AI Can Cost Retailers More Than the Job It Replaces
Specialty retail and supply chain leaders are being told that Agentic AI adoption is a straightforward cost-saving decision. But the financial case for AI can be harder to establish than the technology itself, especially for independent retailers running lean teams and tight margins.
A 3-Step Check Before Increasing E-commerce Ad Spend
More traffic feels like the obvious answer when e-commerce sales are soft. For independent retailers, however, increasing ad spend before identifying the real bottleneck can turn a sales problem into a margin problem.
How Retailers Can Test E-commerce Concepts Without Overspending
Launching an e-commerce website can get expensive pretty quickly. Rather than just throwing all of your products onto the site all at once, this article offers a step-by-step guide to helping small businesses get started with e-commerce without overspending.
Is Your E-Commerce Packaging Working Hard Enough?
For online retailers, the package that lands on a customer’s doorstep may be the only representation of the store they encounter. This article offers some tips for elevating your brand's packaging.
6 Easy Tips to Evaluate Your Website
When was the last time you evaluated your website? Think of your website as an employee, and then evaluate it to those same standards. This article offers six helpful tips for evaluating your website to make sure everything is running efficiently.
What Your POS System Is Trying to Tell You
A POS system should not just record what happened yesterday. It should help you decide what to do tomorrow. This article talks about all the different ways POS systems can help boost business and marketing goals.
Why Backup Connectivity Matters More Than Ever
In today’s always-on environment, connectivity is no longer a convenience. It is a dependency. Modern connectivity depends on a layered system of infrastructure, including carrier networks, backhaul systems, maintenance cycles, environmental conditions and localized congestion.
Content Marketing for Retailers Who Don’t Want to Be Influencers
The modern definition of content marketing has been hijacked by trends that reward spectacle over substance. But for most retailers, especially independent and community-based businesses, the goal of content is not entertainment. Content should help customers make better decisions, feel more confident and understand why your business is worth trusting.
2026 Will Decide the Future of AI in Beverage Alcohol Logistics
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been part of the beverage alcohol logistics conversation for years. Predictive analytics, demand forecasting and route optimization tools are no longer novel concepts; they are increasingly expected capabilities across beer, wine and spirits distribution.
Staying Competitive in the AI Era: A Small Retailer’s Survival Guide
Small retailers face many challenges as the market grows and technology advances, including rising costs and improved competition. AI tools can make it easier for retailers to compete in the new business market by allowing them to use the same resources as industry giants. AI enhances the customer experience while making a small retailer's operations smarter and more efficient.
House Bill to Help Small Businesses Adopt AI Technologies
In late January, the House passed a bill that would direct the SBA to provide education and support to small businesses to help them adopt AI technologies. Put together by Congressman Troy Downing (MT-02) H.R. 5784, the AI-WISE Act received overwhelming bipartisan support.
Why Low-Code Is the Future of Operational Agility in e-commerce
This tension between stability and agility is one of the defining struggles of business modernization. Companies want to innovate quickly, but they can’t afford to disrupt the core systems that manage their inventory, supply chains and transactions. So how can these businesses move forward? The solution can be found in low-code development.
Email Marketing That Works for Independent Retailers
For independent retailers especially, email marketing offers a direct, reliable way to communicate with customers and keep the store top of mind. Unlike social media, where algorithms control visibility, your email list is an asset you own.
New American Express Small Business Study Reveals Accelerating AI Adoption
American Express released its latest Amex Trendex: Small Business Edition, which revealed that small businesses are accelerating Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, with 66% now using AI. This is a 10 point increase from the May 2025 Trendex.
How AI is Transforming Small Businesses
Big-box retailers have long leveraged technology to streamline operations, engage customers and drive sales. Today, many smaller, independent retailers – like jewelers and pet store owners – are following suit as technology, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), is hitting Main Street.
How Mobile POS Is Reshaping the Retail Checkout Experience
Mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) technology is turning a long-standing pain point into a competitive advantage. By putting the entire POS system onto a mobile device, retailers can meet customers where they are and complete transactions anywhere on the sales floor.
New Survey Finds Gap in Offline-to-Online Customer Engagement
AI-powered platform Brij released a new report, The AI Fluency Gap: The Hidden Retail Opportunity in Offline-to-Online Engagement, revealing a widening disconnect between retailers’ AI ambitions and their ability to unify and activate customer signals across channels.
2025 E-commerce Study Found Shoppers Prioritize Cost Savings
Ryder System, Inc. published its 11th annual benchmark study on U.S. shopping behaviors, preferences and expectations, with a special section on holiday shopping. Ryder E-commerce Consumer Study: How U.S. Consumers Are Shopping in 2025 offers insights to help brands and retailers optimize omnichannel sales and supply chain strategies amid economic uncertainty.
Crafting the Future of Retail: Building Digital Shopping Experiences
Retailers constantly face change when it comes to consumer shopping preferences. Digital shopping experiences, in particular, are now the preferred method for many consumers worldwide. This article offers a variety of tips and strategies for creating an inviting digital shopping experience for customers.
The Evolution of Search: What It Means for Retailers in 2025
The way consumers find and research products online is fundamentally changing, evolving into a complex, multi-platform process influenced by social media, artificial intelligence (AI) and new search technologies. This shift is reshaping consumer behavior and forcing brands to re-evaluate their digital strategies.
