Lessons from the 'Shark Tank'

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

I was channel surfing when I stumbled across the program 'Shark Tank.' For those of you who may not have seen it, entrepreneurs present their business ideas to…

Wowing Customers Doesn’t Come With A Groupon

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

I was reading a blog about using Groupon for a restaurant and a posted comment stood out, "... the key is adding value, so that when they use their Groupon at…

American Express Social Currency

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

I've been speaking a lot lately about how social media can transform a brand. Either give it a voice for the first time, give it thought leadership status…

Guy Kawasaki on enchantment in retail

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

I caught up with author, speaker and investor Guy Kawasaki to discuss his new book Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions. Specifically, I…

Survey says 60 percent of factory outlet shoppers are "cross shoppers"

May 19, 2011

Due to increased interest recently in the factory outlet segment of the industry, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs (GS…

Survey reveals diverse online shopping personalities

May 18, 2011

According to a survey by SteelHouse, an eCommerce solutions company, Americans’ online shopping personalities and buying behaviors are both diverse and…

At Kroger, Shoppers are Bananas for Loyalty

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Fun fact: Americans are just as likely to have bananas in their kitchen as a Kroger loyalty card in their wallets.

Better Pricing / Better Living

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

The most recent 2011 Store Openings list (a list obtained from credible published sources available to the general public, updated 3/24/11) reveals that store…

Deloitte Consumer Spending Index slides in April

May 15, 2011

The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index fell significantly in April, showing the largest single month decline since November 2007. The Index tracks consumer cash…

Consumers rank social networks better than online businesses for ability to protect personal information

May 12, 2011

ThreatMetrix, a provider of cloud-based fraud prevention solutions that do not require personally identifiable information (PII), has announced that a joint…

Report: Consumers influenced by a retailer's physical appearance

More than two-thirds of consumers say they have avoided a store based on its external appearance.

Study says $16 billion worth of loyalty program rewards go unredeemed each year

by Kim Williams — Reporter, NetWorld Alliance

Americans accumulate approximately $48 billion in rewards points and air travel miles annually.

NRF: Retailers lead economic charge with 10 straight months of sales gains

May 11, 2011

Retail sales increased for the tenth straight month in April, further evidence that the retail sector and consumer spending continue to lead the economic…

What recent events in Japan will mean for luxury brands

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Before the news about Bin Laden, people were talking a lot about the effects from the tragic events in Japan. Of course there is a human side which we are all…

Why do sales people forget that they are also buyers?

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

A strange transformation takes place when a person takes on a sales role. It doesn't matter whether it's a "sales professional," a solo entrepreneur, a…

Half of smartphone users now shop online via mobile device

May 10, 2011

Fifty percent of smartphone users now have  completed some sort of purchase with their mobile phones, a 20 percent increase in the last nine months. Eleven…

Study shows word-of-mouth advertising down drastically in wake of recession

May 10, 2011

Despite an explosion in consumer conversation technology, Americans have cut back substantially since 2008 on the opinions they share by word-of-mouth (WOM…

Walmart To Go – Will it Stay?

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

For all of those consumers who would never go to Walmart, the hyperchain has found a way to come to you.The world's largest retailer is testing a home-delivery…

The Napster Moment

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

In 1999, a teenager and a relatively simple piece of technology rocked the music industry. The teen was Shawn Fanning, the technology was P2P file sharing…

Altimeter’s Jeremiah Owyang pinpoints retail's sweet spot

by Laurel Tielis — Author and Professional Speaker, Laurel Tielis & Associates

To find retail's sweet spot, a purchase, put the customer ahead of technology. For multiple purchases, make customers influencers for your business.