Survey: UK shoppers are now 'habitual deal seekers'

February 18, 2014

Retail service provider parago has released its second U.K. shopper study, "Let's Make a Deal." According to the company, the results reveal that regardless of…

Why retailers need to keep a laser focus on the customer

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

I spent the first 15 years of my retail career in operations, i.e. working in and ultimately managing stores. Those years gave me invaluable first-hand…

Your price is too high!

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

These words strike fear into the hearts of CEOs and salespeople like no others. The reality is that this is the one statement we should long to hear. Why?

To create mobile shopping traction, retailers should think beyond payment

SAP study finds that most U.S. consumers use smartphones and tablets for research, but not final purchases.

Online shopping up 8 percent in the week before Valentine's Day

February 14, 2014

IBM today released new data from its Digital Analytics Benchmark to capture online shopping trends during the week leading up to Valentine's Day 2014 (Feb. 7 …

NRF: Severe winter weather cripples retail sales

February 13, 2014

Consumers leveled off post-holiday shopping and spending in the beginning of the year due in part to severe winter weather in much of the country. According to…

Consumer spending slowed in January

February 13, 2014

First Data Corporation has released its First Data SpendTrend analysis for Jan.1, 2014, through Jan. 31, 2013, compared to Jan. 1 2013, through Jan. 31, 2013.

Five tips to make the most of your Valentine's Day retail experience

Only 54 percent of Americans are planning to celebrate Valentine's Day this year, compared to 60 percent last year.

POPAI releases 2014 Mass Merchant Study results

February 12, 2014

Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) announced it is officially releasing its 2014 Mass Merchant Study, a continuation of their Shopper…

Customer loyalty test: Will your customer evangelize your business?

by Shep Hyken — CAO, Shepard Presentations

The term "loyalty" usually brings to mind a long period of time … in other words, a lifetime customer. However, when I teach the concept of loyalty, I like to…

Retail imports expected to drop in typically slow February

February 11, 2014

Import volume at the nation's major retail container ports is expected to drop 8.4 percent in February from the same time last year as the shipping cycle…

CardLinx standard takes aim at return fraud

February 11, 2014

The CardLinx Association, a new association that facilitates the interoperability and growth of card-linked offers (CLOs), and Deem, a cloud commerce company…

Retail CFOs forecast 5 percent sales growth for 2014

February 11, 2014

Despite ongoing market uncertainty, retail chief financial officers are feeling more confident about the state of the consumer. According to a new BDO USA, LLP…

UK retail director: Online is 'driving structural change'

February 11, 2014

Helen Dickinson, the director of the British Retail Consortium, told United Press International today that online shopping is fundamentally changing the retail…

New social media monitoring, analytics tool hits market

February 11, 2014

Market Force Information, a provider of customer intelligence solutions, is helping restaurants and other multi-location businesses provide better customer…

Consumer optimism inches upward

February 11, 2014

Consumer optimism about the economy continues to inch upward after bottoming out in October 2013, according the latest monthly NACS Consumer Fuels Survey that…

Five requirements for improving employee performance for store growth

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

From the headlines coming out of last month's NRF Big Show, it was difficult to tell if retail stores were "running scared" of e-commerce, or very optimistic…

Victoria's Secret, Nike top retail brand engagement index

Brand Keys has published the results of its 2014 study of emotional loyalty and engagement in retail.

Price and profit

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

A January 9, 2014 Washington Post/Associated Press article, "Retailers of all stripes sing holiday blues," states that seven retailers have cut fourth quarter…

NRF forecasts 4.1 percent increase in retail sales for 2014

February 7, 2014

The National Retail Federation released its 2014 economic forecast yesterday, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and…