Best Buy: Why in-store analytics are critical for survival

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Best Buy is a case study unfolding before our eyes. It is quite literally a test of how today's omnichannel consumers will behaviorally respond to radical…

Turning a frown upside-down: How negative WOM can help your brand

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Why Jerry Seinfeld is a customer service consultant

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

"We're craving the nondigital even more these days, the authentically human interaction," says Jerry Seinfeld, explaining (I would argue) not just live standup…

A brainstorming tool to use with your staff

by Doug Fleener — President and Managing Partner, Dynamic Experiences Group, LLC

Your employees are a tremendous source of information and insight. They can share how to deliver a better customer experience, or how to sell more. They might…

What if a 'foodie' ran your store?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

After returning from India, I had to an opportunity to meet with over 70 technology retailers from Latin America last week. For all retailers owning brick and…

Walmart rebranding?

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

Are Walmart's steak ads early signs of a rebranding? I've been a long-time critic of Walmart's low-price strategy so it's only fair that I recognize them for…

'Idea brands’ will win big with Millennials: Here's how to attract them

by Jeff Fromm — Executive Vice President, Barkley

Millennials want to change the world. Who doesn't? However, this generation born from 1977 to 2000 is often accused of passive insensitivity caused by their…

The loyalty lie

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Loyalty is an increasingly fleeting thing. In fact, the average Gen Y mother now defines "brand loyalty" as a window of allegiance lasting 6-12 months before…

Moving past the showroom challenge: The beauty of Sephora's customer-centric approach

by Jeannie Walters — Chief Customer Experience Investigator, 360Connext

Many retailers have been spending a lot of time and energy battling showrooming.

Measurement is necessary, but not sufficient to produce change

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Every once in a while you need to be "gobsmacked." I think I first used the British slang gobsmacked in a 2010 blog, and I've been waiting for an appropriate…

Customer loyalty: Woody Allen vs. your local ATM

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

In my years as a customer service consultant, I've yet to hear a customer blurt out anything that sounds like this:

Best Buy's new look

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

A little over a year ago I had the worst buying experience I’ve ever had at my local Best Buy store. I thought that the two associates in front of me were…

Netflix uncovers clue to customer preferences

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Call it the case of the mysterious movie preferences.

AT&T retail chief explains 'The Store of the Future'

by Carmine Gallo — President, GCG

As consumers shift many of their purchases online, will physical retail stores even have a reason to exist? That’s the difficult question AT&T retail…

Tracking the 'next big thing' in retail technology

by David Anzia — SVP-Sales, Frank Mayer Kiosks and Displays

I recently gave an interview where I was asked about the challenges of managing retail self-service projects given the rapid progression of in-store…

How to optimize your store for summer

by Gary Edwards — Chief Customer Officer, Emathica

Now that summer is well underway, it’s time for retailers to turn up the heat. After spending prolonged time indoors during the cold weather, customers are…

Apple is going to business school

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

There is always a lot of press about Apple. There are Apple stock forecasts, new product predictions and literally hundreds of stories about their stores. But…

Logic vs. emotion in retail pricing

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

My thanks to Paula Jones, Craft and Hobby Assn. Canada, for sending me this January 22, 2013 Forbes article, Postscript On Retail Pricing: Avoiding the "Race…

Showing your appreciation (or not)

by Doug Fleener — President and Managing Partner, Dynamic Experiences Group, LLC

As leaders we sometimes do things that, entirely unbeknownst to us, have a negative impact on our staff. One example of that is how we come back into the store…

Consumers don't think in terms of channels. Retailers do.

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

As I prepare to meet with a number of groups and retailers around the world, their No. 1 question is about predicting what must change in retail in order to be…