Study: One in 10 smartphone owners have written a review while in-store

Mobile and social customer experience strategies are becoming more important than ever for brands.

Loyalty means never having to say, "Eat that second doughnut"

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Smart marketers know that the key to winning customer loyalty is through using personal data in a way that benefits both the company and the consumer.

Petco discovers shopping trends with new analytics solution

July 18, 2012

Petco is learning about its customers with a new text analytics solution from LivePerson Inc., a provider of real-time engagement solutions. The pet store…

Do customers control your pricing?

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

The CEO of a staffing firm asked what I did for a living. When I told him that I help companies get higher prices regardless of what their competitors or the…

Survey: Average US consumer will spend $300 on back-to-school

July 17, 2012

The back-to-school shopping season is already underway with one-third of households reporting that they have begun to shop, according to a special ICSC-Goldman…

Why don't the old customer service ways work anymore?

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

"Why don't the old ways work with customers anymore?" I hear this question frequently when I'm speaking at a business event or starting a new customer service…

Report: Mobile retail commerce rises in second quarter, social shopping drops

July 16, 2012

Mobile shopping rose while social media sales fell, providing an indication of where U.S. retailers may invest in order to capture the attention and loyalty of…

Retail purchases fall .5%

July 16, 2012

Retail sales dropped by .5 percent in June in the U.S., making it the third month in a row for decreased sales, according to Bloomberg, which reported that…

Klout: More social influence equals a better customer experience?

by Colin Shaw — Founder & CEO, Beyond Philosophy

I was very interested to see that organizations are starting to provide a better customer experience to people that have more social influence. You may have…

The customer-centric retail pricing zone

Analyzing shopping patterns across multiple stores allows for a more profitable pricing-zone strategy.

There's no room for revolutionaries on Wall Street

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Several months ago, JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson and his newly formed executive team made some significant changes to the pricing and promotional structure for…

Study: Young shoppers want integration of online, store experience

July 11, 2012

Millennials rely on brick-and-mortar stores and technology equally to access information or to gain insights about a product they plan to purchase, according…

The customer loyalty/customer experience conundrum

Retailers often make the mistake of equating customer loyalty with the customer experience.

Market-driven pricing

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

A May 9, 2012 Bloomberg Businessweek article, "Macy's 1Q profit jumps 38 percent," attributes the company's success to its ability to tailor its fashions to…

RCE Podcast episode 3: Why (most) retailers shouldn't worry about showrooming

July 6, 2012

New survey data reveals that most retailers have nothing to fear from the mobile-enabled consumer, and on today's call our panel discusses why that is - and…

Five ways to drive customer conversion rates in your stores

Increasing conversion rate is a sales opportunity that many retailers completely overlook.

Four retailers who translated social media into revenue

Marketing pros give tips on what to do with all those fans and followers.

The high price of uncertainty

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

Is uncertainty really stymieing growth? The leaders of Fortune 500 companies are sitting on trillions in cash awaiting clear indicators of where the economy is…

Study: Background noise inspires innovative purchases

June 26, 2012

A new study shows that moderate background noise may inspire consumers to buy more innovative products.

Why tablets are so compelling to kids ... of all species

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

The twins absolutely love their iPad. They can't get enough time on it. In this Miami family, the teenagers also exhibit a high preference for consumer…