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…

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…