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Can 'digital associates' create a personal experience online?
In my last blog, we discussed a major difference between e-commerce and retail stores. Online retail is very effective and efficient IF you know WHAT you want and need. A tremendous advantage of …- Chris Petersen -
How one three-letter word can create a personal buying experience
Much has been written and continues to be written about the battle between online e-commerce and retail stores. If it is only about lowest price, game over. Online wins IF you, the consumer, already …- Chris Petersen -
Walmart's secret sauce: How the largest survives and thrives
Amazon and omni-channel are sexy topics that grab a lot of retail press. But at the end of the day, Walmart is the largest retailer on the planet, and the second largest company in terms of revenue …- Chris Petersen -
Amazon gets the press, but Alibaba and Asia are surging in online sales
Come and meet Chris at this year's Retail Customer Experience Executive Summit! Registration is now open, and early-bird pricing is in effect. I was asked again in a recent Retail University class …- Chris Petersen -
The five ways retailers can beat showrooming
The term "showrooming" is the new buzzword in the dictionary of retail. It refers to the act of consumers literally shopping on their smartphones while in the aisle of a retailer. Consumers using …- Chris Petersen -
Five fundamentals required for 'ME-tailing' success
It's the "Age of the Consumer." That's not news. The lead articles on retail are chocked full of stories about how consumers are now empowered through their mobile devices and online shopping …- Chris Petersen -
Retail survival will require both consumer and product centricity
The term "consumer-centric" has been bandied about in retail a lot recently. What does it really mean to be a consumer centric retailer? Obviously, it means to be focused on a consumer's point of …- Chris Petersen -
Stage, actors, script: Great theater and retail
One only needs to peruse the retail headlines to see the wide ranging discussion on the importance of customer experience in retail. In IMS Retail University we make the case very bluntly …- Chris Petersen -
The single greatest miss in retail store metrics: Footfalls
Online retail knows everything about you, but stores are not even sure you were there. The old saying is "build it and they will come." One of the greatest challenges for retailers today is they are …- Chris Petersen -
Leverage others' experience instead of wasting time on pure invention
From the first days of school, we are taught that "copying others is bad." In the process of teaching students to think creatively, we create a lifetime baggage of fear that we'll be caught …- Chris Petersen -
Two simple ingredients of personalization that almost all retailers miss
Having lived in Canada, it is true that Thanksgiving is also celebrated there, albeit a month earlier than the US. The US Thanksgiving celebration has become a special time to gather family and …- Chris Petersen -
Paraprosdokian phrases for life, and retailing today
Perhaps Yogi had it right all along: Nostalgia ain't what it used to be. On my third 15+ hour flight to Africa this year, I decided that it was time for a different kind of post. I've written about …- Chris Petersen -
How important is mobility marketing? Follow Mom's lead.
There has been a lot of research on "crossing the chasm" and how technology moves from early adopters to mainstream consumers. With previous technology devices like PCs, much of the migration has …- Chris Petersen -
The great digital divide: Natives versus Immigrants
If you look at age demographics, there is an amazing stat: 50 percent of the world's population is under 30 years old! No one under 30 remembers typewriters and carbon paper, but they know what a …- Chris Petersen -
Your favorite retail 'store' might just be your pickup locker
The growth of ecommerce is literally old news. Pure e-tailers and traditional retailers with online sites are increasingly winning the hearts and wallets of consumers purchasing good deals online …- Chris Petersen -
Axiom's secret sauce for customer experience in Dubai
Last stop on my around the world tour of retail was Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. In a land of perpetual heat, it is easy to understand why consumers flock to air conditioned mega malls! The …- Chris Petersen -
The Walmart whale is making waves in South Africa retail
It is one thing to read about international retailing, but quite another to experience it firsthand. I've visited South Africa several times on safaris, but never to specifically focus on retailing …- Chris Petersen -
Samsung's stores missing a page from Apple's playbook
My grueling travel schedule does not permit me to get out and see retail stores in Seoul. But since South Korea is the home of Samsung, I thought it would be appropriate to share observations on …- Chris Petersen -
Around the world in 30 days, 7 retail stops along the way
I'm convinced that you don't plan an around the world trip ... they just happen. I get an amazing opportunity to deliver IMS Retail University workshops around the world. It's not often that you get …- Chris Petersen -
5 reasons why plugging Best Buy into Target might work
As I departed on my around the world journey to teach IMS Retail University, I had ample time to watch people using technology during my lengthy airport layovers. From preschoolers to adults, tablets …- Chris Petersen
Latest posts by Chris Petersen
Chris Petersen
Chris H. Petersen, PhD, CEO of Integrated Marketing Solutions is a strategic consultant who specializes in retail, leadership, marketing, and measurement. He has built a legacy through working with Fortune 500 companies to achieve measurable results in improving their performance and partnerships. Chris is the founder of IMS Retail University, a series of strategic workshops focusing on the critical elements of competing profitably in the increasingly complex retail marketplace.
