The 5 biggest retail customer experience stories of 2009

Faced with a tough economy and shaky consumer confidence, retailers innovated when it came to customer experience this year.

83. Hot Topic

For teens who have a darker aesthetic sense than the average Abercrombie & Fitch customer, Hot Topic comes to the rescue with a dose of mall-based…

Retail Innovation Awards open for nominations

December 20, 2009

The IBM Retail User Group has announced that nominations for the 2010 Retail Innovation Award are now open. The award will be presented at the Group's…

Will digital-download kiosks save Blockbuster?

The home video brand has had a disappointing year, but a partnership with NCR may help keep it alive.

84. NFC, contactless payments

The security of financial data is a huge issue, but so is customer convenience. As retailers struggle to balance these two possibly competing interests, two…

How consumers killed customer service

Demand for low prices has driven down the value of customer service. Here's how retailers can drive it back up.

85. Ann Taylor

One thing Ann Taylor has long been known for is its offerings of sophisticated business attire for women. So, it stands to reason that as the job market…

Study: Promotional bundles devalue products, reduce long-term profit

December 16, 2009

The best things in life aren't free, especially for companies trying to lure customers by offering sweet deals on two complementary products.

NRF survey: Most consumers are less than halfway done with holiday shopping

December 16, 2009

Though the Christmas countdown is in its final stages, it seems shoppers still have plenty of shopping left to do. According to NRF's 2009 Holiday Consumer…

Kroger loyalty program offers free wireless minutes

December 16, 2009

Grocery chain Kroger has announced a clever new wrinkle to its loyalty program. It is now giving shoppers free minutes on its wireless phone service…

Intava announces touchscreen in-store music merchandising system

December 15, 2009

Intava has announced Intava Backbeat, an in-store music and promotional system, and a global music licensing partnership with Jamendo PRO, a online music…

Estee Lauder's social media a good example of channel marketing

December 15, 2009

CreativeFeed chief creative officer Arthur Ceria says that Estee Lauder's social media campaign is a smart departure in a recent article on DMNews.com. The…

Holiday shoppers were out last weekend, but stuck to lists

December 15, 2009

AP reports that many holiday shoppers were out last weekend spending money, but many stuck to pre-made lists. Many said they were holding out for bigger…

86. NCR

Although Dayton, Ohio-based NCR has attracted some recent headlines it no doubt would have rather avoided, not all the news has been bad. Despite economic…

Most holiday shipping offers to expire on or before Dec. 18

December 14, 2009

Holiday procrastinators, take note: It's not too late to shop online and receive gifts by Christmas, but the window is closing. According to Shop.org's…

RFID smart mirror prototype installed at men's store

December 14, 2009

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on a new RFID-based smart mirror — or Smart.Mirror, to be more precise — installed at Charles Spiegel for Men in…

How mobile is set to impact the 2009 holiday retail season

In what is another challenging holiday season for retailers, mobile marketing and advertising provide a very welcome bright spot.

Report: How consumers will choose brands after the recession

December 10, 2009

Historically, consumers that give up expensive products during a recession go back to buying them once better days return. But according to a new report from…

Whole Foods unveils mobile-optimized site

December 10, 2009

Whole Foods Market has announced the launch of a Web site optimized for Web-enabled mobile devices.

Blog: In praise of pop-up stores

December 10, 2009

A new blog at the Huffington Post sings the praises of the pop-up store phenomenon.