The loyalty lie

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Loyalty is an increasingly fleeting thing. In fact, the average Gen Y mother now defines "brand loyalty" as a window of allegiance lasting 6-12 months before…

Moving past the showroom challenge: The beauty of Sephora's customer-centric approach

by Jeannie Walters — Chief Customer Experience Investigator, 360Connext

Many retailers have been spending a lot of time and energy battling showrooming.

Should marketers trust their gut or their data?

According to a recent study, 80 percent of marketers are making decisions based on their gut instincts.

Retailer loyalty programs copycat airline industry

August 29, 2013

Retailers may be crafting their loyalty programs to reflect the airline industry — with elite levels and extra perks for shoppers who spend the most money…

Measurement is necessary, but not sufficient to produce change

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Every once in a while you need to be "gobsmacked." I think I first used the British slang gobsmacked in a 2010 blog, and I've been waiting for an appropriate…

Commentary: The showrooming myth

The "false paradigm of showrooming" will only distract retailers from the real task at hand.

Customer loyalty: Woody Allen vs. your local ATM

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

In my years as a customer service consultant, I've yet to hear a customer blurt out anything that sounds like this:

Best Buy's new look

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

A little over a year ago I had the worst buying experience I’ve ever had at my local Best Buy store. I thought that the two associates in front of me were…

Has the Apple Store lost its uniqueness?

Apple's third quarter earnings dipped slightly, the first decline since 2009.

Majority of US shoppers are not loyal, study finds

August 22, 2013

Market Track announced today the release of an in-depth report from a two-part national survey of retail shoppers and Fortune 100 companies. The report…

Study: The US is a 'coupon nation'

August 21, 2013

The digital coupon site RetailMeNot.com today released an initial set of data from its first international survey measuring the couponing and shopping…

Walmart hopes to woo shoppers with fee-free layaway

August 21, 2013

In front of 6,000 Walmart associates at Walmart's annual holiday meeting Wednesday, Duncan Mac Naughton, the retailer's chief merchandising and marketing…

Netflix uncovers clue to customer preferences

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Call it the case of the mysterious movie preferences.

Consumer advocacy groups up in arms over 'return profiles'

August 19, 2013

Although retailers claim it's a move to fight fraud, the tracking of customer returns is yet another retail technology coming under fire from consumers.

Report: Even the wealthy love loyalty programs

August 14, 2013

In a new survey of affluent consumers by the Luxury Institute, wealthy shoppers earning at least $150,000 a year share detailed observations and evaluations of…

Report: Card spending growth solid in July

August 12, 2013

First Data Corporation has released its First Data SpendTrend analysis for July 2-30, 2013 compared to July 3-31, 2012. SpendTrend tracks same-store consumer…

How to optimize your store for summer

by Gary Edwards — Chief Customer Officer, Emathica

Now that summer is well underway, it’s time for retailers to turn up the heat. After spending prolonged time indoors during the cold weather, customers are…

Yankee Group mobile wallet report examines slow adoption rate, offers engagement tips

August 7, 2013

Nearly 70 percent of consumers are interested in adopting mobile payments, but less than 14 percent have actually completed a mobile transaction in the past…

How long are shoppers willing to wait? Six minutes.

August 2, 2013

A new study by Omnico, which surveyed 1,344 U.K. consumers, says that British shoppers are willing to stand in line an average of six minutes before giving up…

Will customer reviews become a bigger influencer for retail purchases?

Despite the hype, online customer reviews appear to play only a small role in consumer purchasing decisions.