Shoppers will expect more mobile content from brands, retailers in 2014

January 27, 2014

Most mobile shoppers redeemed a coupon directly from their mobile device last year, according to a recent study from mobile shopping app Key Ring. Key Ring is…

AVT licenses wireless management system to Marley Coffee Automated Stores

January 27, 2014

AVT Inc., a provider of custom vending machines, automated retailing and self-service kiosks, has announced that it has licensed its patented wireless vending…

RILA announces cybersecurity initiative

January 27, 2014

The Retail Industry Leaders Association announced today that it will expand its commitment to cybersecurity and data privacy by launching a comprehensive…

Deloitte Consumer Spending Index on the rise

January 24, 2014

The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index climbed in December. The Index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

NRF bulletin: Personalization done right

by James Tenser — Principal, VSN Strategies

I've been on record many times as a hater of shopper loyalty, but an advocate of intelligent personalization.

Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor offer mobile shopping from print ads

January 23, 2014

The HBC Department Store Group announced today the launch of a new mobile shopping application for both Hudson's Bay and Lord & Taylor. HBC is partnering…

Supermarket DIA adds mobile app, refrigerated pickup lockers

January 23, 2014

Madrid-based multiformat grocery chain DIA has announced a new partnership with mobile solution provider AIRTAG. The program, dubbed "Diadiscount," includes a…

A love song to Mr. Sears and Mr. Roebuck

Sears Holdings just announced its plans to close its flagship Loop location in Chicago this April.

Microsoft Connected Fitting Room at NRF 2014

The fitting room is the crucial place where a customer decides whether to make a purchase. But most of the time, the customer is alone behind a curtain when…

Five customer service tactics to increase sales

by Shep Hyken — CAO, Shepard Presentations

As you read this, you may think this article could fall under the heading of sales tactics. I respectfully disagree. This is all about customer service, as it…

Infinite Peripherals, Mercury partner for mobile payments

January 22, 2014

The mPOS system provider Infinite Peripherals has formed a partnership with Mercury Payment Systems, a payment service provider for small to mid-sized…

NRF 2014: The show floor, in tweets and vines

Attendees made good use of social media at this year's BIG Show.

New solution aims to give digital signage a voice

January 22, 2014

Audio solutions provider Barix today announced it will bring to Integrated Systems Europe 2014 and the 2014 Digital Signage Expo a new retail solution designed…

Meijer giving shoppers free Wi-Fi

January 22, 2014

Digital coupon use is at an all-time high at Meijer, with more than 2 million Meijer shoppers now subscribed to its free mPerks program — and now the retailer…

Cobalt, Edmunds announce partnership to study online car-shopping behaviors

January 22, 2014

Cobalt, a business unit of ADP Dealer Services Inc., and Edmunds.com, an online car shopping destination, today announced a strategic partnership to bring…

NRF urges transition to more secure and advanced credit, debit cards (Updated)

January 22, 2014

This week, The National Retail Federation sent a letter to congressional leaders outlining the retail industry's commitment to protecting sensitive consumer…

Tapping big data to improve the customer experience

We will have 40 trillion gigabytes of data by 2020. What are we going to do with it?

Source Metrics says it can track in-store conversions from Facebook ads

January 22, 2014

Social media marketing analytics firm Source Metrics has announced the launch of its Facebook In-store Ad Tracker, which it says provides retailers with access…

How do your CX efforts stack up?

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Comparing your track record to others in the world of customer experience is a great way to find areas for improvement and see where you are doing well.

NBA's Sacramento Kings accepting Bitcoin

January 21, 2014

The Sacramento Kings, a U.S. professional basketball team, said it has become the first professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin. Fans will be able to…