Target and Walmart announce very different Q4 earnings

November 16, 2012

This week discount giants Walmart and Target announced fourth-quarter earnings, giving insight into how Americans will spend this shopping season.

Could Santa steal from your store?

by Doug Fleener — President and Managing Partner, Dynamic Experiences Group, LLC

While running errands with my children this past weekend the topic of shoplifting came up. When I said that just about anyone could be a shoplifter, my…

Fast Casual Executive Summit 2012: NEC

Fast Casual editor Cherryh Butler visits with NEC's Rich Ventura, to talk about menu and branding trends, at the 2012 Fast Casual Executive Summit.

I Saw Mommy Googling Santa Claus [Infographic]

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

U.S. holiday retail sales are expected to reach $586 billion in 2012. Online and mobile sales will account for larger portion of those sales than ever before.

NRF: 147 million shoppers expected for Black Friday

November 15, 2012

Not since 2007 has Thanksgiving come this early, but the calendar creep won't keep millions of eager holiday shoppers from visiting their favorite stores and…

Beating the Black Friday blues

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

The term “Black Friday” is a familiar part of the holiday shopping season, with retailers going to great lengths to capture shoppers’ attention right after…

Hurricane Sandy, fiscal cliff impact October retail sales

November 14, 2012

For the first time in three months, retail sales ticked down slightly as consumers cooled discretionary spending in the face of inclement weather and…

Study shows U.S. consumers likely to splurge on luxury goods

November 13, 2012

Half of U.S. consumers are likely to make a small luxury purchase in the next six months, including 53 percent who are likely to purchase specialty food or…

Survey: Shoppers plan to spend less this holiday season

November 13, 2012

Retailers can expect a drop in holiday sales this shopping season, according to the second annual PersicopeIQ Retail Intelligence Survey. 

Women in the retail workforce can increase sales

November 12, 2012

Retailers looking to boost sales should consider bumping up the number of women on their workforce.

MCX's perspective: What merchants want from mobile commerce

Walmart, Target, CVS, Lowe's, Best Buy … why are so many merchants lining up to commit to MCX?

CETW12: The power of social media done right

by Natalie Gagliordi — Editor of KioskMarketplace.com, Networld Media Group

Citibank executive Frank Eliason explains the pitfalls and benefits of social media.

How showrooming may hurt holiday retail sales

If every holiday season has a scrooge, then this year for retailers, it's showrooming.

Report: Online retail up 15 percent over last year

November 8, 2012

comScore Inc. has released its Q3 2012 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, showing that online retail spending reached $41.9 billion for the quarter, up 1…

Price cuts plague Carrefour sales

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

That is the title of a recent Financial Times article. But is it true?

How important is mobility marketing? Follow Mom's lead.

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

There has been a lot of research on "crossing the chasm" and how technology moves from early adopters to mainstream consumers. With previous technology devices…

The best perk of all: Fairness

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

I remember, in the near past, when getting a safe in your hotel room was considered a perk that many of us didn’t even use. Today, that little extra costs a…

Are your QR codes gathering dust?

Retailers need to use QR codes to deliver something of value to consumers.

Price-matching becomes retail holiday strategy

by Natalie Gagliordi — Editor of KioskMarketplace.com, Networld Media Group

With showrooming abounding, retailers look to match prices of online competitors. Is that a good idea?

The waiting is the hardest part (for your customers)

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

Timeliness is a critical part of creating a successful customer experience. As a business keynote speaker, I'm often heard calling on company and conference…