Making the case for custom point-of-purchase content

A core factor of the retail customer experience is advertising. But how we speak to a potential customer versus a customer at the point of purchase are not the…

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.

Driver's license scanning reduces fraud, but may alienate shoppers

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

In an effort to fight return fraud and abuse, a growing number of retailers are using a service that keeps a database of return activity — and feels like an…

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.

Discounting while preserving the brand

Why retailers need to focus on intelligent promotions, rather than across-the-board discounts.

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."

Thinking beyond traditional retail packaging

How retailers are mixing packaging with interactive technology to connect with consumers.

Why good customer service is like billiards

Retail Doc Bob Phibbs explains why customer service staff need to scatter around the customer, like pool balls reacting to the cue.

How to catch male shoppers: Market to women

The men's grooming market is set to explode, and retailers can reach it more directly by marketing to women.

Opinion: Why customer satisfaction surveys don't work

With 95 percent of our cognitive processing handled by the subconscious, how much value is there in surveys that probe the other five percent?

Retailers can weather economy by focusing on basics

Trusted brands and an enlarged pool of skilled workers provide leverage.

Eight tips for better retail brand messaging

A New York City ad agency lays out a process to ensure retail communications reach their full potential.

Opinion: Retailers need to cut their SKUs

Increasingly, less is more. Here are some tips on shaving your product assortment down to a more manageable, profitable size.

Loyalty segmentation needs to extend into the store

When front-line employees are left out of the loyalty process, points programs miss the point.

Five underutilized features of the modern POS

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Today's point-of-sale systems are sophisticated business tools, but many retailers are still using them as glorified cash registers.

RetailWire Discussion: Most loyal customers aren't profitable

A recent Harvard Business Journal article suggests that few customers are profitable — and of the ones that are, most are not loyal.

Five viral marketing mistakes to avoid

There's a lot of buzz surrounding viral marketing — but retailers need to make sure to avoid these common missteps.

The financial discipline of customer experience

For the retail CFO, customer experience needs to shift from a "nice to have" to a "must have."

Secrets of high-concept retailers

Retailers such as American Girl that forge their own path thrive, despite tough times.

Solving the player-to-screen puzzle

How to make the right networking and connectivity choices when planning retail digital signage.