Designing a new experience, and putting fun back into retail

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

If you have ever worked on the front line, you can probably remember—even if it was a long time ago—how much fun it is to delight a customer with an experience…

5 signs your retail store needs a makeover

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

As new stores have opened over the past several years, they have upped the bar, and you may unknowingly be turning off potential customers.

The customer experience checklist

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Forrester Research's customer experience guru shares an 8-step checklist for designing an experience and keeping it on track.

Apple stores take to the seas

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

February 18, 2010

Truly, there is no place on earth that couldn't use a genius or two: Celebrity Cruises, which is now an authorized Apple reseller, says it will have the…

59. Barnes & Noble

Customer satisfaction is a priority for Barnes & Noble bookstores, and customers are taking notice. The retail store came out on top in the specialty store…

Apple stores take to the seas

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Truly, there is no place on earth that couldn't use a genius or two: Celebrity Cruises, which is now an authorized Apple reseller, says it will have the…

Brookshire Grocery partners with Spire to leverage shopper card data

February 17, 2010

In an effort to enhance its ability to leverage shopper card data, Brookshire Grocery Co. has partnered with analytic services firm, Spire.

HP announces new tools for in-store photo sales

February 17, 2010

HP today announced the expansion of its retail publishing portfolio with new partners and solutions designed to help retailers profitably grow their in-store…

Six trends for in-store media in 2010

With global spending on technology products and services expected to grow 8.1 percent to more than $1.6 trillion, 2010 is likely to be a major year for…

60. Fear about gift-card balances

With all the anxiety surrounding the uncertain economy, here's something else to worry about: What happens to the money on a gift card if a store claims…

Viewpoints, ForeSee partner for online customer satisfaction measurement

February 16, 2010

ForeSee Results and Viewpoints Network have announced they will be joining forces to provide Viewpoints.com and Viewpoints Technology Platform (VTP) clients…

Redbox caves, agrees to 28-day delay with Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. and redbox agree to a 28-delay on new releases at the discount DVD-rental kiosks; redbox-parent Coinstar's shares close 50 cents higher.

61. Self-service

Not long ago, self-service stations at grocery stores and airports elicited mostly negative reactions from consumers. But times change, and so do consumers…

Study: Consumers desire better 'touch and feel' shopping experience

February 16, 2010

Three out of four consumers still want to visit a physical retail store when buying a communications product or service, but they are not very satisfied with…

Report: Customer satisfaction strong in 4Q 2009

February 15, 2010

Customer satisfaction with the goods and services that Americans buy remains strong in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to the American Customer…

Study: Most retailers failing at channel integration

February 14, 2010

CrossView, a cross-channel commerce solution and retail technology provider, has released a study showing that many retailers currently fail at cross-channel…

Researchers find security flaw in chip-and-PIN payment system

February 14, 2010

The United Kingdom's Retail Week reports that researchers at Cambridge University have tricked a chip-and-PIN payment system into authenticating a payment when…

Mobile Monday: Macy's iShop

Macy's leaves the Web site format behind with an app that lets shoppers browse inventory in the manner they choose.

The difference between clerking and selling

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Times are tough. Good help is hard to find. Got it.But wouldn't you think, if you weren't making money, you'd change your ways?

NRF: January retail sales continue slow road to recovery

February 11, 2010

Post-holiday sales and gift cards helped consumers open up their wallets at the beginning of 2010 to take advantage of special deals on popular apparel…