Malls to offer VIP perks to lure more Black Friday shoppers

November 16, 2012

Black Friday shoppers at certain malls will get the VIP treatment as more retail establishments seek to offer a "white glove" experience to those willing to…

Walmart launches Goodies doorstep delivery service

November 15, 2012

Shoppers looking to have unique seasonal foods delivered to their doorstep need look no further than the latest brainchild of Walmart Labs: Goodies.

Why build a great customer experience if you have no competition?

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

What if you didn’t have any competition? Would the customer experience you create even matter–if, for example, you ran a government agency or were otherwise…

CETW12: The power of social media done right

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

Citibank executive Frank Eliason explains the pitfalls and benefits of social media.

Petitioners plead with retailers to stop 'Black Friday creep'

November 9, 2012

Target, Walmart, Kohl’s and Sears are among the long list of retailers facing a consumer backlash on Change.org over “Black Friday creep” following Walmart’s…

The best perk of all: Fairness

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

I remember, in the near past, when getting a safe in your hotel room was considered a perk that many of us didn’t even use. Today, that little extra costs a…

Price-matching becomes retail holiday strategy

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

With showrooming abounding, retailers look to match prices of online competitors. Is that a good idea?

The waiting is the hardest part (for your customers)

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

Timeliness is a critical part of creating a successful customer experience. As a business keynote speaker, I'm often heard calling on company and conference…

JDA, RedPrairie announce merger

November 1, 2012

RedPrairie and JDA Software announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement.

Apple axes SVP of retail division

October 30, 2012

Apple announced today the immediate departure of John Browett, the company's newly minted SVP of retail. Browett has encountered some snags in his six-month…

I have seen the future of retail and his name is Errick

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

Last week I was in California visiting family, but like most of us on "vacation" these days, I was still working in my subconscious. One of my goals while…

Study: Social media interaction leads to long-term sales increases

October 26, 2012

New research shows that social media interaction between a customer and a brand drives immediate and long-term sales increases. The 2012 LoyaltyOne Social…

Retail, restaurants drive big business with loyalty programs

by Christopher Hall — w, t

Loyalty programs offer a way to build relationships with customers, and gather mission critical insight into their behavior.

Best Buy begins roll out of audio kiosk program

October 24, 2012

Turtle Beach, a provider of gaming headsets, and Best Buy are launching an in-store interactive kiosk program that delivers a fully interactive and educational…

Retailers discuss importance of multichannel at Wincor World 2012

October 23, 2012

Multichannel retailing remains a focus for global retailers, according to a post on fashionunited.co.uk, as stores fight to boost relevance by enhancing the…

Target gears up for holidays with price match policy

October 17, 2012

Target Corp announced the introduction of its new Holiday Price Match policy that, for the first time, will offer guests the ability to match select online…

Walmart's think tank lab to thank for recent innovations

October 16, 2012

While Walmart has been making headlines lately with improvements to its technology and Web presence, the force behind the advances is less widely discussed.

RCE Podcast episode 12: How Walmart same-day delivery might impact retail

Walmart announced this week that it is testing same-day delivery in a few select markets. Will this be truly disruptive to other retailers, or is it just a…

Walmart battles Amazon with launch of same-day shipping

October 10, 2012

Rival retail giants Walmart and Amazon go toe-to-toe once again, with Walmart announcing Tuesday that it had begun testing same-day delivery for online…

Like ketchup, but sweeter! The customer experience and customer taste

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

My son and I were eating barbecue together recently. The restaurant in question is one of those excruciatingly cheerful, homogenized theme restaurants. Not my…