Rite Aid uses health/wellness loyalty benefits to stand out

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

Since I began writing the COLLOQUY cover stories in August, 2009 (have you seen the most recent, Transformers?) I’ve realized that there is a certain point…

Zappos takes the high road once again, bites a $1.6 million bullet

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

For some companies, a mistake is an opportunity to shirk responsibilities and start passing blame around (*cough* BP *cough* Transocean), but for others, it is…

The War for Market Share

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

...watch the Verizon and AT&T ads. For years Verizon has been hammering AT&T with its coverage map, almost with impunity.  Finally, AT&T is…

Should You Recruit Gay Men To Sell Your Merch? Maybe

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

The Expressive is the spark-plug to your crew. They are the one that adds color, excitement and fun. Is that a gay thing? No, Bob Phibbs says it is an…

Premium Prices: How High Can You Go?

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

Privacy Is Dead... And It Could Be Great

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Facebook recent announcement about its intentions to collect and store personal data has privacy advocates up in arms.  But could the move actually vastly…

The difference between customer experience and customer service

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

"Customer experience" remains a nebulous term for many people, akin to when Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart admitted that he couldn't define what made…

Let's Call Customer Service Counters What They Are: Damage Control

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Customer service to me happens prior to the sale. Damage control is what happens after. Frequently it is run by people dis-empowered to do anything but cut…

Walmart: A Victim of Its Own Strategy?

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

6 Big Ideas for a New Decade in Retail

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

The pace and volume of change is exponential.  We are witness to massive shifts in consumerism, technology, economics and sociology.  In this article, we…

The Moment of Truth: The 4 P's of Retail

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

All retailers use vast amounts of data to make decisions – whom to target, how to target, when to target, what to sell, how to sell, where to sell, etc.  But…

Do You Know What You're Selling?

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

Are you sure? Are you really, really sure? Here’s a test.  Can you tell me what these well-known businesses are selling? Mercedes Benz? JCPenney, Macy’s and…

Hey, Retailers: Who's Got The Monkey?

by William Cusick — President, Customerspectives

There was an article in the Harvard Business Review quite a few years ago that's become something of a classic, entitled "Management Time: Who's Got The…

Coming soon: Explore retail shops through Google Maps

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Google has quietly announced that it is going to allow businesses to add location photos to their Place Pages, accessible through search and Google Maps.Seems…

Pricing: Are You Confusing the Market?

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

Best Retail in Romania...Hard Rock?

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Great brands don't just deliver a great experience. They deliver a great experience everywhere!

The return of the Target-only credit card

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

It's a move that is understandable from a financial standpoint but questionable from a customer satisfaction one: As we reported Tuesday, Target is…

Going "Beyond" Customer's Expectations

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

On New York's east side, there’s a store with exceptional customer service.  It's not on Madison Avenue. It's not on 5th Avenue. It starts with a “B” but it’s…

Working Harder, Making Less

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

If I told you to: Expand into new markets to stimulate growth. Dramatically increase your investments in inventory and facilities. Accept 15% to 20% lower…

10 Reasons Your Retail Competitors Have More Business Than You

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

If I hear one thing over and over from small business owners its, "I just need more customers." Heard it before 9/11, heard it after, heard it during the…