Shopper marketing finally getting respect it deserves

January 18, 2009

Adweek: While 21 million people waltzed over to their sets to watch an average episode of Dancing With the Stars last year, and American Idol cast its spell on…

NRF: Clarity unveils POS 'Innovation Lane'

January 12, 2009

NEW YORK — Clarity Consulting today presented its "Innovation Lane" — a new POS technology concept system featuring Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 and unified…

NRF: Outgoing Wal-Mart CEO stresses opportunity

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

H. Lee Scott, Jr. emphasizes an upcoming period of opportunity for both the nation and the retail industry.

NRF chief: Cheap is chic

January 11, 2009

Reuters: Price has become the most important factor in U.S. consumer purchase decisions and retailers must adapt to that new reality if they are to be…

Shoppers willing to pay more for products they can touch

A new study suggests that consumer desire for a product is intensified at the moment of first contact.

Top 10 customer experience resolutions for the New Year

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

January 4, 2009

Bruce Temkin, customer experience blogger and vice president with Forrester Research, has just published his Top 10 resolutions companies should be making in…

Store traffic reporting - are new tools needed?

Commentator Judy Hopelain says retail traffic numbers are conflicting, and possibly part of a "massive undercount."

Photo gallery: The retail windows of Christmas 2008

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

The retail window display is a fixture of holiday merchandising, and nobody does it better than New York City.

Target adds product recall notification system

December 18, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is joining Target, of Minneapolis, Minn., today in announcing a new notification system…

RFID-based 'magic mirror' coming to UK retail

December 17, 2008

The Future of Things: Paxar Corporation and the Italian "TheBigSpace" design firm have recently announced a collaborative initiative under which the two will…

Unbound releases mobile retailing platform

December 16, 2008

NEWTON, Mass. — Unbound Commerce has released its Unbound Mobile Presence platform for retailers, giving them the power to connect with their increasingly…

Independent retailers tout their differences this holiday

December 14, 2008

Indianapolis Business Journal: Unlike their larger counterparts, locally owned merchants aren't pushing deep discounts to lure shoppers through their doors.

Limo rides, employee discounts: retailers pull out the stops to woo shoppers

December 10, 2008

ABC News: Some stores and malls are trying to lure shoppers by treating them like A-listers, offering massages, drinks and a chance to relax at "rejuvenation…

Five ways to reduce product returns

When customers return products, look to the source to find out why and put a stop to it.

Macy's continues tradition of extravagant holiday window displays

December 7, 2008

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The theme of this year's display at the Herald Square flagship — which bills itself as the world's largest store and is…

Consumer desire driving green retail IT

Shoppers increasingly value transparency, sustainability when making buying decisions.

Marketing show heavy on innovation

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Fresh ideas from the In-Store Marketing Expo in Las Vegas.

Sears brings back layaway

November 16, 2008

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears announced it will offer layaway on a wide selection of merchandise. The program was made available to shoppers on Sunday, Nov.

The cautionary lessons of Circuit City

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

A reminder of the importance of great employees.

NFC mobile phone payments come to Latin America

November 4, 2008

PARIS — Silicon Valley-based ViVOtech announced that its provisioning software for Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile payments is being used in the first…