Commentary: The impact of checkout time on customer service perception

The time a customer spends waiting in line can dramatically impact their perception of the service they receive on the whole.

Do your customers say they love you?

by Jeanne Bliss — Founder, CustomerBliss

Are customers saying they love you?  At yelp, epinions, Twitter and hundreds of websites every day, customers who are treated well are not bashful about…

Bank of America's CEO: Brave or naive?

by Colin Shaw — Founder & CEO, Beyond Philosophy

I have seen so many proclamations like the one Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America sent to his 270,000 employees recently stating they needed to improve…

Meet the Marionettebot (Video)

February 18, 2013

Moving mannequins are no longer limited to the reality of a classic 80s movie. At United Arrows' largest apparel store in Tokyo, technology from a Kinect…

Customer service will transform your business ... starting today

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

Customer service–exceptional, consistent, customer-centered service–can transform your business more quickly than nearly any other advantage.

The future of the retail store

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Retail is dead! At least, that’s how Marc Andreessen sees it. The entrepreneur and tech investor was recently quoted saying that all physical retail stores…

Commentary: Omnichannel meets in-store merchandising

A Frank Mayer exec discusses how in-store merchandising can bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping.

AT&T flagship wins retail design award

February 14, 2013

AT&T's flagship store on Chicago's Magnificent Mile took home top honors during the 42nd Retail Design Institute Design Awards Gala. The AT&T Michigan…

Tesco digital pilot brings online experience to in-store shopping

by Natalie Gagliordi — Editor of KioskMarketplace.com, Networld Media Group

Insight from Cisco helps Tesco 'catch and keep' digital shoppers.

Mood Media to rebrand retired Muzak

February 13, 2013

Muzak, the music service that gets piped through the speakers at shopping malls and office buildings, will undergo a rebranding effort by its parent company…

Apple CEO announces store closures, likens retail experience to Prozac

February 12, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook told attendees at the Goldman Sachs investor conference that Apple plans to close 20 of its retail locations in order to relocate and…

Stage, actors, script: Great theater and retail

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

One only needs to peruse the retail headlines to see the wide ranging discussion on the importance of customer experience in retail. In IMS Retail University…

Giving shoppers what they don't know they want

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

The National Grocers Association and Supermarket Guru released some teaser facts from their Consumer Panel Survey that will be released at the annual…

Kiosk replaces coupon clipping with convenient deals (Video)

Zebra Technologies discusses its latest solution that makes couponing easier for both the shopper and the retailer.

Micah Solomon, Dr. Chris Petersen added to Retail Customer Experience Executive Summit agenda

February 6, 2013

The fourth annual Retail Customer Experience Executive Summit will take place August 13-14 at the Hard Rock in San Diego.

Customers test showers and ovens at Cali home supply store

February 5, 2013

The kitchen and bath specialty store Fixtures Living is going big on the "try before you buy" approach.

JC Penney ditches RFID plans for tagging and self-checkout

February 4, 2013

JC Penney has shelved its plans for a large-scale RFID implementation across store locations, according to an article on rfidjournal.com. As February marks the…

An amazing customer experience from TSA?

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

Last Friday I was in line for security at Logan airport. I noticed that there was only one agent checking IDs, so I figured this was going to be a long and…

GiftWise kiosk wins PayBefore award

February 1, 2013

Paybefore has chosen Self-Service Networks' GiftWise Gift Card Kiosk as a winner in the 7th annual Paybefore Awards in the Best Retail Merchandising category.

Commentary: Whole Foods' 'drink while you shop' plan won't work for most retailers

Whole Foods in Washington, DC not only has a bar in-store, but lets shoppers carry their drinks while they shop.