Convenience for retail consumers will demand innovation in 2017

2016 was an interesting year in retail. Many established brands died a bricks and mortar death. While many thought this signaled the demise of the physical…

Online assortments: Long-tail, curated or castrated?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Declaring you are omnichannel is the easy part. Achieving profitability will require balancing the tradeoffs of long-tail assortments vs. the ability to…

How Macy's, Target tap devices for the holidays

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Here's a reason for retailers to be "appy" this holiday season: Purchases made on mobile apps more than doubled in 2015, to nearly $50 billion. We look at…

Data analytics and the changing world of retail in 2017

If there’s a word that described the retail space in 2016, it’s change. Change in technology, tools and best practices. And, (no surprise), 2017 promises more…

The changing face of merchandising and what retailers need to do to succeed

The changing face of retail merchandising requires retailers to go beyond tried and tested tactics.

3 tips to engage retail customers as they wait

by Neil Rieger — Director, Creative Services, SIGNET

Waiting time in the retail world is almost inevitable. However, it's also an opportunity for businesses to engage and connect with their audience through tools…

Social media ROI, loyalty and the customer experience

While marketers know in their gut that social media is important as customers are clearly there and sharing, they often lack the return on investment to prove…

How entrepreneurial employees boost profit, customer service during holiday season

For national chains a drive toward community presents the opportunity for front-line employees and local store managers to drive sales and profits. However, to…

5 rules for a retail town square: What Apple, Whole Foods Can Teach Us

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Here's a potential formula for retail of the future: One Apple squared equals a community experience minus the traditional sales space.

Predictions for retail, payments, and mobile in 2017

From mobile wallets to on-demand apps, and consumer demand for a more personalized and interactive shopping experience, merchants big and small are facing a…

Horseshoes, hand grenades and location data?

Gil Larsen, VP of the Americas at Blis, says retailers either win or don't - unless you're playing horse shoes or chucking hand grenades, neither of which many…

5 critical traits to be a future-focused retailer

Bill Chidley, a partner at ChangeUp, offers up the five critical traits required to be a future-focused retailer.

Consider a 'beyond digital' approach to power omnichannel experience

A successfully digitally transformed organization delivers superior digital experience around products and services. That, in turn, creates value and…

With omnichannel the devil is in the data

Retailers (and their suppliers) must leverage the omnichannel network to stay relevant and harness these rich cross-channel opportunities.

Black Friday: Gimmick, gone or more relevant than ever?

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Is Black Friday relevant, needed, necessary, or even a valuable marketing opportunity, or has it become a gimmick in the retailer's quest to grab consumers…

How technology can enhance the customer in-store experience

Rather than being a threat, technology can in fact significantly enhance the customer in-store experience.

Cyber weekend: A global opportunity for retailers

Cyber weekend – this year spanning Thursday, Nov. 24 to Monday, Nov. 28 – has clearly now become a global opportunity for online retailers.

Why 30 retailers are asking consumers to self-personalize the shopping experience this holiday

Personalization has long been touted as the Holy Grail for improved customer experience at retail.

Autumn comforts: Discovering your shoppers' comfort zone

Along with the falling leaves and cooler temperatures comes the desire for comfort. So, in this season of comfort, how can we ensure that the feeling…

7 critical questions traditional retailer metrics can't answer

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Traditional metrics of sales and share are not enough for omnichannel.