Survey announces 10 worst online retailers

January 2, 2012

Is it brand perception or actual high-quality service that gives online retailers their reputations? That's a question that 24/7 Wall St. set out to find by…

Sears CEO: Technology key to revitalizing company

January 2, 2012

Sears' chief executive officer, Lou D'Ambrosio, plans to turn around his company's performance by implementing technology and spending more money on stores…

Re-assuring the assurance factor: Why smiles and happy faces aren't enough

When providing customer service, courtesy is not a substitute for competence and skill.

Teamwork Retail using iPads to manage stores

December 29, 2011

Employees in Teamwork Retail stores are using iPads to ring up purchases and look up product info on the retail floor,

3 things shoppers care more about than price

December 28, 2011

American consumers were less concerned with costs during the 2011 holiday shopping season than last year, according to the Foresee E-Retail Satisfaction Index…

Big boxes going condo is a "material" change

by Mark Murray — Director, The Store Channel

The most noticeable change for mass-market retail in the year ahead will be the introduction of new architectural materials and flooring. As "stores" evolve…

What is 'knock your socks off customer service'?

Research finds that it costs five times more to attract a new customer than it does to keep one you already have.

Barneys NY using mobile POS

December 21, 2011

Barneys New York is going mobile this holiday season with MICROS-Retail's miStore mobile point-of-sale in its flagship Manhattan store.

It's Amazon's world, we're just living in it

by Jeff Weidauer — Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Vestcom International, Inc.

It doesn't seem like all that many years ago when Amazon.com was touting itself as the "world's biggest bookstore." I remember listening to its radio ads in…

Six trends that will cause brick-and-mortar retailers to lose sleep in 2012

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

It's customary to look ahead at the retail trends that will shape 2012 and the buzz, profits and challenges to profitable retailing. Here then are the good…

Survey: Mobile technology leads to better customer experience

December 19, 2011

Three in four retail associates and managers said they provide a better in-store customer experience when equipped with the latest mobile technologies…

How the Choice of Digital Signage Software Affects Your Network's Business: A Healthcare Network Example

Digital signs help patients get a fuller service, while allowing doctors to serve more patients more efficiently.

Epic Retail Fails of 2011 [Infographic]

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

It’s been a rough couple of years for retail, but it’s been especially bad for some. Here are seven particularly startling “retail fails” from the past year.

Kum & Go partners with NCR

December 14, 2011

NCR Corp. announced it will implement its Radiant c-store technology in each of Kum & Go's 400-plus stores. The chain, which is the fifth largest…

AT&T opens interactive store in Illinois

December 14, 2011

AT&T has opened a high-tech retail store in Champaign, Ill. The store offers a unique way for customers to interact with and shop, including a hands-on…

The best way to feel a brand is to hear it

by Mark Murray — Director, The Store Channel

As we're all shopping (or perhaps "auditing") stores filled with the sounds of the season, it's a good time to talk sound. Believe me when I tell you - sound…

RIM's only road back: Building an iPhone killer

by Aaron Shapiro — CEO, HUGE

Once upon a time, Research in Motion was the world's leading smartphone company. Armies of executives were loyal to their "crackberries." It had a stock price…

New study is first to test the actual impact of branded apps on consumers

Research found that mobile applications can stimulate interest in new product categories.

What customers really remember from the holidays

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

Long after the holiday and the online deals and big box sales, it's the shopping experiences that most customers remember.

Is your marketing magnetic?

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

An interesting fact about magnets is that they can either attract or repel other magnets depending upon their polarity. Marketing also has the ability to…