Commentary: The facts about card-linked incentives

A retailer's most loyal customers spend $1.44 with competitors for every $1.00 spent with them.

The trouble with facial recognition technology

December 14, 2012

While the use of facial recognition technology for marketing purposes is attractive for retailers, an article on independent.co.uk discusses how the process…

Microsoft to begin selling Surface at retail stores

December 12, 2012

Microsoft said Tuesday it would make its Surface tablet computer available to outside sellers as soon as mid-December, citing interest from retailers and…

Toys 'R' Us creates Facebook game, players get discounts

December 12, 2012

Toys 'R' Us and game manufacturer Ubisoft have teamed up to create a free toy store simulation game, according to retailingtoday.com.

Article discusses 3 ways to make showrooming an opportunity

December 12, 2012

One-in-five consumers are now showrooming, according to new research by Aprimo/Teradata and Forrester Research, which revealed that 96 percent of those…

Are deal-day monikers becoming overused?

December 11, 2012

It started with Black Friday. Then came Cyber Monday, which was later preceded by Small Business Saturday and Sofa Sunday, and followed by Giving Tuesday. Oh…

Can you add value?

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

If you think I’m asking about your organization’s capabilities, I’m not. Then where, exactly, does the ability to add value lie?

AT&T intros location-based AT&T Alerts for use by retailers

December 5, 2012

AT&T today launched AT&T Alerts, an opt-in, geo-location text messaging alerts service that will enable consumers to receive offers such as discounts…

Research points to puny layaway figures

December 3, 2012

Retailers may have been excited about the potential benefits of revamped layaway policies, but according to an article in the Houston Chronicle, several recent…

Google grabs coupon start-up Incentive Targeting

November 29, 2012

The retail coupon technology company Incentive Targeting has been acquired by Google, the company announced. Incentive Targeting, at just five years old, had…

Is this the end of marketing?

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Imagine a world without marketing. No really… imagine a world where no one tries to sell you anything. Not because they don’t want to but because attempting…

Thanksgiving and Black Friday spending round-up

This year's average ticket price spiked, thanks to less aggressive discounting.

Multichannel and showrooming helped retailers that did it right

November 27, 2012

Booz & Co. chief retail analyst Thom Blischok said Monday on CNBC that retail companies did well if they successfully integrated their online and…

New survey app rewards consumers as it tracks their behavior

November 27, 2012

TrendSource Inc., a market research company, announced the launch of an interactive mobile survey app, wINput (Win By Giving Your Input), which is now…

The allure of low prices

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

I missed the irony on my first read of the email in which a marketing firm talked about pricing. The second reading left me laughing. It never ceases to…

Report: For mobile shopping, personalization outweighs privacy concerns

November 19, 2012

Nearly three out of four (72 percent) of consumers aged 20-40 in the United States and the United Kingdom use mobile devices while in-store to compare prices…

Economist: 2012 will end with a disappointing holiday season

November 19, 2012

Retailers will not be getting a lump of coal during the 2012 holiday shopping season, but Santa won't be stuffing their stockings full either, says a Ball…

Four in ten retailers offering free shipping on Cyber Monday

November 19, 2012

Shoppers won't have to go too far to find great deals Thanksgiving weekend and Cyber Monday; in addition to the plethora of in-store promotions, many companies…

The 'NeoFace' of window shopping

November 15, 2012

Facial recognition technology is making its way from retailers in Japan to North American shopping malls, according to an article on cba.ca.

I Saw Mommy Googling Santa Claus [Infographic]

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

U.S. holiday retail sales are expected to reach $586 billion in 2012. Online and mobile sales will account for larger portion of those sales than ever before.