How Google Street View might open the e-com door for small retail

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

If you use Google maps, then you're probably familiar with Street View. As the name suggests, Street View allows users to literally fly down to street level…

Speed up sales by using QR codes

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

In addition to sushi and bonsai trees, we can thank the Japanese for QR codes, those black-and-white patterned squares that have become ubiquitous.They were…

NRF: Up to 152 million shoppers expected on Black Friday weekend

November 16, 2011

Though there are already plenty of great deals on everything from e-readers and smartphones to apparel and toys, Americans know there is only one Black Friday…

Holiday shopping going mobile

November 16, 2011

Twice as many shoppers plan to use smartphones or tablets this year to purchase gifts than last year, according to research from Webroot, an Internet security…

Study: Retailers must specialize in multi-channels to reach consumers

November 16, 2011

Boots, the health and beauty retailer headquartered in the UK, offers the best user experience across its online, mobile and in-store platforms, according to…

AT&T testing new store concept in Chicago

November 16, 2011

AT&T, with 2,300 stores, is one of the country's largest retailers, but now it's on a mission to be the best when it comes to customer service.

Website rewarding consumers for old purchases

November 16, 2011

Rewarding customers for what they already own is the goal of RNKD, a new website created by Nick Swinnurn, founder of Zappos.com

ShopSavvy releases new, improved version of its mobile shopping app

November 16, 2011

Fresh off a round of $7 million in Series A funding, mobile shopping assistant ShopSavvy released an updated version of its popular app for both iOS and…

Why is lululemon athletica quoting Ayn Rand?

by James Bickers

The yoga retailer's blog and shopping bags have recently extolled the "Bible of the Tea Party."

Unintentional branding

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

When we think of branding we tend to think of very large companies with hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on branding.

Store employees balk at early Black Friday openings

November 15, 2011

Black Friday is quickly approaching as major retailers kick of the holiday shopping season earlier each year, hoping to be the first stop for Thanksgiving…

The Body Shop deploys RedPrairie solution to streamline operations

November 15, 2011

RedPrairie Corporation, a global supply chain and retail technology provider, today announced that The Body Shop has gone live with RedPrairie Execution…

Coinstar's new TV ads focus on no-fee gift cards

Campaign invites shoppers to experience "pure bliss" when they trade in their change for a variety of retail gift cards without giving Coinstar a cut.

Coinstar launches TV ad campaign

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Coinstar is launching a new ad campaign featuring its no-fee gift cards.

Gift card kiosks going into 100 Malls

November 14, 2011

Self-Service Networks is deploying 100 of its GiftWise kiosks in 100 malls owned by General Growth Properties. The gift card-vending solutions will be up just…

QR codes allowing customers to take surveys on mobile devices

November 14, 2011

Mindshare Technologies today announced the addition of its Quick Response (QR) code feature to the company's feedback management platform. The new QR code…

Sears changes strategies with hopes of overcoming low sales

November 14, 2011

Edward Lampert, chairman of Sears Holdings Corp., is changing everything about the department store that Americans have shopped since the 1890s.

Survey: Consumers trying more fashion retailers in 2011

Thirty-two percent tried a new fashion retailer in the past 90 days, up from 14 percent in 2010.

NRF: Consumer spending on discretionary categories boosts October retail sales

November 14, 2011

Led by discretionary purchases, October retail sales saw impressive growth across the board, an encouraging sign for retailers as the holiday season gets…

What every company should take from Barnes & Noble: a page from their corporate playbook

by Aaron Shapiro — CEO, HUGE

Time and time again we've seen the same story play out: An established industry player ignores digital and ends up in a fight for survival against a brash…