Halloween and Sandy boost retail sales

October 31, 2012

The Johnson Redbook Index, an indicator of performance in U.S. retail sales, released figures yesterday showing that national chain-store sales fell 1.…

ShopperTrak acquires RelTel in move to improve analytics power

October 30, 2012

ShopperTrak, a company that analyzes foot traffic data for retailers, today announced its acquisition of surveillance analytics startup ReTel Technologies. 

How retailers can attract more male customers

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

In RCE podcast #8, Kim Nasief, CEO of Measure CP, and I were asked if there is a way to attract male shoppers to stores. The generally held and widely accepted…

Will same-day shipping make us happier customers?

by William Cusick — President, Customerspectives

Both Amazon and Walmart are vying to be your retailer of choice, and one aspect that we are all apparently about to start demanding is same-day delivery of our…

Opinion: Consumer confidence could have its dangers

October 29, 2012

According to an article on The Daily Beast, this fall, for the first time since late 2007, the percentage of Americans who say their personal financial…

Microsoft allegedly fakes line for Windows 8 launch

October 29, 2012

In a possible move to rival Apple's diehard fanbase, Microsoft is being accused of staging huge lines at some stores for the launch of Windows 8, in order to…

The great digital divide: Natives versus Immigrants

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

If you look at age demographics, there is an amazing stat: 50 percent of the world's population is under 30 years old! No one under 30 remembers typewriters…

Here's why retailers should put up their Christmas displays before Halloween

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

It's that time of the year ... time for the leaves to change, corn mazes to sprout up, pumpkin spice latte demand so strong Starbucks has shortages. And of…

Index: Overall consumer confidence at highest point in five years

October 24, 2012

According to the latest CEA Index released this week by the Consumer Electronics Association, consumer confidence in the overall economy increased in October…

Retail, restaurants drive big business with loyalty programs

by Christopher Hall — w, t

Loyalty programs offer a way to build relationships with customers, and gather mission critical insight into their behavior.

Retail sales in Canada increase slightly in some sectors

October 23, 2012

Canadian retail sales rose 0.3 percent in August, according to numbers released by Statistics Canada, but the offset from higher food and gas prices resulted…

Retail sales have positive, unexpected September surge

October 18, 2012

Economic reports released this week show more signs of a gradual economic expansion in the U.S., according to an article on costar.com. The Census Bureau…

The high price of being too clever

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

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." So said…

NRF: Consumer spending surged in September

October 15, 2012

Propelled by solid sales in clothing and electronics stores, growth in retail sales in September offered a promising outlook for the critical holiday months…

'Sudden' interest in everyday low prices

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

An article by Ely Portillo at CharlotteObserver.com indicates that Lowe's is the latest company to try everyday low prices. This comes on the heels of failed…

Brick-and-mortar retailers gaining ground on Web-only, off-shore rivals

October 11, 2012

An analysis by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia reported by The Australian Financial Review found that brick-and-mortar retailers are gaining ground on…

Customer experience management makes for good marketing

by Kimberly Nasief — President, Measure Consumer Perspectives

Customer experience management can be the difference between good marketing and bad marketing. As every business owner knows, a happy customer is the best form…

What every retailer must know about Gen Y, part 2

Thrift is the new shopping; they call it thrifting. In this way, Millennials resemble their grandparents' Silent Generation.

Your favorite retail 'store' might just be your pickup locker

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

The growth of ecommerce is literally old news. Pure e-tailers and traditional retailers with online sites are increasingly winning the hearts and wallets of…

Like ketchup, but sweeter! The customer experience and customer taste

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

My son and I were eating barbecue together recently. The restaurant in question is one of those excruciatingly cheerful, homogenized theme restaurants. Not my…