One short year ago, the hype around daily deals was electric. In the analyst community, you could barely get through a day without hearing something about players like Groupon, which happened to be …

My favorite Peanuts character, Charlie Brown, is on the pitcher's mound psyching himself up: "It's the last of the ninth. The bases are loaded. there are two outs, and the count is three and two on …

Apple Inc. posted its largest quarterly profit ever on Jan. 24. So good, in fact, that it places the iPhone maker among an elite group populated by very few, including oil companies. Hearing the news …

Higher prices = lost customers. That's a common belief among business owners. Is it true? That isn't the case for Ron Ameln, the owner and publisher of St. Louis Small Business Monthly. Here's what …

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is just winding down its 101st "Big Show" in New York as I write this. The focus is pretty timely: it's all about jobs and growth and retail's contribution to …

Might as well keep that Coca-Cola on ice. The tallies are in, and the Real Thing is the real deal when it comes to world's best brand – again. According to Interbrand's annual Best Global …

Amid the sounds of tearing gift wrap and popping champagne corks, ailing giant Sears Holdings Corp. announced over the holidays its intent to close as many as 120 stores. This of course, came as …

Never take for granted the mere act of a customer walking through your door. Every time it happens, it symbolizes the passage across many thresholds to customer intimacy. Think about it. The …

A November 2, 2011 Barron's article reports that Kraft Foods' third quarter net revenues grew 11.5 percent in part due to a 7 percent price increase. That means that Kraft's revenues grew a whopping …

Do you lack the dazzle of Angelina Jolie's lagoon-blue eyes or the regal command of Meryl Streep's screen poise? Come up short on George Clooney's suave or Daniel Craig's rippling abs? Well, you don …

Nom nom nom. One does not have to live in Cincinnati to be familiar with one of its greatest brands, Graeter's Ice Cream. The rich, chocolate-chunky treat has earned a national following, including …

I know how busy you have likely been for the last few weeks, so I've taken the liberty of putting together some potential resolutions for you and your team in 2012. This is a fairly extensive list …

My apologies to Paul Overstreet and Alison Krauss for the title of this post, but it was the first thing that came to mind when I stumbled upon this blog post from the site Noah's Dad, which caters …

There are many causes for turnover, but the single biggest reason for turnover in retail stores today is the inability of the sales staff to be successful. But what does this mean? Generally, people …

It's not too hard to rise above the competition these days. When you're out and about doing your errands or eating at a restaurant, how often do you walk out the door and think, "That experience …

The recent launch of Amazon's price check app was greeted with everything from retailer outrage to government sabre rattling! Some even called it evil! Really? An app...evil? In case you missed it …

The most noticeable change for mass-market retail in the year ahead will be the introduction of new architectural materials and flooring. As "stores" evolve from "come and get it" warehouses to …

I just received an email from Amazon. In big, bold letters it said "FREE Super Saver Shipping Deadline Extended." Quick, what thought pops into your mind? My initial thought was, "Well, that …

It doesn't seem like all that many years ago when Amazon.com was touting itself as the "world's biggest bookstore." I remember listening to its radio ads in the morning during my commute; who would …

It's customary to look ahead at the retail trends that will shape 2012 and the buzz, profits and challenges to profitable retailing. Here then are the good, the bad, and the ugly that will keep …