U.S. retailers just beginning to understand customer experience, report says

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

February 27, 2008

Forrester Research has published "The State of Experience-Based Differentiation," a summary of its recent survey of 287 customer experience decision-makers…

Starbucks closes 7,100 stores for training

February 26, 2008

Wall Street Journal: Starbucks Corp. retaught baristas how to make espresso shots, steam milk and hand drinks to customers while it shut down nearly 7,10…

Product pros

February 12, 2008

Knowledgeable employees are trained, not hired.

Peter Luckett: 'Banish the bland'

Innovative grocer shares tips on building a great customer experience.

NRF 08: emphasis on 'green'

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Retail's Big Show saw a major emphasis on the environment.

Ben Stein speaks at NRF

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Actor/economist gives state-of-the-economy address to retailers.

Cisco unveils new tools for retail at NRF

January 14, 2008

NEW YORK — Cisco announced a series of new technology solutions and multivendor architectures that will help retailers improve security and reduce complexity…

Home Depot moving staff to days to improve customer service

January 10, 2008

Wall Street Journal: Home Depot Inc. plans to reassign overnight-shift employees to days at its lower volume stores, a change that puts more workers on the…

NRF to focus on tech beyond the store

Show looks at relationship between retail, emerging technology.

Top source of retail shrink: employees

January 2, 2008

Progressive Grocer: Retailers suspect that their own employees are the main source of retail shrink, according to a new Retail Systems Research Benchmark…

Independent merchants fight big retailers with selection, service

December 25, 2007

The Columbus Dispatch: This season finds independent retailers across the country dealing with a new set of economic challenges even as they still contend…

NRF: Retail needs more qualified managers

December 25, 2007

USA Today: When it comes to careers, less than a third of college graduates think retailing has a good reputation, says the National Retail Federation. With…

Report says women are 'better suited for retail jobs'

December 20, 2007

Economic Times: Some of the biggest players in Indian retail are looking to the fairer sex, especially when it comes to dealing with killer attrition blues.

Measuring and managing the customer experience

December 19, 2007

Retailers must measure, manage and improve the experiences of their customers, in order to grow their businesses effectively.

The planning puzzle

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

For technology, intelligent planning makes all the difference.

Pep Boys revs up customer service

September 30, 2007

The automotive parts and accessories retailer required an integrated retail environment to be more responsive to customer needs.