Gift cards a bright spot for retailers

April 14, 2009

Progressive Grocer: Shopping survey experts National Research Network (NRN) and leading consumer anthropologists The Hartman Group have announced data results…

Microsoft's Retail Experience Center: It's all about connectedness

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

The Redmond giant's retail test lab focuses on connecting all the moving parts of a retail enterprise, right down to the customer level.

New app lets shoppers access in-store coupons on an iPhone, iPod Touch

April 9, 2009

FT. COLLINS, Colo. — Approved by Apple, the new Coupon Sherpa application is available at the iPhone App Store. Finish Line, Zales Jewelers, Coldwater Creek…

Maritz, Welcome Real-Time announce POS-based marketing and loyalty program

April 6, 2009

ST. LOUIS — Maritz and Welcome Real-Time have announced a partnership to launch a new loyalty solution in the United States and Canada. The offering, Maritz…

Loyalty programs and brand loyalty

Branded goods, and stores themselves, need to find new ways to engage and connect with shoppers.

TOP Food & Drug loyalty card offers more than just discounts

April 2, 2009

RFID Journal: Consumers at TOP Food & Drug, a food retail chain in Washington State, are using RFID-enabled loyalty cards as part of a program known as…

eBay testing rewards program

April 1, 2009

Forbes: On Wednesday, San Jose, Calif.-based eBay Inc. launched a "beta" test version of eBay Bucks. It offers participants two percent rewards on certain…

Chelsea & Scott upgrades MICROS installation

March 30, 2009

WESTBORO, Mass. — MICROS-Retail, a division of MICROS Systems Inc. and provider of retail technology for the specialty and general merchandise retail industry…

The Benefits of Retail Kiosks

Few industries stand to gain more from self-service than retail. Learn how to get the most from kiosks and other digital merchandising technologies.

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.

iCongo version 8 adds dynamic catalog creation, enhanced merchandising

March 4, 2009

MONTREAL — iCongo, provider of e-commerce and cross-channel systems, today announced a set of new features to its retail e-commerce and cross-channel system.

Store closings spell big opportunities for the survivors

March 4, 2009

The Associated Press: Retailers left standing amid the carcasses of their competitors are going after orphaned customers. They're using aggressive mailers…

Study shows e-mail campaigns drive offline shopping behavior

February 22, 2009

DALLAS — The receipt of permission-based e-mail makes shoppers more likely to do business with a retailer, in addition to generating a more favorable opinion…

GK Software releases GK/Retail 12

February 22, 2009

SCHOENECK, Germany — GK SOFTWARE AG has announced the immediate availability of GK/Retail 12, the newest release of its Store Automation suite of products…

Reward program members are best at word-of-mouth

February 10, 2009

Progressive Grocer: Consumers who are loyalty reward program members are far more likely to be word-of-mouth (WOM) champions for their favorite brands than…

Wegmans upgrades online shopping list functionality

February 4, 2009

Progressive Grocer: Wegmans.com now enables users to make shopping lists that help them spot savings, check prices before going to the store, remember…

Ikea multichannel driving customer loyalty

February 3, 2009

Retail Bulletin: The online business of Ikea was developed as a way of generating greater loyalty among the customer base as it is this that ultimately…

Wincor expands loyalty software capabilities

January 29, 2009

PADERBORN, Germany — Wincor Nixdorf has expanded its software portfolio for international retail companies to include new functions to enable central control…

Costco calls shoppers to warn them about recalled products

January 25, 2009

MSNBC: Jon Lowder usually disdains computer-generated telephone calls — "robo-calls," he grumbles — but when he got two this week from Costco Wholesale Corp.…

Loyalty 360, PCATS announce partnership

January 19, 2009

ALEXANDRIA, Va., and CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards (PCATS) and Loyalty 360, the Loyalty Marketer's Association…