60. Fear about gift-card balances

With all the anxiety surrounding the uncertain economy, here's something else to worry about: What happens to the money on a gift card if a store claims…

Viewpoints, ForeSee partner for online customer satisfaction measurement

February 16, 2010

ForeSee Results and Viewpoints Network have announced they will be joining forces to provide Viewpoints.com and Viewpoints Technology Platform (VTP) clients…

Redbox caves, agrees to 28-day delay with Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. and redbox agree to a 28-delay on new releases at the discount DVD-rental kiosks; redbox-parent Coinstar's shares close 50 cents higher.

61. Self-service

Not long ago, self-service stations at grocery stores and airports elicited mostly negative reactions from consumers. But times change, and so do consumers…

Study: Consumers desire better 'touch and feel' shopping experience

February 16, 2010

Three out of four consumers still want to visit a physical retail store when buying a communications product or service, but they are not very satisfied with…

Report: Customer satisfaction strong in 4Q 2009

February 15, 2010

Customer satisfaction with the goods and services that Americans buy remains strong in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to the American Customer…

Study: Most retailers failing at channel integration

February 14, 2010

CrossView, a cross-channel commerce solution and retail technology provider, has released a study showing that many retailers currently fail at cross-channel…

Researchers find security flaw in chip-and-PIN payment system

February 14, 2010

The United Kingdom's Retail Week reports that researchers at Cambridge University have tricked a chip-and-PIN payment system into authenticating a payment when…

Mobile Monday: Macy's iShop

Macy's leaves the Web site format behind with an app that lets shoppers browse inventory in the manner they choose.

The difference between clerking and selling

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Times are tough. Good help is hard to find. Got it.But wouldn't you think, if you weren't making money, you'd change your ways?

NRF: January retail sales continue slow road to recovery

February 11, 2010

Post-holiday sales and gift cards helped consumers open up their wallets at the beginning of 2010 to take advantage of special deals on popular apparel…

62. Celebrity fashion lines

What a difference a year makes: For much of last 2008, many celebrity fashion lines were flying high. But as the economy tanked, consumers fled in search of…

MobileCoupons offers free m-coupon tool to retailers

February 10, 2010

MobileCoupons.com announced it has launched an online coupon creator that makes it easy for retailers and restaurants to create and distribute mobile and…

ECRS unveils entry-level self-checkout unit

February 10, 2010

Retail automation provider ECR Software Corp. (ECRS) has unveiled its small-footprint self-checkout solution at the 2010 National Grocers Association Synergy…

CompUSA opening more 'Retail 2.0' stores

February 10, 2010

CompUSA has announced the opening of three new retail stores: Houston, Texas, Newark, Del., and Euless, Texas. These new openings make a total of 32 CompUSA…

The pros and cons of concealing product prices online

Keeping the price tag somewhat hidden is part of a strategy by major brands to counter the Internet's tendency to drive prices down.

63. Ethnic retail

The trend of segmenting regional and ethnic product selections continued in recent months. Walmart, which has a multiyear track record of offering Latinos…

Opinion: Michelle Obama is saving retail

February 9, 2010

BNET blogger Lydia Dishman spells out the many ways the fashion-savvy First Lady is boosting the bottom lines of apparel retailers and brands. She starts with…

64. Uniqlo

Anyone who thinks "cheap chic" is an oxymoron hasn't been to Uniqlo. Japan's casual-wear behemoth has brought Gap-like styles and merchandising to about 82…

Edible Arrangements thrives, despite economy

How the "luxury" retailer grew at an amazing pace in 2009, despite the recession.