When it comes to loyalty marketing, sometimes less really is more

by Fred Thompson

Let's play a game. Ask your fellow executives to name (without looking) those perks that your customers perceive to be the top five benefits of your loyalty…

March spending growth remained positive despite Easter shift into April

April 11, 2014

First Data Corporation has released its First Data SpendTrend analysis for March 1, 2014, through March 31, 2014, compared to March 2, 2013, through April 1…

Report says U.S. retail sales topped $4.5 trillion in 2013, outpaced GDP growth

April 10, 2014

Total retail sales in the U.S. topped $4.53 trillion in 2013, and e-commerce accounted for a significant portion of that growth, up 16.9 percent in 2013 — or…

How to ensure a symbiotic mobile marketing strategy

A brand's app and mobile wallets create a cross-pollination effect that's unrivaled for driving consumer engagement.

Consumer spending on Easter forecast to reach nearly $16 billion

April 9, 2014

According to NRF’s new Easter Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the average American celebrating the holiday will spend an average…

March retail benchmarks: Traffic and engagement down from last year

April 8, 2014

In-store retail analytics firm Euclid today released its monthly retail benchmarks report analyzing shopper activity and behavior during the month of March.

For Nordstrom Rack, Canada is a moving target

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Canadians love their hockey, doughnuts and the metric system, but they apparently are not appreciating the fluorescent glow of a good American value.

A boutique approach to loyalty, in four steps

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

When it comes to competing against low-priced giants, specialty shops should ignore the specials and focus on the personals.

Study finds retailers shifting biggest share of marketing budgets to mobile

April 8, 2014

The number of retailers who expect mobile to be their top marketing priority will more than quadruple over the next five years, according to a new study by Yes…

Retail employment grows in March, according to NRF

April 4, 2014

The National Retail Federation today issued the following statements from NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay and Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz in response to…

Revenue from mobile-optimized retail sites up 168% over last year

April 4, 2014

Branding Brand, a mobile commerce platform, has released the results of its Mobile Commerce Index for March 2014. The exclusive data sample details a steep…

Five steps to a shopper-centric discovery experience

Online retailers need to put the person back in personalization.

Consumers say personalized interactions with brands drive purchase decisions

April 3, 2014

According to new research from Accent Marketing Services, the key to repeat customers is personalized communication from brands after purchases. Accent…

Convenience stores hit record in-store sales in 2013

April 2, 2014

U.S. convenience stores reached record in-store sales in 2013, with sales climbing 2.4 percent to $204 billion. Combined with motor fuel sales of $491.…

Selling into dead markets

by Dale Furtwengler — President, Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.

I'm sure you're wondering, "Who in the world would do that?" More people than you might imagine. Here's what triggered this post.

Privacy-friendly location-based marketing: Giving customers the control

Crafting a non-invasive location policy is key to keeping customers from opting out of push messaging or location awareness.

Wegmans, Trader Joe's, Publix, Costco, Sprouts top Consumer Reports supermarket ratings

March 26, 2014

In Consumer Reports' latest survey, Wegmans, Trader Joe's, Publix, Costco and Sprouts earned the highest scores overall among 55 of the nation's major grocery…

Teen Vogue research explores social media and how Millennials shop

March 26, 2014

In order to understand how social media influences the ways millennials shop, Teen Vogue has identified the role social plays in driving beauty and fashion…

'Mobile Evangelist of the Year' Jack Philbin will headline 2014 CONNECT Mobile Innovation Summit

The self-professed "mobile geek" co-founded Vibes before text messaging was even possible in the U.S.

What not to do when you lose a customer

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

A business owner's worst nightmare is learning they've lost their best customer.