Whole Foods to get rid of plastic bags

December 19, 2007

Progressive Grocer: In a first step that may soon spread companywide, Whole Foods Market said yesterday that it will no longer offer plastic grocery bags at…

New retail trend: 'park-your-husband lounges'

December 19, 2007

Forbes: When men accompany their ladies on a shopping trip, the last thing stores — and women — want is a nagging, bored husband. After all, the more time…

Now hear this

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

December 19, 2007

In-store audio blazes beyond the blue light special.

HP launches RFID solution for retail

December 19, 2007

Business Standard: Hewlett-Packard has launched RFID products for the Indian retail market. The new offerings designed specifically for the supply chain would…

Breaking the rules of retail

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

December 19, 2007

Charging a fee for customer service? Asking shoppers to make an appointment for help? These might be the kiss of death for most retailers, but not Apple.

Trading places

December 19, 2007

Customer empathy is the best way to better customer service.

Personalized marketing

December 19, 2007

Influence positive customer experiences through psychology.

Is your live TV legal?

December 19, 2007

Digital signage that incorporates network programs is legal only if licensed correctly. Here are pitfalls to avoid.

What does online shopping really cost employers? About $7

December 18, 2007

Forrester Research released a composite overview of the "typical" multi-channel shopper - someone who shops online, through catalogs and in retail stores.

Survey: customer service trumps price

December 18, 2007

A recent benchmark survey on "The State of Retail Workforce Management," conducted by Retail Systems Research (RSR), and sponsored by Kronos Inc., indicates…

POPAI research: digital window signage increases footfall

December 18, 2007

Research commissioned by 3M and POPAI demonstrates the effectiveness of back-projecting dynamic promotional messages onto shop windows.

White-label ATMs clean dirty cash?

December 18, 2007

The Canadian Press: Canada's white-label ATMs have been found to allow fraudsters to launder money with alarming ease, leaving authorities struggling to track…

More gift cards going unredeemed

December 17, 2007

A Consumer Reports survey conducted in October found that among people who received a gift card during the 2006 holiday season, 27 percent of them left one or…

Customer satisfaction takes first dip in two years

December 17, 2007

Customer satisfaction is down for the first time since early 2005, according to the third quarter report of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

CBGB space going retail

December 16, 2007

It was home to a vibrant and influential music scene for the better part of three decades, but the space that was home to New York's CBGB nightclub is being…

Importance of casual web surfers on sales 'exaggerated'

December 16, 2007

In a private poll conducted at an annual conference of the catalog and multi-channel retail industry, key industry players revealed that a surprisingly low…

Where clothing stores really fail: the dressing room

December 16, 2007

Retail consultancy Adaptive Path recently used its blog to tear into the clothes-buying process. The main culprit: dressing rooms that don't make the shopper…

Stop & Shop offers language assistance to pharmacy customers

December 16, 2007

Boston Herald: Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. is giving some translation assistance to its pharmacy customers who speak little or no English. The supermarket…

RFID: Uncovering the value

December 16, 2007

In this business paper by SAP and Intel in collaboration with Retail Forward and M-Lab, the METRO Group Future Store Initiative presents a combination of…

Let your customers break (fresh) bread

December 13, 2007

If Ron Wilkinson has his way, consumers are about to acquire a taste for very, very fresh bread. His Bread Bakery, a 7-foot-tall, 4-foot-wide machine, churns…