Joe Keenan

Philadelphia

Editor-in-Chief at Total Retail

Editor-in-Chief at NAPCO Media

Host at Total Retail Talks

Editor-in-Chief at Women in Retail Leadership Circle

Editor-in-Chief at Retail Tech Insights

Articles

At Home Files for Bankruptcy

1 week ago | mytotalretail.com | Joe Keenan

Total Retail's Take: The home goods industry in which At Home operates in has been negatively impacted by a pullback in discretionary spending by American consumers. Consider the plights of At Home competitors The Container Store, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Big Lots, all of which have filed for bankruptcy in recent years.
3 Data Shifts Helping Retailers Move Faster

1 week ago | mytotalretail.com | Joe Keenan

Retailers today face an unprecedented pace of change. Shifting customer expectations, supply chain instability, and tariff uncertainty are challenging even the most sophisticated operators to make faster, smarter decisions. But while many have invested in data tools, few have tackled the deeper issue: how data is accessed and used across the business.
Import Cargo Levels Expected to Surge During Pause in Tariff Increases

2 weeks ago | mytotalretail.com | Joe Keenan

Import cargo at the nation’s major container ports is expected to see a surge through this summer as retailers take advantage of a 90-day reduction in tariffs that were recently imposed on China, according to the Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.
How Lowe's New AI Tool is Assisting Home Improvement Shoppers

2 weeks ago | mytotalretail.com | Joe Keenan

In episode 483 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Chandhu Nair, senior vice president of data, artificial intelligence and innovation at Lowe's. Listen in as Nair provides an overview of the home improvement retailer's new Mylow AI assistant (1:35), how it fits into its business model (3:20), and how shoppers as well as store associates can utilize the tool (5:40).
Aldi Announces Price Cuts Across Hundreds of Items

2 weeks ago | mytotalretail.com | Joe Keenan

Retail stores and grocers are cutting prices and offering a bigger assortment of low-cost products to attract shoppers who are pulling back on spending in the face of an uncertain economy. Aldi, widely known as a budget-friendly grocery chain, announced last week that it's cutting prices on more than 400 products, equating to nearly 25 percent of its store selection. By dropping prices on products across its over 2,400 stores, Aldi said customers will collectively save $100 million this summer.
Optimove Exec on AI and the Future of Retail Marketing

3 weeks ago | mytotalretail.com | Joe Keenan

In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Rony Vexelman, vice president of marketing at Optimove, the global leader in Positionless Marketing. Listen in as Vexelman provides an overview of the Optimove business (1:05) and discusses the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in retail marketing (2:42), as revealed in the recently released report, AI and the Future of the Retail Marketer.
CVS to Close 270 Stores in 2025

3 weeks ago | mytotalretail.com | Joe Keenan

Hundreds of CVS pharmacies are set to close in 2025, the national drug store chain confirmed last week, as part of an ongoing effort to "realign" the company's retail footprint. According to a statement, CVS plans to close 270 stores nationwide in 2025. The closures were first announced in October 2024, the company said. In November 2021, CVS announced plans to reduce store density in certain locations and "optimize" existing stores and pharmacies.
How Agencies Drive Strategic Growth for Retailers

1 month ago | mytotalretail.com | Joe Keenan

In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Megan McDonagh, chief marketing officer at Wpromote, a top independent marketing agency that challenges convention to accelerate growth for brands. Listen in as McDonagh provides an overview of Wpromote and her career background (1:00), the wide variety of industries the agency serves (3:40), and the challenges retail marketers are facing today (4:45).
Inside Academy Sports + Outdoors' Store Expansion Strategy

1 month ago | mytotalretail.com | Joe Keenan

In episode 482 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Matt McCabe, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Academy Sports + Outdoors, one of the nation's largest sporting goods and outdoor stores.
Nike to Once Again Sell on Amazon

1 month ago | mytotalretail.com | Joe Keenan

After a six-year absence, Nike will soon begin selling products directly on Amazon.com, having previously stopped in 2019 to go it alone. At the same time, the company is reportedly set to increase prices across most of its sneakers and other clothes in the wake of recent U.S. tariffs. Nike stopped selling through Amazon after just two years on the platform, in part because of Amazon’s inability to crack down on counterfeiters and unlicensed sellers.