Freakonomics co-author to speak at NRF 2010

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Journalist Stephen Dubner has been added to the roster of "retail's big show," taking place this January in New York.

ISME 09: Seven tips for marketing to families during a recession

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

A fundamental shift in consumer spending has led to new rules for marketing to moms, the "Chief Purchasing Officers" of the modern family.

Top 10 brand and marketing trends for 2010

A new definition of value, growing consumer expectations among the things brands and retailers will need to watch for.

RetailWire Discussion: Brands not connecting with women through social media

A new study finds that three out of four women who engage with brands via social networking sites say they are not influenced to purchase based on what they…

Opinion: The difference between clerking and selling

The Retail Doc explains why in-store staff should be moved beyond low-hanging fruit and into real selling.

Great customer service: Remembering the little things

Tough times mean retailers need to squeeze all the value they can out of their assets, and that includes the small touches that can make a big difference.

Making the case for custom point-of-purchase content

A core factor of the retail customer experience is advertising. But how we speak to a potential customer versus a customer at the point of purchase are not the…

Designing a new experience — and putting fun back into retail

Now is a great time to design and launch a new customer experience — especially for brands feeling the pinch of commoditization.

Luxury retail at a crossroads

Shattered by heavy discounting, luxury retailers now need to focus on two distinct customer types - those looking for branded items at a lower price, and the…

Discounting while preserving the brand

Why retailers need to focus on intelligent promotions, rather than across-the-board discounts.

Breaking retail's addiction to discounting

When retailers emphasize price above all else, everybody loses. Author Kate Newlin offers some alternatives to "okay, available and cheap."

How to catch male shoppers: Market to women

The men's grooming market is set to explode, and retailers can reach it more directly by marketing to women.

Private label: The prestige brands of tomorrow?

Retail expert and author Kate Newlin says the only odd thing about private label brands is that they've taken so long to win shoppers over.

Opinion: Why customer satisfaction surveys don't work

With 95 percent of our cognitive processing handled by the subconscious, how much value is there in surveys that probe the other five percent?

Retailers can weather economy by focusing on basics

Trusted brands and an enlarged pool of skilled workers provide leverage.

Economy presents a new reality for luxury brands

The downturn has forced a paradigm shift on luxury brand marketers, who are for the first time being forced to re-think their traditional approach.

Fighting online shopping cart abandonment

While most e-commerce sites measure conversion, many do not take a structured and proactive approach to abandonment.

RetailWire Discussion: Most loyal customers aren't profitable

A recent Harvard Business Journal article suggests that few customers are profitable — and of the ones that are, most are not loyal.

Commentary: Online retail over-analyzed, 'stripped of all brand soul'

A brand consultant argues that too much emphasis on search engine optimization has diminished the online shopping experience.

Five viral marketing mistakes to avoid

There's a lot of buzz surrounding viral marketing — but retailers need to make sure to avoid these common missteps.