Great customer service: Remembering the little things

Tough times mean retailers need to squeeze all the value they can out of their assets, and that includes the small touches that can make a big difference.

The theater of the brand: Building entertainment experiences at retail

Retailers are using three pivotal tools to engage and stay top-of-mind with consumers.

Making the case for custom point-of-purchase content

A core factor of the retail customer experience is advertising. But how we speak to a potential customer versus a customer at the point of purchase are not the…

Designing a new experience — and putting fun back into retail

Now is a great time to design and launch a new customer experience — especially for brands feeling the pinch of commoditization.

Driver's license scanning reduces fraud, but may alienate shoppers

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

In an effort to fight return fraud and abuse, a growing number of retailers are using a service that keeps a database of return activity — and feels like an…

Research: E-commerce hindered by lack of human assistance

A large number of respondents to a new survey indicate a lack of assistance affected their online purchasing decisions.

Reader Q&A: How do I drive more traffic into the store?

A legendary retailer asks for advice on getting shoppers into the store, and Kate Newlin responds with some practical tips.

Luxury retail at a crossroads

Shattered by heavy discounting, luxury retailers now need to focus on two distinct customer types - those looking for branded items at a lower price, and the…

Hands-on review: Best Buy's Twelpforce

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

The electronics retailer is using Twitter to connect customers to an army of tech experts. How well does it work?

Breaking retail's addiction to discounting

When retailers emphasize price above all else, everybody loses. Author Kate Newlin offers some alternatives to "okay, available and cheap."

Thinking beyond traditional retail packaging

How retailers are mixing packaging with interactive technology to connect with consumers.

Taming the loyalty card beast

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

New tools — both high-tech and low-tech — aim to liberate loyalty cards from the key chain.

Why good customer service is like billiards

Retail Doc Bob Phibbs explains why customer service staff need to scatter around the customer, like pool balls reacting to the cue.

Private label: The prestige brands of tomorrow?

Retail expert and author Kate Newlin says the only odd thing about private label brands is that they've taken so long to win shoppers over.

Opinion: Why customer satisfaction surveys don't work

With 95 percent of our cognitive processing handled by the subconscious, how much value is there in surveys that probe the other five percent?

What the Amazon/Zappos deal means for customers

Amazon has acquired Zappos.com in a deal that exceeds $800 million. From the customer's standpoint, is this a marriage made in retail heaven?

E-tail clinic: The new CircuitCity.com

The electronics retail brand has been revived online by Systemax — so what is it like for customers?

Retailers can weather economy by focusing on basics

Trusted brands and an enlarged pool of skilled workers provide leverage.

Eight tips for better retail brand messaging

A New York City ad agency lays out a process to ensure retail communications reach their full potential.

Economy presents a new reality for luxury brands

The downturn has forced a paradigm shift on luxury brand marketers, who are for the first time being forced to re-think their traditional approach.