Customer behavior tracking doesn't always have to be creepy

August 1, 2013

Following consumer backlash toward Nordstrom after customers became aware that they were being tracked via their smartphone's media access control address…

Apple is going to business school

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

There is always a lot of press about Apple. There are Apple stock forecasts, new product predictions and literally hundreds of stories about their stores. But…

Logic vs. emotion in retail pricing

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

My thanks to Paula Jones, Craft and Hobby Assn. Canada, for sending me this January 22, 2013 Forbes article, Postscript On Retail Pricing: Avoiding the "Race…

7 ways to keep, and serve, Millennial customers

Customer service must evolve from being Baby Boomer-specific to Millennial-centric.

Deloitte's back-to-school survey finds frugality will rule

July 29, 2013

Although consumer confidence in the economy has increased, the back-to-school shopping season will see shoppers hold tight to their purse strings, according to…

Asda forecasts omnichannel for 2013 holiday season

July 29, 2013

The European grocery chain Asda expects that 75 percent of its customers will shop across bricks and clicks this Christmas, according to an article on Retail…

Amazon winning the price-comparison battle, study finds

July 26, 2013

A new study from Parago suggests that more than half of smartphone owners regularly use their device while in-store to commit showrooming, with Amazon as the…

Consumers don't think in terms of channels. Retailers do.

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

As I prepare to meet with a number of groups and retailers around the world, their No. 1 question is about predicting what must change in retail in order to be…

Loyalty, rewards and the test of time

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

When it comes to measuring their program effectiveness, loyalty marketers tend to rely on what I like to call the big EAR: earnings, activation and redemption…

Empathy, emotion and the customer experience

Eighty percent of companies think they deliver great experiences, but only 8 percent of customers agree.

Video game developer concerned with pre-owned game retailing

July 22, 2013

A head of the video game developer Ready at Dawn recently aired his grievances with the pre-owned game market — specifically calling out the negative impact…

Retailers can expect stiff competition for fewer sales this back-to-school

July 19, 2013

It's the second biggest spending season behind Christmas, so it's no surprise retailers (and shoppers) are already revving up for back-to-school. But according…

How do retail shoppers feel about surveillance?

The eyes in the mannequin just might be watching every move you make.

How in-store navigation impacts customer experience

by Jeannie Walters — Chief Customer Experience Investigator, 360Connext

Few phrases conjure up more anxiety than "we're lost."

Wooing shoppers with personalization

Retailers have realized they must create personalized shopping experiences in order to effectively compete.  

NRF: June retail sales indicate a growing but measured economy

July 15, 2013

Consumer spending and retail sales ended the second quarter on a soft note, indicating that economic growth and acceleration has weakened. According to the…

Are pop-ups a permanent fixture in retailing?

For shopping centers and permanent stores, a pop-up can create excitement and a sense of urgency that can drive traffic.

The problem with mobile advertising isn't mobile. It's advertising.

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

In a recent article for Adweek David Gianatasio asked the question, “Why Does Mobile Advertising Stink?” And it’s a great question, because it really does. And…

Commentary: Three business principles retailers should invest in

Should business and brands always love 'what's new'?

Commentary: Why retail must differentiate or die

Retailers can no longer be all things to all shoppers.