The income gap: The growing chasm between server and served

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Review any retail sales training program written in the past 50 years and you'll likely encounter multiple references to the word "rapport." Rapport, or the…

Beyond a loyalty program: Using loyalty data to create a unified strategy

Retailers launch loyalty programs with the best of intentions, but why do so many fail to deliver on expectations?

Major technology initiative unveiled by Macy's

September 13, 2011

Macy's Inc. has outlined a series of technology-related innovations being launched or piloted in its stores and online sites as part of the company's…

Retail experts share their big idea in one minute

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

At the 2011 Retail Customer Experience Executive Summit held in Minneapolis on August 8-10, 2011, I worked with some of the world’s best customer experience…

NRF to announce 'unprecedented advocacy campaign' for jobs, innovation, consumer value agenda

September 12, 2011

The National Retail Federation will announce its launch of an unprecedented year-long advocacy campaign to underscore the economic significance of the retail…

Socially responsible retailing from Walmart and Patagonia

by Laurel Tielis — Author and Professional Speaker, Laurel Tielis & Associates

Patagonia has long had the reputation of being a socially responsible company. Walmart not so much. But this week, I think they're telling a similar story.

Three tactics for reducing shopping cart abandonment

Shipping-to-value ratio, critical price points have a big impact on why online shoppers back out of a purchase.

Why adding on may be costing you sales

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

Most specialty retailers whose staff is sales-focused emphasize add-ons. When done well, this approach can slightly increase a store's average sale, but I…

Joe Pine to kick off CETW with keynote address: Driving Customer Engagement through Digital Experiences

September 7, 2011

In the seminal work "The Experience Economy," B. Joseph Pine II identified a seismic shift in the business world: To set yourself apart from your competition…

The retail generation gap is killing premium brands

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

As the keynote speaker last month at the Retail Customer Executive Summit, I focused on the humanity needed in retail. That's because, just like at the NRF…

Best Buy becomes first branded store inside Facebook game CityVille

August 31, 2011

Best Buy and Zynga have announced a partnership that integrates the first retail branded store into Zynga's CityVille, the largest game on Facebook according…

Why The Fresh Market is more fresh than Whole Foods

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

Founded in 1982, The Fresh Market, Inc. is a specialty grocery retailer focused on providing high-quality products in a unique and inviting atmosphere with a…

When is a reward NOT a reward? A lesson from Panera Bread.

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

In my previous post, "Buying customer loyalty," I railed against reward programs. One restaurant chain, Panera Bread, has proven my point via the type of…

The twenty-four hour WOW

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

Former American Idol judge Simon Cowell often commented that even though a contestant's performance was good, and sometimes even quite good, nobody will…

Anne Fontaine debuts new flagship store design

August 18, 2011

This month, Anne Fontaine will open its doors to its newest concept store at Highland Park Village, Dallas' premier venue for upscale shopping and dining.

Walgreens launches its Nice! store brand

August 18, 2011

Walgreens today officially unveiled its new store brand Nice! in stores across the country.

John Hodgman on how to save bookstores

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Comedian John Hodgman – one of the funniest people on the planet, if you ask me – was on The Daily Show the other night, discussing the demise of bookstores…

Opinion: The retail 'moment of truth' has run amok

Why trying to pull apart the Gordian knot of consumer motivation and label each piece is an exercise in futility.

Perception is reality: Why Wal-Mart needs to show shoppers the money

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal highlights that Wal-Mart's "aura of price leadership" has experienced a downturn since the recession, according to surveys by…

Canada Post capturing customer experience data at 40 post offices

August 16, 2011

OpinionLab, provider of voice-of-customer (VOC) listening technologies, has announced an expanded relationship with Canada Post. In addition to collecting…