Chris Petersen: Forget the 4Ps … 4Cs are not enough … the new 4Es of retail

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Chris Petersen explains how and why raditional retail has transformed from product-centric to people-based.

Kagan: How Amazon is transforming retail

by Jeff KAGAN — Wireless Analyst, Telecom Industry Analyst

As long as Amazon lets users continue to shop as they are used to, and adds a new way of thinking to the mix, Jeff Kagan believes the Whole Foods experiment…

The time is now for AI in ecommerce

Eldar Sadikov, CEO and co-founder of Jetlore, shares why taking advantage of AI technology is the only way a brand will be able to differentiate itself and win…

3 key strategies for driving loyalty enrollment

Jeff Sopko, president of Baesman Insights & Marketing, offers tips and insight on how retailers can hurdle the many barriers to entry for loyalty programs. As…

The human touch: Why mobile can't replace in-store associates

Unlike customer-facing mobile apps and websites, in-store associates and managers have insider knowledge and the ability to use in-store tools to their…

Chip Bell: You can't automate theatre

by Chip Bell — Customer Loyalty Consultant/Author, Chip Bell Group

Is your customer experience plain vanilla, leaving absolutely no imprint at all on your customer's memory? How would your customers' stories about your…

How AI can connect customers to your brand

Dr. Anil Kaul, CEO and co-founder of Absolutdata, writes that as AI becomes a part of daily living, brand leaders are realizing the potential the technology…

Shoppers moving to mobile: Where retailers fall short with m-commerce experiences

Dan Carney, senior vice president of operations at Limelight Networks, explains how mobile devices are having broad implications across the retail landscape…

Why you need to put yourself in your customers’ shoes…or pants…or jackets

Denise DeSisto, VP, marketing automation and product innovation at Customer Portfolios, says every retailer's goal must be to keep customers at the center of a…

How to clean your dirty data and why quantity isn't a substitute for quality

Gil Larsen, VP, Americas at Blis, explains why in the geolocation business, accuracy is paramount. As he shares, it's all too easy to fuel an otherwise perfect…

Kagan: The retailer role in smart home growth

by Jeff KAGAN — Wireless Analyst, Telecom Industry Analyst

Jeff Kagan explains why smart home growth is picking up steam and how it presents an opportunity for retailers, if they handle it correctly and position…

Planning an in-store technology? 4 steps to prototype it like a pro

Shopping is interactive, with 53 percent of consumers saying they'd pay more for valuable experiences. Half of in-store shoppers today say they're more likely…

Making retail work for every generation

With millennials making up approximately 30 percent of the population, retailers strive to tailor efforts to reel in this group, yet often overlook the…

Amazon's Whole Foods deal proves the 'retail mullet' is the future of grocery

ForeSee's Eric Feinberg provides his take on Amazon's multi-billion dollar acquisition of Whole Foods. As he writes, surprisingly not much has been said about…

Why we need to talk about the retail evolution, not the retail apocalypse

In the end, the retail evolution is all about the customer. Being tech-savvy, shoppers want their shopping experience to reflect their daily life: a mix of…

Amazon's Whole Foods Market acquisition points to a changing role for physical stores; millennials hold the key

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods Market is yet another sign – the biggest to date – that retail is being redefined by multiple shopping channels.

4 insights you can unlock by mapping the customer journey

By uncovering the path your customers follow when they engage with your brand, you'll gain four valuable insights that can help you build a stronger, more…

A generational perspective: How our past defines future buying behaviors

Everyone's trying to figure out what drives consumers to purchase. But to understand how they shop, you need to know what makes them tick.

Can any traditional retailer survive the "Battle of the Bots"?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Chris H. Petersen says going up against Amazon is like taking a knife to a light saber battle. Why? Because the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Multichannel is not enough: Creating a true omnichannel customer experience

It's critical businesses not assume today's online purchasing experience is the same as what consumers experienced years ago. As companies seek to bring the…