Start a Customer Service War

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

I'm sure you saw that Walmart just launched a new ad campaign that promises "Low Prices. Every Day. On Everything." No doubt the big box stores are going to be…

Your merchandise is NOT like fine wine

by Lynn Switanowski — President, Creative Business Consulting Group

Like most retailers, you probably have a consistent strategy in place for pricing products when they come in. But do you have the same consistent strategy in…

Danger: Strong Economy Ahead

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

Is the recovering economy a blessing, or a potential minefield for retailers?Most business owners are breathing a sigh of relief; they're emerging alive and…

Report: Consumer price transparency threatens localized retail prices

April 14, 2011

According to Benzinga.com, RSR Research, an analyst firm providing market intelligence on retail technology trends, released its latest report, "Optimizing…

Rise of the thrift store shopper provides steady growth in resale industry

by Kim Williams — Reporter, NetWorld Alliance

Are shoppers willing to sacrifice customer experience, service for bargains?

NRF: March retail sales indicate confident, but cautious, consumer

April 12, 2011

According to the National Retail Federation, retail sales in March increased across the board for the ninth straight month. For March, retail industry sales…

Research: Half of Americans with mobile phones using them to shop

Users are comparing prices, reading reviews, downloading coupons and making purchases on their phones.

How to sell luxury products without discounting

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Do you have a luxury product to sell? I'm not talking a good or better version of something you could find at some dollar store. I'm talking the best.Selling…

Webinar discusses integration of contact center, social and web interactions

April 6, 2011

According to a recent Harris Research poll, 85 percent of consumers said they would be willing to pay anywhere from 5 to 25 percent more than regular price if…

NRF: Spending on food, gifts and apparel expected to increase this Easter

April 6, 2011

Not since 1943 have Americans seen an Easter fall this late in the calendar, but it seems the delayed holiday won't impact consumers' eagerness to spend on…

Buying customer loyalty: Does it ever work?

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

Can we really buy customer loyalty? If not, what are we really buying?To answer these questions we need to define loyalty. Loyal customers:

Developing a technology strategy to support multichannel content

The Internet is now "the new staging ground for personalized marketing."

Opinion: Forget about selling on Facebook for now

One expert suggests that the market for retailers on the social network is actually miniscule.

Luxury Isn't Social

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

I've read a number of articles recently commenting on the conspicuous lack of social marketing in the luxury sector. While it's also true that participation in…

GlobalShop: Interbrand announces best retail brands of 2011

March 30, 2011

LAS VEGAS — Interbrand, a branding and design consultancy, revealed the findings of its most recent report, “Best Retail Brands 2011,” this week at the…

Report: Four out of five mobile shoppers frustrated with the experience

Whether the platform is a mobile device, tablet or computer, online customer experience is still fraught with issues.

GlobalShop: Reinventing retail design to fit a multichannel environment

by Kim Williams — Reporter, NetWorld Alliance

The future of retail will be "smaller, flexible, personal and intensely linked."

Online coupon sites offer increasing opportunities for retailers

Two out of three consumers have reported downloading and printing coupons from the Internet.

Is it Time to Drop the 'e' from e-Commerce?

by Jason Goldberg — VP Marketing, MTI

Most e-commerce executives are focused on online sales, even though their actual contribution to the organization is far broader. In order to maximize the…

Retail executive summit announces keynotes, Twins/Red Sox outing

March 28, 2011

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Retail Customer Experience Executive Summit, an exclusive c-level event produced by NetWorld Alliance and hosted by…