44Doors, QR codes and the art of mobile marketing

Tim Hayden, the CMO for mobile marketing company 44Doors, spoke with Mobile Payments Today at the Retail RAMP conference in Chicago. Hayden discussed how…

CXPA accepting CX innovation nominations

April 11, 2012

The Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), an international non-profit organization created to guide and enhance the growing field of customer…

Why pet stores are thriving

April 9, 2012

Pet stores are thriving, and some retail experts think it's because they are catering to pet owners who treat their animals like family members, Joanna Felder…

JCP's ads don't square

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

When JCPenney announced its new pricing strategy, I was one of the few who applauded the move. After seeing their ads, I'm not so sure I was right in doing so.

Can Penney's squareness lead to loyalty?

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Being fair and being loyal are not the same thing. But can one engender the other?

CETW12: Loyalty program uses tablets, smartphones for easy adoption

RewardMe makes it easy for retailers and consumers to embrace loyalty programs.

Canadian grocer launches apparel line to compete with Walmart, Target

April 2, 2012

Loblaw's Joe Fresh, Canada's biggest grocer, opened a flagship store last week on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, but instead of meat and produce, it's selling…

Sony moves to common pricing

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

Sony's CEO, Phil Molyneux, announced a move to common pricing beginning April 1, 2012. What is common pricing? More importantly, what is the impetus for this…

Gamers must shop Walmart for full Angry Birds Space experience

March 22, 2012

Players of the newest Angry Birds game, Angry Birds Space, must go through Walmart to unlock the game's first round of bonus content, according to a story on…

Undressing an online loyalty trend

by Phaedra Hise — Senior Editor, COLLOQUY

Flash-sales online retailer Gilt recently announced that it would be offering discounts based on users' Klout scores. It's all very sexy, using online media to…

Angry Birds crashing into retail shelves

March 21, 2012

Angry Birds will be flying to retail shelves nationwide, now that the game’s creator Rovio has partnered with a major U.S. retail chain to put its branded…

Coinstar counting on new kiosk concepts to expand footprint

Movie rentals and coin counting aren't the only markets Coinstar hopes to dominate.

NRF: Easter sales to exceed $16 billion

March 20, 2012

Americans will shell out an average of $145.28 on everything from apparel and candy to food and decorations this year, up 11 percent from $131.04 last year…

The dangers of competitive pricing intelligence

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

Many businesses, particularly larger businesses, feel that competitive pricing intelligence is essential to their success. Is that true? Or will their…

Is Klout the new credit score?

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Celebrities have long been known to receive special treatment. The best seats in the house, front of the line access to the hippest clubs and healthy discounts…

Deadline for NRF 'This is Retail' video contest is Friday

March 15, 2012

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is hoping its video contest will spark interest in the retail industry, which supports one in four American jobs.

Museums increasing branding with upscale stores

March 15, 2012

The gift shop inside New York's Museum of Arts and Design feels more like a trendy place to shop than a museum store, thanks to Franci Sagar's creativity…

Video game retailers merge to dominate Canadian market

March 15, 2012

Play N Trade, the world's largest video game retail franchisor, is expanding in Canada through a merger with Canadian-based Dimensions Games Corporation.

Follow-up for success

by Doug Fleener — President and Managing Partner, Dynamic Experiences Group, LLC

A few years ago I presented a seminar to around one hundred retailers. These people run stores whose products have a fairly high price point; they often offer…

Gap's marketing strategy may be a mistake

March 14, 2012

Gap, which successfully marketed to young adults in the 1990s with classic khakis and swing-dancing ads, is hoping that demographic will again buy into its…