in-depth post about possible repercussions of Facebook Shops.
3. Sumo
Sumo is a provider of tools that automate website growth. Brands of any size can benefit from the Sumo blog as it contains extensive content on marketing and growth strategies. Topics include email, content, and social media marketing.
The best part though? Sumo publishes its growth and data studies based on how customers use their tools. Data-driven insights and client case studies are a great resource for planning and evaluating potential retail technology investments. Check out this comprehensive analysis of Shopify’s revenue growth.
4. Retail Dive
Retail Dive is a publication by Industry Dive that is read by 10+ million including decision-makers in various competitive industries. What sets Retail Dive’s content apart is the depth of analysis of each published article, opinion piece, and news story has.
Covering trends shaping retail, Retail Dive’s newsletter, blog, and podcast topics include brick-and-mortar, retail technology, omnichannel, store operations, corporate news, mobile, and more. Here’s an opinion piece about bringing consumers back to brick-and-mortar stores.
5. A Better Lemonade Stand
A Better Lemonade Stand is a resource and community that helps online businesses grow and succeed. The blog caters mostly to entrepreneurs. But enterprises can benefit from the in-depth insights, guides, and tactical advice written from and for an entrepreneurial mindset.
The blog’s most interesting feature is how it structures its content. Instead of the typical categories, readers can filter the posts by phase i.e. Build, Launch, and Grow. This makes it easy for entrepreneurs to discover content based on their current eCommerce journey. One of the recent guides is about SMS marketing.
6. RetailWire
RetailWire is a free resource for the latest retail news, educational guides, and thought leadership articles. It publishes content on shopper behavior, social marketing, experiential retail, and more.
What makes RetailWire unique is its online discussion forum. Industry experts, aptly called “RetailWire’s BrainTrust panel,” comment on timely topics, resulting in virtual round tables of opinion and advice. See the discussion participants on this topic, “Is consumer arrogance driving word-of-mouth recommendations?”
7. Bain & Company
Bain & Company is a global consultancy that provides advice to public, private, and non-profit organizations. Working across 59 offices in 37 countries, the company blog is an extensive resource covering different industries and economies.
Of course, there’s a section dedicated to retail insights. Brain & Company publishes consumer trends to help retailers create lasting profitability. For instance, here’s a chart showing the future of retail in Asia-Pacific.
Bonus: Retail Design Blog
Customer experience is the battleground in retail today. And brick-and-mortar stores are reinventing the in-store experience. This is not only to encourage visits but also, to provide a consistent, omnichannel shopping journey.
Retail designers and visual merchandisers can get inspiration from the Retail Design Blog. It features innovative and beautiful retail spaces, packaging, and branding. Look at Thom Browne’s sophisticated and modern store in L.A., designed by ASA studio albanese.
Stay in the know about the fast-changing retail and eCommerce landscape. Bookmark these eCommerce blogs today.