The role of data integrity in building a unified commerce customer experience

Abnesh Raina, PlumSlice Labs founder and CEO, explains why accurate product data management is essential for retailers looking to stay ahead of the…

Ways small retailers can thrive in a world of retail giants

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Blogger Chris Petersen says that when a retailer doesn't have the resources or infrastructure, the best way to compete with Amazon is do something different.

How to set a return policy that works for the customer and you

Sam Kliger, KWI CEO, explains why there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to retail return policies. The policy is an important part of a…

The future of retail: More tech and even more human

Matt Matsui, senior vice president of products and strategy at Calabrio, says digital transformation isn't just coming — it's finally here and retailers must…

Mobile pay, AI, biometrics bringing new muscle to automatic merchandising

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The National Automatic Merchandising Association trade show floor featured POS equipment tailored to a consumer who is comfortable with mobile payment, and…

Are you an innovative customer whisperer?

by Chip Bell — Customer Loyalty Consultant/Author, Chip Bell Group

Chip R. Bell explains why retail success starts with customer intelligence that provokes insight, not just customer information, and includes shifting the…

How major mergers are changing your favorite private brands

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Bryan Pearson ponders what will happen to the Whole Foods brand now living under the ever expanding Amazon umbrella.

5 ways AI can do the heavy lifting in the retail customer experience

Katrina Gosek, senior director, digital customer product strategy at Oracle, explains why success in the next era of retail won't come from adding the latest…

A new purpose for in-store retail in 2018: customer delight

Justin Jones and Ashley Welch, co-founders of Somersault Innovation, explain the focus of in-store retail and why it's all about creating 'Cathy' moments -…

What apocalypse? Why we're going through a retail Ragnarök

Glenn Shoosmith, CEO and founder of BookingBug, says the clearest evidence that there is no retail apocalypse is the fact we're seeing some of the most…

Creating measurable touchpoints for experiential retail

Jacob Taylor, founder and CEO, Civitas, explores the evolution of experiential retail and what marketers can do to capitalize on measurable touchpoints during…

Why online retailers, partners must focus on social commerce

Govinda Giri, architect of the Sagoon social commerce platform, believes the time is now to capitalize on an e-commerce model with the social media audience.

A new era of content management, strategic collaboration

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

As Chris Petersen explains consumer-facing content is dispersed across many channels, systems and the cloud. Consequently, a major challenge for brands and…

Winning the race to the home requires more than the last mile

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Blogger Chris Petersen explains why the future of retail is not linear and that the winners are building ecosystems.

Customer fog: Why your customers leave

by Chip Bell — Customer Loyalty Consultant/Author, Chip Bell Group

Chip Bell explains what customer forensics® is all about why it remains largely completely misunderstood by retailers.

Lessons learned from two of the best brick and mortar retailers

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Blogger Chris H. Petersen explains how two of the top retailers are thriving by doing more than helping consumers make the purchase.

Insights from NRF's Big Show: Key retail tech trends to watch for in 2018

Matt Sebek, vice president of digital, World Wide Technology Asynchrony Labs, pinpoints the big trends coming into play for customer experience from NRF's Big…

The breakdown: Disjointed internal operations lead to disjointed customer experiences

Lauren Drexler, client director, Elicit, maps out three (fixable) hot spots where issues often surface and bleed into a negative experience for customers.

A CES lesson: Why more is not better — only better is better

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Chris Petersen explains why adding more technology does not mean consumers will come or buy.

CES 2018 reveals how retail is changing

by Jeff KAGAN — Wireless Analyst, Telecom Industry Analyst

Anyone attending CES 2018 this year couldn't but help notice the annual conference revealed one big truth, writes industry analyst Jeff Kagan. That big truth…