NRF forecasts retail sales to increase 4.1 percent over last year

February 12, 2015

The 4.1 percent increase would mark the biggest annual growth since 2011 when retail sales for the year increased 5.1 percent.

Consumer spending on home fashions, appliances rose for two years

February 12, 2015

Consumers spent more than $47 billion on small appliances, non-electric housewares products and home fashions in 2014, according to The NPD Group.

Why customer service and branding are the same thing

by Andrew Sharpe — Retail Strategist, BRANDSPANK

If you aren't investing in customer service, you're omitting the most influential piece of your brand's story.

Mobile still tops retailers' priority lists

February 9, 2015

A new report finds mobile as a percentage of online sales increased 50 percent in 2014.

Survey says physical stores still preferred over online

February 9, 2015

According to the survey, only 27 percent of U.S. consumers say they shop online weekly.

Nearly two-thirds of American shoppers don't trust retailers to protect their data

February 4, 2015

A new survey finds considerable concern for the security of credit card and personal information not only online, but also in brick-and-mortar stores…

Rakuten survey says men will spend more than women on Valentine's Day

February 3, 2015

American men will spend more on Valentine's Day than women, with men spending an average of $104, compared to $45 by women.

Three micro-trends of the retail customer experience

by Jeannie Walters — Chief Customer Experience Investigator, 360Connext

There are several ways the retail customer experience is actually becoming smaller, and it seems to be a good thing for sales and customers.

Commentary: The tech and features that shoppers want

A new large-scale shopper survey sheds light on consumers who mix online and in-store shopping in whatever way is most convenient for them.

Report: Mobile accounts for 25 percent of online transactions in Q4 2014

January 30, 2015

The holiday shopping season accounted for the majority of such transactions.

Five ways to lose a customer

by Shep Hyken — CAO, Shepard Presentations

Customer service doesn't have to be terrible to drive shoppers away. Indifference and lukewarm attitudes are bad enough.

US convenience stores continue retail channel growth

January 29, 2015

The U.S. convenience store count increased to 152,794 stores as of Dec. 31, 2014, a nearly 1-percent increase from the year prior, according to the 201…

Survey says: Nordstrom is consumers' favorite fashion retailer

January 28, 2015

The study also revealed that Foot Locker is consumers' favorite shoe retailer, followed by Skechers, Nike, DSW and Famous Footwear.

Smartphone shoppers increase spending 125 percent, study says

January 27, 2015

Consumers have embraced online shopping from their smartphones, boosting their spending by 125 percent across all product categories, according to MarketLive.

C-store chain Thorntons targeting 1M loyalty members by end of Q1

January 26, 2015

Chain's Paytronix-powered Refreshing Rewards program should hit 1 million registered customers in first seven months.

Five e-commerce revenue leaks you need to plug

The holy grail of 1-to-1 personalization presents a challenge that 55 percent of online retailers haven't even begun to address, although several key elements…

Mobile use in car shopping rises dramatically

January 23, 2015

The increase in mobile device usage is being led by used car buyers, who showed the most significant increases in using smartphones and tablets for car…

U.S. 'switching economy' up 29 percent since 2010

January 22, 2015

Despite heavy investment, only 11 percent of U.S. consumers strongly agree companies are effectively converging digital, mobile, social and traditional…

Why merchants should adopt a mobile wallet strategy

by Michelle Evans — Head of Digital Consumer Research, Euromonitor

Michelle Evans, senior consumer finance analyst at Euromonitor International, states her case for why retailers need to have a way to reach consumers anytime…

Four ways to take advantage of Target Canada's loss

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

There are many things a loyalty marketing platform can resolve for a brand, but as Target recently demonstrated with its expensive failure in Canada, it cannot…