Best Buy turns Sunday circulars into interactive 3D demos

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

August 6, 2009

Electronics retailer Best Buy has quietly unveiled a new interactive domain, www.BestBuyin3D.com, which turns the company's Sunday circulars into impressive…

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?

Report: Online retailers focusing on the checkout experience

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

July 16, 2009

When an online shopping experience is analyzed, most of the emphasis is usually placed on the "front end" — how the site looks to the visitor upon entrance…

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.

New research dissects what makes a 'wow experience'

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

July 8, 2009

A new survey from The Verde Group and the Retail Council of Canada says that most shoppers — just slightly more than 50 percent — have had a great retail…

NCR chief: We're 'leveraging our past to create our future'

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

July 8, 2009

Forbes magazine's Andy Greenberg recently sat down with Bill Nuti, chief executive of NCR since 2005 and a man with a serious vision for bringing channels…

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.

Is customer experience relevant in tough economic times?

Certain trends lead to the growth in customer experience attention and investment.

Blog: Apple's magical retail experience in its global stores

June 22, 2009

Information Week: A professional investor who's used PCs for 20 years relates the superb retail experience he had at the Apple Store in Tokyo, and emphasizes…

Forrester to host Customer Experience Forum 2009 in New York

June 21, 2009

NEW YORK — Forrester's first-ever Customer Experience Forum will bring together customer experience professionals from top companies that share one thing in…

Opinion: The fine art of reading customers

June 18, 2009

Publisher's Weekly: Training staffers to read customers' signals can lead to much better, more successful experiences for both customer and retailer. Though it…

Making mobile work for retail marketers

Mall operator General Growth Properties is experimenting with SMS-based communication as a way to build loyalty and drive sales.

Apple receives patent for media distribution kiosk

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Will the wireless-enabled device bring iTunes into retail shops and airports?

Interactive mall game aims to bring in patrons, get them to stay longer

June 16, 2009

AUSTIN, Texas — At a time when competition for the consumer dollar is fierce and retail traffic has slowed, retail centers are exploring new innovative guest…

Loyalty segmentation needs to extend into the store

When front-line employees are left out of the loyalty process, points programs miss the point.

Whole Foods offering free rides home — via rickshaw

June 9, 2009

Supermarket News: Whole Foods Market stores in Manhattan this week are offering to take shoppers home for free — via rickshaw.