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."

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.

Retailers can weather economy by focusing on basics

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

New research dissects what makes a 'wow experience'

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

July 8, 2009

A new survey from The Verde Group and the Retail Council of Canada says that most shoppers — just slightly more than 50 percent — have had a great retail…

Staples selects RedPrairie for supply chain, workforce management

July 1, 2009

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — RedPrairie Corp., a productivity software provider, announced today that Staples, the world's largest office products company, has selected…

Is customer experience relevant in tough economic times?

Certain trends lead to the growth in customer experience attention and investment.

Red Book reveals latest version of store execution management tool

June 16, 2009

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Red Book Solutions today revealed the latest version of Source-2-Source, a solution focused solely on store-level task completion. Paired…

Lack of training leads to data security threats

June 11, 2009

CIO: A large number of employees copy secure data to USB drives or turn off security settings in mobile devices like laptops, which could put a company's data…

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.

Many retailers struggle, but Walmart is hiring

June 4, 2009

Forbes: While many employers are firing, Wal-Mart is hiring. The retailer says it plans to create 22,000 U.S. jobs this year.

Opinion: Retailers giving lip service to customer service

Noted retail trainer and author discusses how the concept of customer service has been watered down by many retailers.

Finding the financial value of the customer

When making customer service decisions, consider the lifetime revenue each customer provides — and their potential for sending referrals.

Zenhire, Associates Interactive offer pre-hire training tool

April 21, 2009

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Retail training firm Associates Interactive has announced that it will develop customized training programs for Zenhire Inc., a provider of…

The retail power of suggestion

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

A carefully worded farewell can often subliminally impact shoppers into coming back for more.

Circuit City: What went wrong?

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

As the once-great electronics retailer winds down, experts weigh in on what mistakes were made.

Opinion: 12 ways to maximize the customer during a recession

The author of Retail Business Kit for Dummies weighs in with tips on how to get more out of each customer interaction and drive repeat business.

Tough times drive retailers back to basics

The economy is prompting a number of retailers to drop their experimentation with millennial marketing.

Four ways to engage employees while holding down costs

February 11, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS — Organizations are struggling to meet the needs of their customers while holding down costs, which is resulting in salary freezes, discontinued…

Six commandments for retailers to survive

The former executive vice president of Men's Wearhouse shares wisdom needed to make it through the coming months.