Customers are buying down, and opportunities are rising, part 3

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Customer-centric experience design is explored in this final installment of "Where's the Opportunity?"

Borders announces in-stock guarantee for the holidays

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

November 2, 2009

Borders today announced its new "In-Stock Guarantee," which promises that if a customer's desired item cannot be found in-store, the company will ship it from…

Survey: Returns fraud will cost retailers $9.6 billion in 2009

October 28, 2009

Though return fraud continues to plague the retail industry, changes in policies have helped companies see improvements in some areas. According to NRF's…

Best Buy CEO: Low prices are 'table stakes' for retailers

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

October 25, 2009

Customers care about low prices, but they want a lot more from their retailers than just the best deal.

Customers are buying down, and opportunities are rising, part 2

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Empowering front-line employees is looked at in part two of a three-part series called "Where's the Opportunity?"  

Opinion: The difference between clerking and selling

The Retail Doc explains why in-store staff should be moved beyond low-hanging fruit and into real selling.

Great customer service: Remembering the little things

Tough times mean retailers need to squeeze all the value they can out of their assets, and that includes the small touches that can make a big difference.

Walmart's 'Project Impact' shoots for cleaner stores, better customer service

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

September 8, 2009

Time is reporting on the real-world impact of Walmart's "Project Impact," a makeover initiative that sees the retailer focusing on cleaner store environments…

Grass-roots marketing: Retailer mails hand-written thank you notes to shoppers

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

September 7, 2009

In Palm Springs, Calif., one retailer is going back-to-basics for customer service, reviving the art of the hand-written thank you note.

Designing a new experience — and putting fun back into retail

Now is a great time to design and launch a new customer experience — especially for brands feeling the pinch of commoditization.

Roots Canada adds social commerce features to web site

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

August 31, 2009

Roots Canada, a leading Canadian lifestyle retailer, announced it has added social commerce features to its e-commerce site at www.roots.com. The product…

Supermarket woos shoppers with valet parking

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

August 27, 2009

There's a fierce battle for customers raging between three Staten Island supermarkets, and that battle just got a little more interesting: ShopRite has started…

Meijer to test online ordering, in-store pick-up

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

August 27, 2009

Internet Retailer reports that supermarket chain Meijer is about to launch its Grocery Express program, which will let customers place orders online, then head…

Research: E-commerce hindered by lack of human assistance

A large number of respondents to a new survey indicate a lack of assistance affected their online purchasing decisions.

Reader Q&A: How do I drive more traffic into the store?

A legendary retailer asks for advice on getting shoppers into the store, and Kate Newlin responds with some practical tips.

Chico's adds live help to its e-tail sites

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

August 24, 2009

Chico's, which operates three online retail brands (www.chicos.com, www.soma.com and www.WhiteHouseBlackMarket.com), is adding an integrated live help…

Luxury retail at a crossroads

Shattered by heavy discounting, luxury retailers now need to focus on two distinct customer types - those looking for branded items at a lower price, and the…

Hands-on review: Best Buy's Twelpforce

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

The electronics retailer is using Twitter to connect customers to an army of tech experts. How well does it work?

Breaking retail's addiction to discounting

When retailers emphasize price above all else, everybody loses. Author Kate Newlin offers some alternatives to "okay, available and cheap."

Luxury retailers need to personalize the online experience

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

August 13, 2009

Shopping a luxury retailer is a singular experience — the setting, the products, the (hopefully) excellent service. But most of those things go away when…