Tensator Virtual Assistant blends man and machine (Video)

April 3, 2013

In an age where consumers prefer to interact with technology, contact with an actual human being is becoming an antiquated — and often avoided — concept. But…

A positive customer experience may lead to stock market gains

April 3, 2013

Companies that deliver a great customer experience are rewarded — on Main Street and on Wall Street.

Google pilots same-day delivery in San Francisco

April 3, 2013

Google opened its Google Shopping Express same-day delivery service to a test market in San Francisco last week.

How one three-letter word can create a personal buying experience

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Much has been written and continues to be written about the battle between online e-commerce and retail stores. If it is only about lowest price, game over.

Nordstrom gives Savvy a makeover to woo female shoppers

April 2, 2013

In a move to attract more young women in their 20s and 30s, Nordstrom recenlty revamped its Savvy clothing departments to reflect the demographic's smaller…

Study finds brands miss out on customer feedback

April 2, 2013

A recent study by Venuelabs reveals major brands are missing as much as 86 percent of local consumer sentiment about their in-store experiences.

Are Geeks out of place in Target's CE departments?

Early indications suggest that Target might expand the trial partnership to more locations.

OfficeMax unveils smaller, tech-heavy stores

April 1, 2013

OfficeMax unveiled a new small-store format in Milwaukee — one that trumps products with customer experience. According to chicagobusiness.com, the OfficeMax…

Future of Payments: ATM & Mobile Executive Summit 2013

An intriguing dynamic is playing out in the payments landscape: The demand for both cash and mobile financial services is increasing concurrently. Mobile…

Apple rolling out new customer service initiative

March 29, 2013

Apple is slowly implementing a new customer service initiative across its retail stores. According to 9to5mac, the strategy is called "table selling," and…

Kate Spade, Zappos fight showrooming with iPad kiosks

March 29, 2013

ArmorActive's iPad kiosks are taking aim at showroomers. The company behind the enclosures announced that its products were recently deployed at Kate Spade…

Babies 'R' Us announces partnership with parenting website

March 28, 2013

Babies"R"Us and Heidi Murkoff's pregnancy and parenting website today announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership to offer expectant moms…

Shopper turned delivery person? Walmart considers crowd-sourcing

March 28, 2013

Walmart may soon be crowd-sourcing shoppers for delivery services. According to an article on nbcnews.com, Walmart shoppers could tell the retailer where they…

The JC Penney debacle: Where did Johnson go wrong?

by Natalie Gagliordi — Editor of KioskMarketplace.com, Networld Media Group

JC Penney returns to high-low pricing, but the damage to the brand may be irreparable.

Amazon's VP of mobile shopping stresses importance of speed

March 27, 2013

Amazon's Sam Hall wants shoppers to go from "wanting to buying in 30 seconds." As the Internet giant's VP of mobile shopping, Hall is in charge of a growing…

Opinion: Higher prices at JC Penney means lower prices at jcp

A branding expert tries to make sense of the retailer's multiple strategies.

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…