Why retailers must excel in the 4 Cs instead of just the 4 Ps

Marketing 101 classes are being rewritten … by consumers.

Australian digital signage co intros Virtual Wardrobe to fight showrooming

May 29, 2013

Brisbane, Australia-based digital signage integrator Prendi has created a new product that it says brings the online experience that customers love so much…

Putting the 'custom' back in customer

A commentary on how to save brick-and-mortar retail with tailored in-store experiences.

What ails Carnival?

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

When we think of a carnival we think of fun and good times. Unfortunately that’s not the image that comes to mind for the cruise line's passengers. So what’s…

Changes to Microsoft's pre-owned games market could hurt retailers

May 28, 2013

According to mcvuk.com, with the upcoming launch of its new Xbox One game system, Microsoft plans to take ownership of the pre-owned game market in a way that…

Walmart to add automatic shopping lists to its mobile app

May 28, 2013

Walmart is building out the features of its mobile app, according to news from last week's CTIA Wireless event in Las Vegas. Techhive.com reported that Walmart…

High-low pricing method gets slammed in court ruling

May 24, 2013

Following a recent ruling in California's 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, retailers following a high-low pricing method (think JC Penney, Kohl's) could be in…

Target adds "Beauty Concierge" in SoCal stores

May 24, 2013

Starting today, 96 Target stores in Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif., will begin offering customers the opportunity to receive a personalized beauty…

Kroger proposal seeks to pull human trafficking from supply chain

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

A pile of honeycrisp apples in the grocery aisle isn't likely to get shoppers thinking about human trafficking, but some shareholders of Kroger Co. want it to.

More Hispanics shop via smartphone, survey finds

May 23, 2013

A recent survey by the Integer Group found that 16 percent of Hispanic shoppers are using their mobile devices to make purchases, compared to 12 percent of…

Carrefour Group implements location analytics

May 23, 2013

Technology provider Esri and its partner company Galigeo announced the implementation of an enterprise-wide marketing solution for the Carrefour Group, a…

At Best Buy, the best customer experiences come from employee buy-in

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Ask any consumer about his or her best buying experience, and you’ll hear it did not simply involve a product purchase, but an entire brand encounter. This is…

Should purchasing intent be used to alter prices?

Charging different prices to different people may be discriminatory for the same reasons "ladies' nights" have been banned in some states.

ComQi releases Engage 8.4 digital signage CMS

May 23, 2013

Multichannel message management platform provider ComQi has announced its the release of the latest version of its digital signage and media content management…

Swirl launches in-store mobile marketing platform

May 23, 2013

Swirl, a mobile marketing platform provider, today launched a program that is designed to attract and influence in-store shoppers with micro-targeted digital…

Kmart commercials continue word play, now offering 'big gas savings' (Video)

May 23, 2013

First they invited customers to come in the store and ship their pants. Now Kmart is letting customers know that if they spend $50 on store merchandise…

A case for simplicity in retail

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Nothing seems simple anymore. It's amazing how complex our lives have become with the technology that was supposed to simplify our lives! As I was trying to…

Retailers can relax about showrooming, survey finds

May 22, 2013

A recent study reveals the furor over showrooming may be all for naught. According to the 2nd Annual U.S. Mobile Path-to-Purchase Study released today by xAd…

Pricer intros new line of smart ESLs

May 22, 2013

Pricer, a provider of electronic shelf labels (ESL) for retailers, has launched SmartTAG, its new generation of ESL products.

How to build an expert customer service problem resolution approach

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

An expert approach to customer service requires a well-defined process for problem resolution. Let’s look at how to start setting up such a process.