For much of the history of e-commerce, online and offline were two separate worlds, with separate supply chains, customer data, and merchandising strategies.

More recently, retailers have tried to combine them under strategies sometimes labeled as omnichannel, unified commerce, or adaptive retail, all of which to one degree or another strive to bring the advantages of online commerce into stores, and vice versa.

While there are several promising areas where this kind of crossover is happening, the combination of mobile apps and retail media solutions has emerged as an important tool for bringing these two worlds together.

Here are some examples of retailers using the app to bridge the gap.

Keep reading here.—AV

Out with the new, Inn with the old.

The fast-casual chain Dig Inn, which shortened its name to Dig in 2019, announced late last month that it would return to its original moniker, much to fans’ delight. The decision to reverse course on the rebrand, according to Dig Inn CMO Jessica Serrano, came from a slow drip of customer feedback over the last six years, with a particularly powerful inflection point on April Fools’ Day of this year.

“We did a post about opening a Dig Inn, as in a bed and breakfast, and it performed really well,” Serrano said. “It reignited that conversation internally about, ‘What is it about Dig Inn? People really love it, and maybe it’s something that we should consider more seriously.”

We spoke with Serrano about why shorter wasn’t sweeter.

Keep reading here on Marketing Brew.—KH

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Ilya Schmidt is VP of sales and retail operations at The Flowery, a cannabis retailer operating 19 locations in New York and Florida.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I help people get their weed—legally, safely, and with the best experience possible.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? Before building cannabis brands and diving into cannabis retail, I actually started in accounting. Numbers and spreadsheets were my original grind; now I use that same precision to scale operations and build high-functioning teams.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Launching The Flowery in New York has easily been one of the most exciting and rewarding challenges and in just over a year, we’ve become the largest cannabis retailer in the state. Breaking into a new market—especially one as competitive and high-profile as NYC—pushed our team to innovate and move fast, while still maintaining the culture and quality we’ve built in Florida since 2018.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? Drive-thru cannabis. It brings us closer to the kind of instant gratification people expect from modern retail, and it’s something that’s been held back by regulation.

Keep reading here.—EC

Between tariffs, taxes, and trade complexity, global growth can feel like a maze. Successful Growth in a Complex World: Strategies to Navigate Tax, Tariffs + Trade on July 30 will explore how e-commerce brands are streamlining operations, staying compliant, and scaling smart. Register now and learn how to turn global roadblocks into real runway.

AI isn’t just for chatbots or image generators—it’s transforming the way retailers connect with customers. From personalized shopping experiences to smarter inventory management, AI is enhancing every touchpoint in the customer journey. Explore how innovative AI solutions are shaping the retail landscape and improving customer interactions.