A tale of two Apple fans

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

I've so far resisted the urge to add to the number of electrons spilled over the whole iPhone 4 debacle, but a couple of very different reactions to the…

Card Sharps: How Hallmark reinvented its loyalty value proposition

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

Hallmark is an American classic, a nearly 100-year-old, third-generation family-owned company with deep roots in Kansas City, Missouri. But even long-standing…

Wasting Time with Walmart

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

I have to run an errand to Wal-mart today and I’m dreading it. 

Are Your Offerings Competitive?

by Dale Furtwengler — President, Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.

Generosity

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

The core behaviors of any business have a lot to do with their fundamental beliefs around generosity.  For some, generosity is a core value.  For others, it's…

No, Your Customer Can't Put Off the Purchase!

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

If you can't find the energy to explain why waiting is not an option, you'll never make a sale in this economy. And the more expensive the item is that you…

Ready for the hook plus line and sinker in the store?

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

I needed to buy a down pillow. That’s how it started. I needed something softer than the hard, bouncy pillow I’d been sleeping on for months, so I thought…

What Is Price?

by Dale Furtwengler — President, Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.

What is Price? Ridiculous question... ...or thought-provoking insight? Ted Gorski, Executive Coach and host of The Business Advantage Radio Show at WKXL…

A Dollar a Day

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

Have we lost touch? 

Limelight Marketplace

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

If you live in NYC or plan to visit soon, you have to check out something really special. The Limelight Marketplace. For those of you who don't know The…

The Aspirational Tourist

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

Remember your last out-of-town getaway?  You probably wandered into a few shops at your destination to browse, buy a few mementos, or just pass the time before…

Mobile barcodes continue march towards mass adoption

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

Using 2D barcodes as virtual loyalty cards that offer rewards is  a significant investment for large retailers, who must invest in special equipment to read…

What We Can Learn from Bankers

by Dale Furtwengler — President, Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.

An Inconvenient Truth About Bad Customer Service

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

What if you could get the least engaged staff member to actually care about your customers?  What kind of difference would that make to your business? In this…

Fifty cents could have been really special

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

One of the trickiest parts of building loyalty is making sure that your front-line employees are empowered to make customers feel special. After all, you…

Abercrombie & Fitch: Sex Obviously Doesn't Sell

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

If “sex sells” then why have they lost so many of their customers? Sure their Manhattan store sells $100 million a year to gawker tourists, but how about the…

Pricing and Policy Decisions

by Dale Furtwengler — President, Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.

Retail loyalty’s big leap

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

My former DMNews colleague, Nathan Golia, wrote a great piece about the growth of retail loyalty programs in a past issue — which I must say, if I can toot…

Are You Driving Your Customers Away?

by Dale Furtwengler — President, Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.

One of my favorite vendors... ...is pushing me away. I’ve had my cellphone with the same provider for close to six years.  Yes, I was late in adopting the…

The Art of Waiting

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

When Apple Computer announced the Apple Store, more than one industry pundit predicted the project’s demise. "Apple is a technology company," they said. "They…