First Data's OfferWise streamlines offer redemption at the point of sale

February 28, 2012

First Data Corp. has announced the availability of its OfferWise solution, a new open platform that the company says simplifies the offer redemption process…

Eight ways retailers can leverage Pinterest

The new social sharing site is seeing explosive growth, and retailers are taking note.

Flash sale sites lead to full-price purchases

Research suggests that many new luxury consumers are entering the category via flash sales sites.

Is Walmart losing customer trust?

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

In her Entrepreneur.com article "Seven Ways to Avoid Competing on Price," Carol Tice cites a WSL/Strategic Retail study that shows that "86 percent of…

On Target

by Phaedra Hise — Senior Editor, COLLOQUY

It will be interesting to see if Target's business falls off or increases in the wake of the recent New York Times coverage of their personalized marketing…

How to use liveblogging to promote retail events

Customers might not be able to attend your in-store event, but they can interact with your brand online.

Target may not be 'Wu-ing' shoppers with scarcity tactics

Jason Wu for Target merchandise lands on eBay instead of in shoppers' carts.

Groupon buys two mobile payment, tech companies

February 20, 2012

Daily deal site Groupon snapped up a couple of companies late last week to bolster its mobile capabilities. Groupon announced on Friday it has bought…

Neiman Marcus, Christian Louboutin launch social media campaign

February 17, 2012

Christian Louboutin, known best for his heels with the iconic red bottoms, is helping Neiman Marcus celebrate its 20th anniversarty with the launch of "Sole…

Prices up, profits down

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

A recent Washington Post/Bloomberg Business article stated that Hormel Foods' fourth quarter 2011 profit slipped 3 percent. Price increases were blamed for…

NRF: 2012 all about customer interaction and experience

February 15, 2012

In an effort to build customer engagement, capture wallet share and accelerate sales growth, retailers in 2012 will focus on a number of customer-centric…

What will the tech giants sell in retail stores?

February 14, 2012

Apple's hundreds of stores generate billions of dollars in sales annually, and its competitors are hoping to repeat Apple's success in the retail space.

JCPenney: A new, well-reasoned approach to retailing

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

CEO Ron Johnson rolled out a new plan for JCPenney that includes:

Life (and Honda) moves pretty fast

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Matthew Broderick gave us a time-out during the Super Bowl, and for a middle-aged, recession-weary public, the timing couldn't have been better.

Walmart unveils 'Great For You' icon

February 7, 2012

A year after pledging to develop a front-of-pack label that would give its customers an easier way to identify healthier food, Walmart Stores has unveiled the…

Low prices and drug shortages

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

"Essentially all of the drug shortages that occur in the U.S. arise in the generics market, where profitability is fairly low," Greg Conko, of the Competitive…

Neiman Marcus makes over 'Art of Fashion' campaign

February 3, 2012

Susan Sarandon and her daughter, Eva Amurri Martino, are part of Neiman Marcus' Spring 2012 Art of Fashion campaign that includes 14 portraits of mothers and…

Study examines purchasing decisions of c-store customers

January 30, 2012

Mars Chocolate North America recently conducted a study in partnership with a national c-store retailer, hoping to understand the way consumers make purchase…

Is the deal finally done for daily deal sites?

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

One short year ago, the hype around daily deals was electric. In the analyst community, you could barely get through a day without hearing something about…

Target leads fight to stop 'showrooming'

Will other retailers follow Target's lead in asking vendors to create in-store-only products?