Coupon trends of 2013: Like a box of chocolates

Diverse approaches to coupon marketing led to better distribution and higher average values.

Report reveals strong growth in mobile and tablet shopping traffic

February 24, 2014

In its latest Influence & Impact report, e-commerce provider ShopVisible found that site traffic from mobile devices and tablets significantly increased …

Report says US consumer well-being is improving

February 24, 2014

Temkin Group has released its Temkin Well-being Index (TWI), which measures the well-being of U.S. adult consumers. The TWI is based on surveys of 10,000 U.S.

Clash of the titans: Alibaba vs. Amazon

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

There are some predictions that 50 percent of major U.S. retailers will be gone by 2020. While it is too early to predict the demise of bricks and mortar, it's…

Survey says: Data breaches not changing shoppers' behaviors

February 20, 2014

Despite concerns over the security of their personal information in the wake of massive retail security breaches, many American shoppers still aren't taking…

Opt-out registry takes aim at location-based marketers

February 19, 2014

The Future of Privacy Forum, a Washington-based think tank seeking to advance responsible data use and consumer privacy, and The Wireless Registry Inc., a…

Fashion retailer using traffic tech to study customer behavior

February 19, 2014

Tyco Retail Solutions has announced that FJ Benjamin, a group of global luxury and lifestyle brands across Asia, has successfully implemented Tyco’s Traffic…

Nearly half of Americans who receive a tax refund will save rather than spend it

February 19, 2014

Having a plethora of options for how to use their tax refunds, more Americans this year are opting to stash their cash away for a rainy day. According to NRF's…

Innovating under the Latin influence

by Arturo Nava — Managing Partner & Co-founder, Marketealo

Innovation is the life blood of any successful business; without it, companies cease to offer brands, products, services and experiences that delight their…

Retail customer satisfaction improves for a third consecutive year

Better customer service, discounting more than offsets a drop in customer satisfaction with online retail.

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…