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…

Customer service strategy: To serve and protect

by Shep Hyken — CAO, Shepard Presentations

If you strive to "serve and protect" customers by selling them what they truly need, you will earn their trust and confidence. And over time, that translates…

In retail cyber-security, bigger isn't always better

Here are four surprisingly non-technical reasons small- to mid-size retailers have a leg up when it comes to fighting cyber-crime.

Retailers seek to link the mobile and in-store experience for consumers

by Will Hernandez — Editor, NetWorld Media Group

Consumer technology preferences are forcing merchants to rethink how they meet expectations.

Retail customer engagement comes into focus at NRF Big Show

by Will Hernandez — Editor, NetWorld Media Group

Panelists discuss the need for merchants to build great experiences in physical enviroments and use mobile to enhance interaction.

December shopping activity up from November, but down from last year

January 8, 2015

Although traffic dropped year-over-year as the shift toward online shopping accelerated, it was buoyed by a highly promotional month.

Mobile device usage linked to email open rate increase

January 8, 2015

In Q3, North America saw a 6.5-percent year-on-year increase in email open rates and a modest decline in clicks, both linked to the increase in mobile device…

SCORE research says most smaller e-commerce sites have no call to action

December 30, 2014

SCORE, which has provided mentoring services to small businesses since 1964, has gathered statistics concerning how much online activity consumers engage in…

Can you charge your customers for loyalty?

by Shep Hyken — CAO, Shepard Presentations

Are you so good that your customers are loyal to you even without the incentives of a loyalty program? Good enough that they would be willing to pay to belong…

Study says luxury brands fundamentally misunderstand their audience

December 29, 2014

Luxury brands mistakenly believe their customers are typically female and on average 45-years old with a net worth over $1 million, the study found. However…

Seventy percent of shoppers buying gift cards this year

December 23, 2014

Although other holiday retail signals are mixed, gift card spending is on the rise.

Why most retail loyalty programs are failing

by Jeff Weidauer — Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Vestcom International, Inc.

In reality, most retail loyalty programs are little more evolved than a basic paper coupon.