J. Crewsing into CEO branding: What Mickey Drexler can learn from Loblaw, REI

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

In his personal letter to shoppers, J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler appears to be backing his brand promise with a personal promise. But if he wants to be a branded…

Forgoing clicks and betting on bricks: What's the story?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

NYC-based Story and the five ways it beats e-tailers.

Kroger's ClickList fuels points for chain, but what's in the cards for customers?

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Kroger is extending its ClickList online ordering service to new markets, but that does not mean a national rollout is in store for consumers.

How Target's in-store clinics are reinventing retail wellness

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Target's new in-store wellness sections, called Connected Health, enable shoppers to track personal health information on handheld devices.

5 signs you're in a relationship with the consumer … or not

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

The most important 'sale' made every day is building relationships.

Why POS is as valuable as electricity for the retailer

Running your wireless business without a point-of-sale system leaves you in the dark even more.

Droids vs drones: The war to win the "last mile" of retail

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Winning the last mile of delivery creates a major competitive advantage.

3 ways to boost the online checkout experience

Simplifying the online checkout process can be fairly simple and benefit your business in the long term as it makes customers happy.

The Internet of Things to come: How Nespresso, Apple, Nest grind out predictability

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

The adaptation of digital technology across products, from clothing to coffee, is slowly reshaping what today's consumers expect from brands and their retail…

5 things retailers must do to make IoT not about "things"

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Retail is doing a horrible job with IoT because it's not about things at all.

Shipping wars: Fighting the pricing surge with omnichannel retail tactics

An increase in shipping prices from popular shipping providers is a big reason why retailers are looking for a solid strategy to overcome the current shipping…

5 dirty little secrets within Amazon's world domination strategy

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Planes, trains and ships are just the tip of the icebergs in disruption.

Preparing for the new digital customer journey

As the availability of digital and mobile technologies continues to grow, there has been a shifting away from the traditional customer-agent interaction model…

A beautiful find: How 2 grocers stock relevance through sustainability

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

The issue of sustainability in the supermarket aisle is no longer a question. It is the answer to retaining relevance among earth-conscious consumers.

Starbucks loyalty change brews anger, filters out value of experience

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

The shift in how members of My Starbucks Rewards earn stars may be a test of its customer loyalty, but with the program's expanding mobile payment and other…

As CVS converts Target pharmacies, data is key to health

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

As CVS/pharmacy enters the thick of converting 1,700 Target pharmacies and clinics to its own brand, it has made it evident its reward program, ExtraCare, will…

Going bananas with product placement may not be such a good move

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

To put it simply, my Millennial loves bananas and is not going to be too thrilled to be so overtly manipulated.

The "perfect storm" for an omnichannel explosion in India

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Lessons learned from India's retailers … and changing consumers.

Membership-based business models: Capitalize on being in the club

by Ethan Whitehill — CEO, two west inc

As access becomes more important than assets to today's shoppers, brands are building tech-driven subscription services and entire businesses around this…

In order to survive and thrive don't breathe your own exhaust

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Biggest threat to today's retailers lies within the walls of the ivory tower.