Independent grocers hold ground in tough fiscal year 2013

September 10, 2014

The National Grocers Association and FMS Solutions today released the results of their joint 2014 Independent Grocers Financial Survey, covering fiscal year…

Report says that for first time, online shoppers primarily interact with brands via mobile

September 8, 2014

In August 2014, mobile devices generated 51 percent of all online retail visits, the majority of which occurred on Apple devices. In 2010, only four percent of…

Mastering customer retention using data

According to global consulting firm Bain & Company, it costs six to seven times more for an organization to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one.

IBM unveils back-to-school online shopping numbers

September 8, 2014

Overall, U.S. retail online sales for August were up more than 11 percent as compared to the same period last year.

Nearly a quarter of shoppers choose to go to a competitor due to dissatisfaction with their retail experience

September 8, 2014

46 percent of shoppers who have unsatisfactory retail experiences do not let the retailer know and almost a quarter of these opt to shop at a competitor when…

Mobile payments must be relevant, useful, study confirms

September 5, 2014

Young adults are especially interested in wearable mobile technologies that they can use for banking and making payments.

Study: Prepaid card users highly likely to adopt mobile payments

September 4, 2014

The greater the number of features -- such as mobile payments -- associated with a card, the greater the likelihood of customer retention.

Walmart's web efforts leave much in store

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Walmart created some buzz when it announced plans to personalize its online shopping experience, but the news failed to address the white elephant that is…

#CONNECTsummit14: Marketers should opt in to text as key mobile messaging channel

When it comes to building relationships with hardcore fans, marketers shouldn't overlook the original mobile messaging channel: text.

#CONNECTsummit14: Using Big Data to give customers what they want

The big message from this year's CONNECT Mobile Innovation Summit was not about retailers and restaurants deciding if mobile should be part of their digital…

#CONNECTsummit14: mobile experience first, payments second

by Will Hernandez — Editor, NetWorld Media Group

Brands are more concerned about creating the right overall mobile experience that will keep users coming back again and again.

#CONNECTsummit14: Beacons offer immediacy, simplicity and context

Beacons are powerful tools, enabling marketers to push the right message to the right person in the right place at the right time.

Seven critical questions required for business decision precision

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Today's retail stakes are too high for "lies, damned lies, and statistics."

Bond Brand Loyalty Announces New Executive Vice President of Client Services to Lead Accelerated Growth of North American Business

Bond Brand Loyalty (formerly Maritz Canada and Maritz Loyalty Marketing), North America's leading Brand Loyalty Agency, today announced the addition of Rob…

Back-to-school shoppers still wrapping up shopping lists

August 20, 2014

Coupon usage is growing among back-to-school and college shoppers.

#CONNECTsummit14: Gartner shares mobile best practices statistics

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

In the opening session for the CONNECT Mobile Innovation Summit, Gartner vice president of research Michael McGuire shared his view of how retailers should…

Embracing big data, technology and omni-channel operations to enhance the customer experience

The retail world today is epitomized by near-global access to the Internet and speedy adoption rates of smartphones.

Kaspersky study finds consumers nonchalant about data security

August 18, 2014

When it comes to protecting their personal and financial information online, consumers just might be their own worst enemy.

Customer service is simple, but it is not always easy

by Shep Hyken — CAO, Shepard Presentations

The difference between good and great is often just a little bit of extra effort by the employees who serve the customer.

Commerce Department says US retail sales slow in July

August 13, 2014

The U.S. Department of Commerce today reported that retail sales slowed unexpectedly in July, according to Reuters.