How to win with holiday shoppers, in-store and online

by Gary Edwards — Chief Customer Officer, Emathica

Fourth-quarter retail sales can make or break a brand, since anywhere from one-third to seventy percent of annual retail sales occur between Thanksgiving and…

Is there a strategy for customer loyalty?

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

We often think of customer loyalty as something that the customer does or is responsible for to the business. But, real loyalty begins when the business is…

The one word you need to know when it comes to holiday returns

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

What’s the right way to handle holiday returns? Cheerfully.

Three tips to improve local retail customer experiences during the holidays

by Gary Edwards — Chief Customer Officer, Emathica

It's that time of year again. The holiday retail shopping season is upon us and scores of consumers are headed to your brick-and-mortar stores in search of…

Walmart worker and OUR Walmart member responds to CEO resignation

November 25, 2013

Walmart CEO Mike Duke announced today that he would be stepping down on January 31. The company immediately announced that Doug McMillon, currently the head of…

Building an “Insurance Store in a Box” Solution

From an innocuous request-for-info email 2 years ago, Meridian and Direct General Auto Insurance commenced on the path of a self-service solution that would…

Meridian Provides Convenient, Secure, User-Friendly Sales Locker Solution.

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The next step in self-service solutions is a convenient, secure, user-friendly purchase pickup station for buyers (both online and in-store).  Meridian calls…

How to survive your first holiday season as a retail manager

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

When I was in college, I worked nights and weekends in a department store. I was there for the the guys shopping on Christmas Eve and for the after-holiday…

Make sure your associates are not practicing survey coercion

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

Last week in my class at NYU we discussed consumer surveys as a market research technique. They are a tried and true approach to getting feedback or getting to…

Retail industry adds 37,600 jobs in October

November 11, 2013

The National Retail Federation issued the following statement from NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay and chief economist Jack Kleinhenz on the October jobs…

President Obama reportedly supports $10.10 minimum wage

November 11, 2013

Reports surfaced last week that President Obama supports an increase in the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, from the current $7.25 an hour. This…

Transforming your customers' necessary errands into something they want to do

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

In anticipation of a recent overseas retail banking event where I was keynote speaker, I had the pleasure of interviewing Umpqua Bank Regional VP Michele…

Selling what's in stock. Or not.

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

A salesperson recently asked me if selling only what's in stock is good service. When I asked for details, she elaborated.

Online retailer could benefit from some 'inside-the-box' thinking

One shopper presents a virtual case study on how not to deliver good customer service.

What AT&T's redesign can teach you about your stores

Especially for electronics and technology retailers, the human touch is becoming more important than ever.

The one sentence you should never, ever speak in customer service

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

When a customer contacts you to complain about your service or product, or needs your help in addressing a service-related breakdown — what I refer to as…

Report: U.S. becoming a 'switching economy'

October 23, 2013

Despite having more data and insights into consumer desires and preferences, companies in the U.S. have failed to meaningfully improve customer satisfaction…

How to handle a retail customer complaint in 6 steps

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Have you ever tried to make a customer complaint but been unable to?

Australian specialty store inspires shoppers through technology

October 18, 2013

Choices Flooring, an Australian chain, has created its own store of the future with the help of interactive digital signage by Brisbane-based Prendi. Over the…

Macy's may break tradition and open doors on Thanksgiving

October 14, 2013

For the first time in Macy's 155-year history, certain store locations will open for business at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, according to a report in the Chicago…