Nook mimics Kindle with plans for in-app currency

March 27, 2013

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Amazon should be tickled with Barnes & Noble's latest Nook feature. Nearly two months after Amazon launched…

Walmart announces plans for in-store lockers, expanded fulfillment network

March 27, 2013

Walmart Stores Inc. said on Tuesday it would start using its stores to get Internet orders to customers faster, as the world's largest retailer faces…

Walmart's secret sauce: How the largest survives and thrives

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Amazon and omni-channel are sexy topics that grab a lot of retail press. But at the end of the day, Walmart is the largest retailer on the planet, and the…

Positioning and pricing

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

Pricing goes well beyond merely establishing a price. Indeed, there are some industries in which there’s little, if any, ability to adjust price. The health…

Lululemon can avoid sheer 'Luonacy'

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

You'd think a yoga outfitter would afford its customers a little more flexibility.

Walmart struggles to stock shelves with fewer employees

March 26, 2013

Walmart's thinly spread workforce could be contributing to its increasingly empty shelves. According to an article on Bloomberg, the retailer's disorganized…

Aussie store fights showrooming with $5 'just looking fee'

March 26, 2013

A specialty food store in Brisbane, Australia, has come up with a way to combat showrooming, and a photo of its strategy has gone viral on Reddit. 

Reinvention another key to retail's future

March 25, 2013

According to a recent article on brandchannel.com, the future of retail hinges not only on the successful adoption of new technologies, but also the retailer's…

This is the most popular customer service question ever

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

“How should I compensate a customer for a service or product failure?”

Shopbust launches mobile mystery shopping platform in Asia

March 22, 2013

The Singapore-based startup Shopbust announced the launch of its fully automated, online mystery shopping platform that helps brands measure customer service…

Americans won't pay for same-day delivery ... or will they?

New research reinforces the premise that online shoppers expect free shipping.

Oscar de la Renta brings True Fit to online shoppers

March 21, 2013

Oscar de la Renta is refreshing the customer experience on its e-commerce site by offering personalized shopping and fitting profiles with True Fit technology…

3M's Virtual Presenter shows retail possibilities

by Christopher Hall

After its SXSW debut, 3M talks about its new virtual avatar for digital merchandising.

Restaurants reel in customers with retail

March 21, 2013

According to a recent interview aired on Minnesota Public Radio, there is a growing trend toward restaurant establishments serving a side of retail. And not…

Amazon gets the press, but Alibaba and Asia are surging in online sales

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Come and meet Chris at this year's Retail Customer Experience Executive Summit! Registration is now open, and early-bird pricing is in effect.

Walmart expands Scan & Go to 12 more markets

March 20, 2013

Walmart announced it is expanding the Scan & Go checkout app to a dozen more markets, nearly tripling the number of stores involved in the pilot program…

Market Force study reveals more shoppers trying new retailers

March 20, 2013

Research from a new Market Force study reveals H&M, Kohl's and Macy's are luring the most potential new consumers into their stores. Rounding out the top…

Insights from eGain to lead multichannel strategy at JD Williams

March 20, 2013

Customer engagement solution provider eGain announced today that it was chosen by U.K. retailer JD Williams to lead its multichannel strategy. JD Williams…

Walmart CFO announces plans for fulfillment centers

March 19, 2013

During a presentation at last week's Bank of America Merrill Lynch Consumer and Retail Conference, Walmart's CFO Charles Holley said developing a "next…

Walmart tops list of most valued retail brands

March 19, 2013

Interbrand released its Most Valuable Retail Brands list for 2013 and the U.S. section is topped by the largest retailer on the planet — Walmart.