How to cultivate long-term loyalty

by Peggy Carlaw — VP, Impact Learning Systems

I used to go to the same Chinese Restaurant weekly growing up. My family celebrated birthdays, graduations, and other fun celebrations at this restaurant.

Access does not equal value

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

A professional recently told me that he'd merged his firm with a larger firm. Then he went on to say that he'd sent his clients a letter stating that the fees…

Tanga puts Etsy in its sights with craft site BelleChic

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

The daily deal retailer known for its sense of humor is reaching out to handmade goods shoppers with a new online store.

A lesson in customer service

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

I just got a text the other day that many of us hope never happens: the guy who has cut my hair for years is leaving the salon. Oh no!

Five Benefits of NFC Deployment for Retailers

Supported by major credit card companies and retailers alike, near field communication is making its way as a top method of payment processing and advertising.

Lessons learned from Apple: Great customer experiences learn continuously

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Any brand that becomes good does so, in part, because it knows how to learn. Any brand that becomes great has developed the ability to keep on learning. Apple…

Saying goodbye to Borders … on Facebook

An analysis of the late bookseller's social media stats provides some interesting insights.

Google+ is now open to all - what that means for retailers

Video chats will inform retailers about the emotional side of the buying experience.

Retail readies for advent of tight pockets at Christmas

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

It's not a fashion statement, but an economic one. According to a survey commissioned by the London-based global news agency Reuters, American shoppers will…

Customer satisfaction with personal computers, appliances and electronics hits a wall

September 19, 2011

Customer satisfaction across three durable goods industries stalls in 2011, with the majority of companies staying almost exactly where they were in 2010…

Netflix to split into two separate companies. Wait, what?

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

I awoke this morning to a friendly, "personal" email from Reed Hastings, the co-founder and CEO of Netflix. "I messed up. I owe you an explanation," he says…

The perils of dynamic pricing: Lessons learned from the airline industry

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

I was just introduced as a pricing guy to an airline consultant when he said "Our dynamic pricing model is working very well." What is dynamic pricing?

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…