Shopping cart abandonment rate set to rise again in 2012

The shopping cart abandonment rate reached a new all-time high of 72 percent by the end of the year.

Good selling is good service; Good service is good selling

Sales and service are not separate functions. They are two sides of the same coin.

Consumers create the basis for growth strategies: Retail predictions for 2012

Once again, in 2012, there is a clear recognition that the omnichannel consumer is in charge.

Low prices and drug shortages

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

"Essentially all of the drug shortages that occur in the U.S. arise in the generics market, where profitability is fairly low," Greg Conko, of the Competitive…

Study: Young adults' use of technology when shopping is overstated

February 6, 2012

The use of technology for shopping by 18-25 year-olds is overstated, according to a survey done by a group of LIM College students and in conjunction with the…

European retail sales declined in December

February 3, 2012

Unemployment at a 14-year high and government spending cuts have zapped consumer demand and caused European retail sales to take an unexpected nose dive in…

Retailers reporting mixed sales for January

February 2, 2012

Retailers are reporting mixed sales results for January, according to Thomson Reuters.

Pew: In-store mobile commerce is growing

February 1, 2012

More than half of adult cell phone owners used their cell phones to help them with purchasing decisions while shopping in stores during the 2011 holiday…

Sears' Valentine's Day survey reveals gifting trends

February 1, 2012

About 40 percent of the men and women in relationships expect to get engaged on Valentine's Day this year, according to a survey conducted by Sentient Decision…

NRF 2012: The ins of visual in-store customer analytics

Andy Talbot, CEO of LightHaus Logic, talks about the functionality of visual analytics--those of systems generally as well as those of LightHaus--in this…

Study examines purchasing decisions of c-store customers

January 30, 2012

Mars Chocolate North America recently conducted a study in partnership with a national c-store retailer, hoping to understand the way consumers make purchase…

Is the deal finally done for daily deal sites?

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

One short year ago, the hype around daily deals was electric. In the analyst community, you could barely get through a day without hearing something about…

Fresh off Navajo controversy, Urban Outfitters stock plummets, CEO exits

by Jon O'Barr

Retailers need to tread lightly when co-opting cultural identities.

U.K. retailers looking to increase loyalty with better service, products

January 27, 2012

As U.K. retailers battle to grab market share from competitors, consumers should benefit from improved customer service and more innovative products that more…

Time Warner opens brand laboratory in New York

January 26, 2012

Time Warner Inc. today announced the opening of a state-of-the-art Medialab for research and development at its worldwide headquarters in New York City. The…

Study: Common perceptions about how video is used in shopping are incorrect

Consumers expect video as part of their shopping experience and rely on it when making purchase decisions.

Consumers receive mixed messages on payment choice

January 25, 2012

Recent debit card regulations have transformed market incentives for payments, creating a confusing environment for consumers, according to a press release…

IBM launches analytics appliance to help retailers track trends

January 25, 2012

IBM has created a new analytics appliance that analyzes up to petabytes of big data, including consumer sales data and online shopping trends, to help…

Media Logic now tracking the social effectiveness of 70 new brands

January 24, 2012

Based on data gathered through its Retail Social Juice Index (RSJI), Media Logic announced the addition of 70 new brands to its Retail Social Juice Index…

Survey says: 51% of shoppers seek online access via in-store kiosks

January 24, 2012

More than half (51 percent) of shoppers in the United States seek out in-store kiosks for access to the retailer's website, according to a recent survey from…