Why in-queue merchandising matters (infographic)

The waiting line is a golden opportunity to reach consumers, but restraint and proper design are key.

A retailer's customer experience checklist

Although they may be harder to tick off in a simple box, customer-centric strategies are extremely important to get right.

Retail lessons for today, learned from PBS' Mr. Selfridge

It turns out that what was true 100 years ago in retail is still true today.

Creating a differentiated experience that customers actually enjoy

Too often, unfortunately, retailers' differentiated customer experiences blend together in a sea of sameness.

What Whole Foods teaches us about visual merchandising

As much as any retailer can, Whole Foods embodies the notion that stores aren't simply places to buy things.

Retailers of the future: Innovative retailers take on the Amazon juggernaut

Going up against Amazon's Goliath can be challenging for the more David-sized specialty retailers.

How to make a better wireless store experience

Expectations of wireless carriers continue to rise, not just coverage and pricing but also the in-store experience.

Retail roundtable: What could Radio Shack have done differently?

Is this once-great retailer going to go the way of Circuit City?

What retailers can learn from the hospitality industry

Transforming culture requires a shift in focus, where friendliness and helpfulness are emphasized as much as efficiency.

Crafting the perfect ambient scent for your stores via the 'six scent families'

More retail designers are now contemplating the role of scent in the customer experience.

SXSW: Retail innovation in the age of the customer

Discussions about how customers interact with brands gave way to how brands have a lot to learn from entrepreneurial retailers.

Six questions to get actionable feedback from customers

It's important to ask questions, but it's also easy to ask questions that lead the witness.

Voice for the customer: The impact of internal customer advocates

Customers need someone inside the organization who is constantly fighting on their behalf.

Clicks to bricks to clicks: Bringing curated commerce back into the store

Three ways retailers can imitate the online product curation model to create a boutique shopping experience.

Retail customer satisfaction improves for a third consecutive year

Better customer service, discounting more than offsets a drop in customer satisfaction with online retail.

To create mobile shopping traction, retailers should think beyond payment

SAP study finds that most U.S. consumers use smartphones and tablets for research, but not final purchases.

Five tips to make the most of your Valentine's Day retail experience

Only 54 percent of Americans are planning to celebrate Valentine's Day this year, compared to 60 percent last year.

Victoria's Secret, Nike top retail brand engagement index

Brand Keys has published the results of its 2014 study of emotional loyalty and engagement in retail.

Five ways to improve customer service with video

Video can help reduce customer service costs, and is more likely to get your customers engaged.

Retail Roundtable: Amazon's patent for 'anticipatory shipping'

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Can the online giant really ship products before they're ordered, or is this another well-executed piece of hype?