McLaren opens flagship showroom in London

On June 21, McLaren Automotive opened the doors to its first global retailer, McLaren London. By the end of this year, McLaren will have 35 bespoke retailers…

The declining need for, and escalating value of, human service

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Technology has been steadily reducing the number of human service interactions we require in an average day. For at least the last decade, the list of what we…

What Facebook's 'Want' button means for retailers

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Facebook is adding a WANT button in addition to other interface changes. Knowing what shoppers want before they buy it is a big deal for everyone.

The Container Store launches gift registry

October 3, 2011

The Container Store, retailer of storage and organization products, has introduced its Gift Registry, www.containerstore.com/registry, which will allow…

Price Chopper selects Mercatus Smart Shopping tech

October 3, 2011

Mercatus USA, a software development company delivering cross-channel marketing capabilities to the retail industry, has announced a multi-year deal with Price…

After Missoni, what's next for Target: Obama favorite Jason Wu

October 3, 2011

With the last of the Missoni for Target products making their way off store shelves, the retailer has announced its next big-name fashion lure: Jason Wu.

Video: Inside the new T-Mobile store design

The retailer is adopting a 'European store model' at 400 locations this year.

PayPal to open Manhattan pop-up store to highlight its offline offerings

October 3, 2011

According to TechCrunch, PayPal is looking to open a temporary "pop up" store in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood next month. The article says the…

New tech lets retailers give head-to-toe virtual makeovers

Application lets shoppers see how they will look in specific outfits and makeup configurations.

A lesson in customer service

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

I just got a text the other day that many of us hope never happens: the guy who has cut my hair for years is leaving the salon. Oh no!

Enhanced customer service increases retail sales

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

The best thing you can say about the economy, is that it's shaky. Prices are up for everything–from groceries to gasoline. The unemployed are looking for…

The 2011 holiday outlook for specialty stores

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

With Black Friday less than two months away, it's time to take a look at this year's holiday predictions. Here are some recent headlines about the upcoming…

Macy's heard it on the radio

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

If Macy's isn't carrying enough of your size, it isn't for lack of trying.

Whole Foods in Napa installs folding glass walls

At the new Whole Foods Market in Napa, the design team's goal was to create a warm, intimate, inviting, natural, indoor/outdoor environment. The use of…

Starbucks plugs up electricity for some

Some stores are covering electrical outlets, to discourage lengthy laptop visits.

OfficeMax joins up with Google Wallet

October 2, 2011

The Google Wallet continues to add merchants to its stable of partners. Today, office supply store OfficeMax Inc. announced it has launched new checkout…

Google opens its first bricks-and-mortar shop

October 2, 2011

The dominant player in search now has an in-store presence: The Register reports that the first Google Shop has opened, on Tottenham Court Road in London.

AT&T opens new high-tech store in Chicago

October 2, 2011

AT&T has announced the opening of a high-tech retail store in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood. According to the company, the store offers a unique way for…

How data-driven creative is transforming the customer-retailer relationship

Data-driven insights are creating a new language for retailers and marketers to deliver personalization.

T-Mobile's new store design

T-Mobile is unveiling a new look in nearly 400 stores across the country. The new format is designed to make shoppers feel more comfortable and simplify the…