2016 in review: Top retail customer experience stories

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

The year 2016 was one of technology, big changes and big steps by retailers aiming to boost and hone the customer experience. Here's a look back at the big…

Retailers striving to beat Amazon must perfect the customer experience

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

To avoid losing more market share to Amazon, competing e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers must perfect the customer experience from the moment a…

Online assortments: Long-tail, curated or castrated?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Declaring you are omnichannel is the easy part. Achieving profitability will require balancing the tradeoffs of long-tail assortments vs. the ability to…

Jewelry etailer reaping big rewards with price negotiation tool

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Consumers love a bargain and, as one online jewelry retailer is learning, consumers love to negotiate on price.

Branded mobile pay bodes big promise for retailers

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Check out a webinar presentation featuring an IBM expert that offers up terrific insight and knowledge regarding the branded mobile payment solution now…

5 rules for a retail town square: What Apple, Whole Foods Can Teach Us

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Here's a potential formula for retail of the future: One Apple squared equals a community experience minus the traditional sales space.

Howard Schultz resigning as Starbucks CEO to focus on retail innovation

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

December 1, 2016

Schultz said he personally asked COO Kevin Johnson to fill his shoes because he is a "true servant leader."

Black Friday: Gimmick, gone or more relevant than ever?

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Is Black Friday relevant, needed, necessary, or even a valuable marketing opportunity, or has it become a gimmick in the retailer's quest to grab consumers…

Staples tapping app to push special Black Friday sales

November 21, 2016

Staples shoppers are getting a special peek into Black Friday deals via the retailer's app.

Wal-Mart's Cyber Week kicks off on Black Friday

November 21, 2016

Mega retailer Wal-Mart is not only boosting product inventory for the upcoming holiday sales season, from 8 million items to more than 23 million, it’s kicking…

Cyber weekend: A global opportunity for retailers

Cyber weekend – this year spanning Thursday, Nov. 24 to Monday, Nov. 28 – has clearly now become a global opportunity for online retailers.

30 percent of consumers hate Black Friday

November 16, 2016

Black Friday apparently isn't so well loved by consumers despite historical big sales and price reductions on what has long been the busiest holiday season…

7 critical questions traditional retailer metrics can't answer

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Traditional metrics of sales and share are not enough for omnichannel.

Best Buy offering free shipping this holiday season

November 4, 2016

2017 may be the year for supermarket digital experience

November 4, 2016

Next year may be the year online grocery activity hits its stride as supermarkets expand digital shopping options and more consumers are looking to buy more…

Online retail a big focus for holiday shoppers, reveals survey

November 1, 2016

At least half of holiday shoppers are intending to buy gifts online this year, according to the annual Deloitte holiday survey on consumer spend and trends.

Survey: Digital strategy key for retailer success

October 31, 2016

A digital e-commerce strategy is more critical than ever for retailers, as a new survey reveals that consumers love shopping online — especially on Amazon …

Google, Myer partnership taps beacons to measure customer behavior

October 27, 2016

Google is teaming up with Australia-based retailer Myer on a beacon trial to better understand the connection between the brick-and-mortar retail world and the…

Cognitive computing: IBM's 'secret weapon' in transforming experience

Retailers already know they must embrace cognitive computing to better engage with shoppers, differentiate their offerings and adopt a culture of innovation.

Report: Brands not doing well at understanding the customer

September 29, 2016

Despite big gains in technology across IT, marketing and customer relationship teams, some of the biggest brands are not doing a good job of understanding the…