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From bricks to clicks: Our top retail columns for 2017

It's been a rough ride for some brick-and-mortar retailers this year, but thanks to digital technologies, there's hope. Catch up on the hot topics that dominated this space in 2017.

Desiree Everts DeNunzio on December 18, 2017 at 10:00 am

‘Tis the busiest season for retailers — at least for those that weathered the storm of 2017.

News of retail failures dominated the headlines this year as brick-and-mortar behemoths like Toys “R” Us filed for bankruptcy, and scores of traditional retailers closed multiple locations. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to ring the death knell for retail — far from it.

Bringing a bit of cheer to retailers, the National Retail Federation predicted that holiday spending will rise between 3.6 and 4 percent this year. E-commerce continues to dominate, with online Black Friday sales hitting a robust $5.03 billion this year, but plenty of shoppers also flocked to stores to get a hands-on, in-person experience.

Our top retail column of 2017 from Allan Haims noted that trend, pointing out that brick-and-mortar retailers can get a step ahead of the competition by learning from their online brethren and using analytics and technology to provide a better shopping experience.

Of course, you can’t talk about e-commerce without mentioning Amazon in the same breath. From its $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods to its Prime Day and its sales bonanza on Cyber Monday, Amazon loomed large as an unstoppable force.

Our columnists took a look at how brands can thrive, or even just survive against, the online juggernaut. What’s the answer? “Customer experience” was a common refrain we heard among our columnists. Some of our most popular columns of the year focused on why brands should be putting the customer first and how to provide an experience that will get consumers to return.

For these insights and more, check out our top 10 retail columns of 2017:

Why brick-and-mortar retailers need to go digital with analytics by Allan Haims, published on 3/10/2017.
No longer brick-and-mortar vs. online retail: Customers view a ‘single lens’ by Allan Haims, published on 6/30/2017.
4 deceptive Google Analytics metrics that fool retail marketers by Stephen Murphy, published on 8/2/2017.
Influencers, in-store shopping and more: 5 affiliate marketing trends for 2017 by Adam Weiss, published on 1/20/2017.
Why your brand should obsess over its customers, not its competitors by Mike Sands, published on 8/22/2017.
Retail game-changers: Millennial and Gen Z shoppers are brick-and-mortar’s essential future by Davor Sutija, published on 10/25/2017.
5 ways to write better email subject lines this holiday season by Kyle Henderick, published on 9/22/2017.
A smarter approach to ‘back to school’ marketing by James Green, published on 5/15/2017.
Shopping centers reinvented: 2017 and beyond by Allan Haims, published on 1/24/2017.
Affiliate marketing strategies for success during the holidays by Adam Weiss, published on 9/29/2017.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Desiree Everts DeNunzio

Desiree Everts DeNunzio is Features Editor at Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. She has more than a decade of experience editing and writing for online and print publications in the technology and marketing industries. Previously, she was an editor for PBS Idea Lab, where she managed content from the entrepreneurs who are transforming digital media. She's also had stints at CNET, the world's biggest tech news site, Wired Magazine and GigaOm. When she's not at her keyboard, you can find her either glued to her Kindle or hiking the hills of West Marin.