Survey says holiday shoppers will spend more of their budget in-store than online

November 10, 2014

Respondents with incomes less than $100,000 spend more of their total holiday budget in-store than those with higher incomes, 54 percent versus 46 percent.

'Tis the season for insane pricing strategies

by Dale Furtwengler — President, Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.

In times of heavy discounting, retailers are ignoring the power of convenience.

Gamifying your loyalty program: Five tips for a good hand

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Gamification is among the buzziest trends in loyalty marketing these days, and while it can be a compelling tool for early engagement, its effectiveness…

How retailers can turn Big Data into real insights

Most of the data you're looking for is already in place; it's just a matter of going beyond spreadsheets to find it.

Three-quarters of consumers plan to use their mobile for holiday shopping this year

November 5, 2014

According to a new survey, 82 percent plan to spend the same amount or more on holiday spending as compared to last year, while just 18 percent plan on scaling…

IBM releases holiday shopping forecast, predicts 15-percent growth

November 5, 2014

The biggest increase in online sales is expected on Cyber Monday, predicted to grow 15.8 percent, followed closely by Thanksgiving with a projected increase of…

US households plan to spend an average of $538 on holiday gifts

November 4, 2014

About 8 percent of consumers say they plan to spend more this year on holiday gifts, while approximately 32 percent plan to spend less. The remaining 6…

Retailers preparing for surge in online shopping with re-focused shipping calendar

November 3, 2014

Nearly eight in 10 (78.8 percent) retailers surveyed will set their standard shipping deadlines for guaranteed Christmas delivery to expire at least a week…

Walmart enters the fray as holiday price war heats up

October 31, 2014

Walmart bracing for competition at least as bad as last year's holiday season, when heavy discounting depressed earnings across the retail industry.

Ralph Lauren takes over Harrods displays using mobile proximity tech

October 30, 2014

The brand is striving to connect with shoppers via their smartphones by offering exclusive and interactive content as well as an out-of-hours opportunity to…

Swirl intros ad exchange for mobile marketing

October 27, 2014

Company's product enables leading retailers and brands to reach consumers with highly relevant content and offers delivered to their smartphones while they…

Inside the new Kohl's Yes2You reward program

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Yes2You Rewards is a currency-neutral customer loyalty program that rewards at a rate of 5 percent on spending in-store and online. The Wisconsin-based…

First Data launches Perka retail beacon platform

October 23, 2014

Merchants placing the beacon near the store entrance or point of sale can sync the beacon with their Perka mobile loyalty program.

SpinDing launching game-based marketing platform for retailers, brands

October 23, 2014

The game was originally launched in 1992 on a kiosk network that reached more than 4,000 supermarket locations. The company said it is relaunching the game and…

Neiman Marcus partners with POPSUGAR on luxury box

October 23, 2014

Media firm POPSUGAR has announced its second annual collaborative holiday gift box with specialty retailer Neiman Marcus. According to the companies, the…

Retail in 2015: The age of uncertainty

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Results of a new survey show a disconnect between what customers say they want, and what retailers think they want.

Target announces plans for 2014 holiday season

October 22, 2014

In addition to free shipping on all online orders through Dec. 20, Target said it now has more than 65,000 items available for "buy online, pickup in-store.…

Swirl launches mobile ad exchange

October 20, 2014

According to the company, Swirl’s platform enables retailers and brands to reach consumers with highly relevant content and offers delivered to their…

Simon Malls implementing Ziploop mobile shopping app

October 17, 2014

According to the company, Ziploop provides shoppers with an effortless way to organize their shopping activities across all devices, at home or on the go.

Nine common mistakes that can wreck your retail business

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

You can't always blame your company's hard times on the economy or the competition. Sometimes, it's a lack of focus on the fundamentals.