Whole Foods’ paycheck may hinge on prices

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

People buy at Whole Foods because it stands for more than food, so simply dropping prices doesn’t solve its perception issue.

Nearly one in two U.K. shoppers need help with self-service checkout

May 23, 2014

Nearly one in two U.K. supermarket shoppers say they regularly need help when using self-service checkouts, a survey by independent U.K. market research firm…

Trend: Online retailers discover value in having stores

Companies that began as pure-play online retailers are discovering the power of having physical stores to build their brand.

Report says 62 percent of shoppers are motivated to purchase when ads are pushed while in store

May 22, 2014

Global mobile agency Fetch has announced the results of its ‘Engaging the Mobile Shopper’ report, which was conducted among more than 300+ US adults aged 18 …

Maximizing the value of a retail loyalty program

by Fred Thompson

The grocery industry seemingly changes daily, with new products and initiatives to meet rapidly shifting consumer preferences as well as new technology that…

Study says brand absence 'makes the heart grow fonder'

May 22, 2014

New research from marketing agency Momentum Worldwide says that people in countries with long-established consumer spending power — Japan, the U.K. and…

Google overtakes Apple as most valuable brand

May 21, 2014

Google has overtaken Apple to become the world's most valuable global brand in the 2014 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brand ranking, worth $159 billion…

How data design can take the pain out of purchases

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Owning new things is supposed to give us pleasure, but the process of acquiring them can come with pressure.

U.S. retail market up 2 percent in the first quarter of 2014

May 21, 2014

The U.S. retail market increased 2.28 percent year over year in Q1 2014, totaling $1.08 trillion for the quarter, according to projections from eMarketer.

Is Olapic a vision for the future of multi-channel retailing?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Retailers can now create "look books" from consumer photos in real time.

Phablet users big on social, engage most with ads in the evening

May 20, 2014

Opera Mediaworks has released a study on phablet users that identifies how their media consumption habits differ from those of smartphone and tablet users, as…

Why your customer service has to include selling

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

In addition to acquiring new customers, retailers need to focus on selling more to their existing ones.

Ten questions every retailer must ask in order to survive

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

It's not what you know ... it's what you don't know that could be hurting your business.

New RSR report finds the potential in retail emails

May 14, 2014

In a new report available today, “Retail’s Email Moment: How Personalization Can Revitalize Retailers’ Email Strategy,” RSR Research analysts Nikki Baird and…

Why big data is big news for retailers

by Clare Evans

Unlike ever before, brands can build up a truly accurate picture of their individual customers, as well as overall demographics.

New survey explores Millennials and how they view loyalty programs

May 13, 2014

PunchTab, a omni-channel engagement and insights platform, has released a new study on Millennial purchase behavior among fashion brands and retailers.

NRF says retail sales were unchanged in April

May 13, 2014

Despite nicer spring weather, consumers tempered their spending in the month of April. According to the National Retail Federation – the world's largest retail…

Research says most shoppers are regularly 'webrooming'

May 13, 2014

Retail marketing firm Interactions has released its second Retail Perceptions trend report, "The Rise of Webrooming: A Changing Consumer Landscape." The report…

Easter shift, warmer weather pushed consumer spending growth up in April

May 12, 2014

First Data Corporation has released its First Data SpendTrend analysis for April 1, 2014 through April 30, 2014, compared to April 2, 2013 through May 1, 2013.

Improving your culture by sharing your story

by Andrew Sharpe — Retail Strategist, BRANDSPANK

Over the past few years the concept of "storytelling," from a marketing and branding perspective, has gained tremendous momentum. To someone like me, I see…