Target mobile tech converts gift cards to virtual barcodes

February 7, 2010

Target guests no longer need to carry their Target GiftCards in order to redeem them, thanks to the Target Mobile GiftCard.

Study: Loyalty programs are failing to connect with customers

January 24, 2010

As more marketers turn to loyalty and rewards programs to spark business growth, a new report from the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council indicates that…

Food Lion, Bloom pay customers to buy private-label products

January 20, 2010

Grocers Food Lion and Bloom are getting aggressive with their private-label products, says Progressive Grocer. In a marketing campaign that runs through Feb.

NCR's coupon-to-card app brings new capabilities to multichannel offer management software

January 14, 2010

NCR Corp. has announced that a new coupon-to-card application is available for its multichannel offer management software, the NCR Advanced Marketing solution.

Hot Topic implements NCR Netkey kiosk, digital signage solutions

January 11, 2010

NCR Corporation has announced that Hot Topic, Inc., a mall and Web-based specialty retailer of apparel and accessories, has implemented NCR Netkey self-service…

Retailers tackling 'mountains of data'

January 3, 2010

A new report in the New York Times discusses the "mountains of data and whiz-bang technology" that today's retailers are wrestling with, in their ongoing…

Ski resort improves shopping experience with RFID

January 3, 2010

A Colorado-based ski resort chain is improving its guest experience with an innovative use of RFID technology.

7 keys to customer experience in 2010

True dedication to the voice of the customer will be pivotal for retailers looking to improve their customer experience in the coming year.

The 5 biggest retail customer experience stories of 2009

Faced with a tough economy and shaky consumer confidence, retailers innovated when it came to customer experience this year.

Kroger loyalty program offers free wireless minutes

December 16, 2009

Grocery chain Kroger has announced a clever new wrinkle to its loyalty program. It is now giving shoppers free minutes on its wireless phone service…

Report: Gift card spending to drop slightly

November 18, 2009

While they remain the most requested holiday item, shoppers are expected to pull back on buying gift cards again this year. According to NRF's 2009 Holiday…

Report: Four ways Millennials will impact retail in coming years

November 16, 2009

Millennials — Americans born between 1979 and 1989 — are one of the largest demographics in the country and will soon be entering a strong growth period in…

RFID-based loyalty card tracks shopper movement

November 15, 2009

Sydney, Australia-based Ramp has announced what it calls the "world's first customer tracking and loyalty system," an RFID-based loyalty card that contains…

E-tail Clinic: BestBuy.com

The electronics retailer's site has properly integrated in-store pickup, but less-than-relevant cross-sell intelligence.

Customers are buying down, and opportunities are rising, part 3

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Customer-centric experience design is explored in this final installment of "Where's the Opportunity?"

JC Penney testing mobile coupon program

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

September 24, 2009

JC Penney has announced that it will support the Cellfire mobile coupon program, which allows shoppers to download and carry coupons on their smart phones. In…

Blackhawk unveils open-network gift cards

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

September 20, 2009

Blackhawk Network, the largest third-party gift card provider, has announced the availability of its Rewards Visa Gift Card through its B2B program. Cards can…

Grass-roots marketing: Retailer mails hand-written thank you notes to shoppers

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

September 7, 2009

In Palm Springs, Calif., one retailer is going back-to-basics for customer service, reviving the art of the hand-written thank you note.

Taming the loyalty card beast

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

New tools — both high-tech and low-tech — aim to liberate loyalty cards from the key chain.

Private label: The prestige brands of tomorrow?

Retail expert and author Kate Newlin says the only odd thing about private label brands is that they've taken so long to win shoppers over.