Study: Consumers want choice of manned, self-service checkout

May 31, 2012

Consumers want a choice of service options with manned checkout (60 percent) and self-service (21 percent), according to a recent survey conducted by TNS on…

You had me at hello, but: What neuromarketing and Big Data miss

I'm a geek. I love big data and ferreting out patterns. Nothing fascinates me more than the burgeoning field of neuromarketing.

NRF announces winners of 'This is Retail' (videos)

Nearly 1 million votes were cast during the contest.

Can pricing build trust?

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

As business owners, we instinctively know that trust is essential to our success. The day we lose our customers trust is the day we lose their business. Game…

The Body Shop tests 'entertailing' in Britian

May 29, 2012

The Body Shop on New Bond Street in London is more than a store; it's an oasis of calm, according to theglobeandmail.com, and the prototype for a new…

Holographic Greeter using 360° HD technology

May 29, 2012

Marketing Ad Group has incorporated 360-degree HD image technology into its Holographic Greeter. The result is a dynamic range of view that is unrestricted…

Solar powered QR codes help Korean retailer increase sales

May 25, 2012

Korean discount retailer Emart recently placed 3D QR code sculptures throughout Seoul that could only be scanned between noon and 1 p.m., which are slow…

Commentary: Building a proximity marketing strategy that protects customers

Consumers are wary, rightly so, of any attempt to use their personal information to gather data and sell products.

Putting for survival

by Harvey Mackay — Author, Mackay Mitchell

Like a million other people, Major James Nesmeth dreamed of improving his golf game from his usual score in the 90s. Circumstances forced him to quit the game…

The spectacular marketing fail of JC Penney

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Ron Johnson, Penney's CEO, said last week that "coupons were a drug."

When will I see the results of my customer experience program?

by Colin Shaw — Founder & CEO, Beyond Philosophy

When we start working with a client to improve their customer experience I am often asked, "How long will it be before we see a result?" On the face of it…

Brick-and-mortar retailers fighting back

May 22, 2012

Brick-and-mortar retailers hoping to compete with mobile devices, the Internet and daily deals are getting creative when it comes to in-store offers, according…

Can you steal an experience?

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

"Stealing an Experience" is completely different at the consumer and professional levels. At the consumer level, it might mean watching two movies on one…

Despite reboot, JCPenney still struggling

May 17, 2012

It's not looking good for JC Penney despite its new look and goal to turn around sales. The company reported Tuesday that its first quarter loss was bigger…

Why customers seem scarce - part 3

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

In the previous two segments (1, 2) we learned how industry overcapacity, a dying industry and a perception that our competitors' offerings are superior cause…

Roundtable: Vidal Sassoon's lasting legacy for retail

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

The beauty pioneer changed the way people think about hair and built a retail empire in the process.

When choosing means losing time

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

On a recent trip to a popular local pottery shop – the kind of place where everything is made on the premises by hand – I was faced with an unexpected dilemma…

Q&A with Bryan Pearson, author of 'The Loyalty Leap'

Pearson discusses the importance of relevance when it comes to building a loyalty program that people will care about.

You can trust the experts to be wrong

by Harvey Mackay — Author, Mackay Mitchell

There are two types of experts, and it's very important to distinguish between them: There is the expert who can make something happen, and there is the expert…

Another nail in the coffin of big box stores?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

You don't need to look very far to see another article on the growth of online retailing. The phenomenon of online shopping is truly worldwide. While Amazon…