Is 'America-washing' the next big thing?

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Walmart CEO Mike Duke surprised analysts last week by announcing that the majority of the products the retailer sells are made in the United States. The…

Macy's loyalty pilot still circling the runway

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Fans of I.N.C, Martha Stewart and other Macy's exclusive brands will have to wait a while before earning new reward points for their purchases.

How social media is changing conferences

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

Last week I went to two industry conferences (OTC Perspectives and PRSA Counselors Academy) and an awards show (Sabre Awards) — it was a big networking week.…

How 'karma credit' can build a business

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

While charity may begin at home, you build business by bringing it into your store. What goes around truly does come around. Take care of other people, and…

NCR fighting Dish for right to keep 'Blockbuster' name

May 15, 2011

NCR Corp. has no plans on changing the name on its 9,000 Blockbuster Express DVD rental kiosks, despite the letter it received from Dish Network demanding it…

Deloitte Consumer Spending Index slides in April

May 15, 2011

The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index fell significantly in April, showing the largest single month decline since November 2007. The Index tracks consumer cash…

JustEnough inventory solution goes live in Florida wine and spirits chain

May 15, 2011

JustEnough Software Corp., a provider of demand management solutions for retailers, suppliers and brand owners worldwide, today announced that ABC Fine Wine…

AVT Inc., Luxury Automated Retail partner to offer upscale vending units

May 15, 2011

AVT Inc., formerly Automated Vending Technologies, has partnered with Luxury Automated Retail, a Los Angeles-based distributor of high-end self-service…

The CXO: Why the time is now for customer experience officers

Retailers are hiring c-level executives whose sole focus is the customer experience.

Merchant Data Systems renews contract with ControlScan

May 15, 2011

Merchant Data Systems, a provider of merchant credit card-processing services, has extended its contract with ControlScan, a provider of PCI compliance…

Politics, religion and sex

by Harry Friedman

I admit it right here in the first paragraph. I am not really going to talk about sex. Too easy, a lob shot. So in this year of presidential hopefuls popping…

Webinar: Emerging Trends in Foodservice

To ensure a successful position in an increasingly challenging market, foodservice operators must focus on how they will better connect with customers to…

Consumers rank social networks better than online businesses for ability to protect personal information

May 12, 2011

ThreatMetrix, a provider of cloud-based fraud prevention solutions that do not require personally identifiable information (PII), has announced that a joint…

Maponics offers geofencing to mobile developers

May 12, 2011

Maponics, a provider of location-based data, announced a new offering that includes the geographic boundaries of more than 3,000 shopping malls, districts…

Report: Consumers influenced by a retailer's physical appearance

More than two-thirds of consumers say they have avoided a store based on its external appearance.

Publix changes coupon policy

May 12, 2011

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Publix Super Markets Inc. is changing its coupon policy, placing restrictions on which ones it will accept.

Study says $16 billion worth of loyalty program rewards go unredeemed each year

by Kim Williams — Reporter, NetWorld Alliance

Americans accumulate approximately $48 billion in rewards points and air travel miles annually.

If nobody complains, is everything okay?

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Heck no!

Social media for retail made simple

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

If you're still wondering about how important social media can be to your business, think about this. Getting involved in social media is the same as…

Where does the time go?

by Lynn Switanowski — President, Creative Business Consulting Group

Yesterday, I had a meeting with a client where we were supposed to spend 3 hours brainstorming a marketing strategy for a new store grand opening. Instead…