Lies, damn lies and statistics

by Jeff Weidauer — Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Vestcom International, Inc.

A recent article in CPG Matters relates new findings from Campbell Soup Company that 80 percent of buying decisions are made before a shopper ever gets to the…

Survey: Retailers need to prepare for 'precision shoppers' this holiday season

October 9, 2011

Seventy-two percent of U.S. consumers expect their holiday spending to be "careful" or "controlled" in 2011, according to Accenture's annual consumer holiday…

Altra Furniture plans new showroom in China

October 9, 2011

Renovation has begun on the new Dorel Home Furnishing showrooms in Dongguan, China. The facility will house displays for Altra Furniture, along with showrooms…

NRF: High unemployment remains retail's primary concern for holiday season

October 9, 2011

Following the announcement that U.S. employers added 103,000 jobs in September and that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.1 percent, National…

Footlocker uses interactive digital signage to let shoppers design New Era baseball caps

October 9, 2011

According to AV Interactive, Sportswear and footwear store Footlocker has deployed a Lumacoustics-designed and -developed 32-inch touchscreen digital sign that…

Maximizing the value of your email marketing

by Laurel Tielis — Author and Professional Speaker, Laurel Tielis & Associates

Social media is growing, and businesses, both large and small, need to participate in the online conversation to stay front of mind. But doing that doesn't…

Identifying and leveraging your VIP customers

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

Of course all of your customers are important to the success of your business, but your top customers are even more important. Let's call them your VIPs.…

What Whole Foods gained from its LivingSocial deal

The offer of $20 worth of products for $10 sold 'at a staggering rate.'

Report: The desire for the 'Apple Store experience' is being driven by retail CEOs

October 6, 2011

Tablets and smartphones are redefining the retail shopping experience and will be a $5 billion market per year by 2015, according to a research study released…

NRF comments on September job numbers

October 6, 2011

Following the announcement that U.S. employers added 103,000 jobs in September and that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.1 percent, National…

NRF: Steve Jobs leaves 'a legacy that will inspire retail companies for decades to come'

October 5, 2011

National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay released the following statement on news of the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs:

NRF forecasts holiday sales increase of 2.8 percent to $465.6 billion

October 5, 2011

According to the National Retail Federation, the 2011 holiday season can be summed up in one word: average. On the heels of a holiday season that outperformed…

Steve Jobs' lasting legacy for retail

Jobs' vision and Apple's execution have had a transformative effect on the retail industry, both in-store and on-line.

A new concept: B2ME marketing

by Paul Flanigan — Founder, The Preset Group

I heard this term for the first time last week and had to take to the intertubes to learn more. Strangely, I didn't not find much. So I want to share my…

Do you need a chief customer officer?

by Jeanne Bliss — Founder, CustomerBliss

CEOs no longer need to be convinced of the importance of developing relationships with profitable customers and keeping them around. What they need now is…

How to cultivate long-term loyalty

by Peggy Carlaw — VP, Impact Learning Systems

I used to go to the same Chinese Restaurant weekly growing up. My family celebrated birthdays, graduations, and other fun celebrations at this restaurant.

Access does not equal value

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

A professional recently told me that he'd merged his firm with a larger firm. Then he went on to say that he'd sent his clients a letter stating that the fees…

European hypermarket Auchan adopts RFID to track produce

October 4, 2011

Orange Business Services is providing Auchan Group, the 12th largest food retail group in the world, a real-time tracking solution to monitor the complete…

Tanga puts Etsy in its sights with craft site BelleChic

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

The daily deal retailer known for its sense of humor is reaching out to handmade goods shoppers with a new online store.

Mobile Payments Today publishes state-of-the-industry report

October 4, 2011

Retail Customer Experience sister site Mobile Payments Today has published its inaugural State of the Industry Report, a survey of both consumers and financial…