How to help shoppers increase spend this Mother's Day

Mother's Day shopping can be big bucks for retailers, but there are still a few ways to get shoppers to spend even more.

Target to debut home collection from Nate Berkus

May 4, 2012

Nate Berkus, probably best known as Oprah's design guru, is Target's latest design partner.

Brick-and-mortar's inherent advantage: In-store relevance

Smart retailers make customers feel that their preferences, wants and needs are a priority from the minute they walk into the store.

Brand attachment: The Barefoot Bandit and our sense of self

What an 18-year-old on a crime spree teaches us about branding.

Why Customers Seem Scarce - Part 1

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

Far too many sellers suffer believe that customers are scarce and that they can't raise prices for fear of losing the customers they have.

This Mother's Day, say it with plastic?

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Every year we spend billions of dollars trying to find a way to thank our mothers for labor pains and unconditional love, but it turns out our primary display…

My two newest favorite terms

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

If you've read my book, then you know that I'm not a big fan of marketing buzz words. You know the ones: words that get used over and over, all day long, to…

Social gifting coming on strong

April 30, 2012

Brick-and-mortar retailers are always looking for new, efficient ways to drive store traffic without diluting their brands. That was the inspiration for…

What is an industry leader?

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

"Industry leader" is one of the financial press' favorite phrases, yet how often do they define the term? What makes one company, above all others, the…

Furniture kiosk brings online experience to stores

April 25, 2012

Natuzzi Americas, a leather upholstery company, has unveiled an interactive kiosk for retailers to help deliver product information, videos and photos to…

NRF: Despite gas prices, Mother's Day spending will rise this year

April 24, 2012

Riding the coattails of a spring where they spent freely on everything from garden supplies and home décor to colorful fashions, consumers will stretch their…

Why 'Tweets for Treats' must die

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

It was only a matter of time before marketers developed a work-around to avoid the heavy lifting of great social media. Companies like Amex and now retailers…

Loyalty plan: A compelling showroom model

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Recent news stories regarding the trend of "showrooming" have me wondering why more merchants aren't showboating the one feature that distinguishes them from…

Rent-to-own retailers trying to change bad rep - by hiring vets

April 23, 2012

Rent-to-own furniture retailers are trying to change the reputation they have as "predatory lenders" by hiring veterans returning from war, according to a…

Who's running your business?

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

What would you say if someone told you that they were responding to 600 proposals a year versus 150 in prior years? Who among us wouldn't like to see that…

The new travel trend: Shopping tourism

April 20, 2012

There's a new buzz phrase in the world of travel: Shopping tourism. According to Forbes, the trend is common, although its new name isn't yet widely known.

Opinion: Customization becoming essential to the customer experience

Far from being just a feature, customization is a product strategy.

Study: In-store messaging is top reason shoppers buy items not on lists

April 17, 2012

Despite a shopping list being a tool to stay on budget and eliminate unnecessary purchases, research shows that nine out of 10 shoppers still buy items not on…

A conversation about building great retail window displays

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

This weekend, MSNBC's "Your Business" ran a segment on the venerable retail window display, and how the basics of good window design are the same for everyone…

Apple partners with French designer Philippe Starck?

April 16, 2012

Apple is working with Philippe Starck, the famous French product designer, on a "revolutionary" project to be unveiled later this year, according to…