Oracle acquires Endeca

October 18, 2011

Oracle announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Endeca Technologies, Inc., a provider of unstructured data management, web commerce and…

A week later, we're still thinking about Steve

by Jeff Weidauer — Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Vestcom International, Inc.

It's been a week since the world lost Steve Jobs. That sounds like a typical, dramatic and overblown statement from the media, but this is the rare case in…

How smart is PetSmart?

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

According to Dow Jones newswire today, PetSmart Inc. raised its third-quarter and full-year guidance, citing better-than-expected same-store sales growth.

Is gathering your competitors' pricing information a worthwhile endeavor?

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

Conventional wisdom is that you need to know your competitors' pricing. My question is, "Why?"

Toys"R"Us to donate $1 to Make-A-Wish Foundation for every wish list created

October 11, 2011

Toys"R"Us today announced that through November 5, for every Wish List created in-store or online, the company will donate $1 in Toys"R"Us gift cards, up to…

LevelUp adds mobile payment feature, expands its footprint

October 11, 2011

In a press release brimming with cheek, LevelUp, a start-up from Cambridge, Mass.-based SCVNGR, announced that it's doubling the number of cities where the…

Survey: Online advertising lifts in-store CPG sales

October 10, 2011

Online metrics company comScore Inc. and brand consultancy dunnhumbyUSA have released results of multiple studies measuring the offline sales impact of online…

Paycloud brings mobile loyalty and gift-card tech to smaller retailers

by James Bickers

The mobile marketing app lets consumers aggregate loyalty programs and special offers on their smartphones.

Oh no, we forgot the children! Let's re-discover our precious Millennials.

by Mark Murray — Director, The Store Channel

Last week my daughter texted me – "I think grandma sent me a check. What do I do with it?" For the record, she only texted me after her friends threw their…

Lies, damn lies and statistics

by Jeff Weidauer — Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Vestcom International, Inc.

A recent article in CPG Matters relates new findings from Campbell Soup Company that 80 percent of buying decisions are made before a shopper ever gets to the…

Survey: Retailers need to prepare for 'precision shoppers' this holiday season

October 9, 2011

Seventy-two percent of U.S. consumers expect their holiday spending to be "careful" or "controlled" in 2011, according to Accenture's annual consumer holiday…

Maximizing the value of your email marketing

by Laurel Tielis — Author and Professional Speaker, Laurel Tielis & Associates

Social media is growing, and businesses, both large and small, need to participate in the online conversation to stay front of mind. But doing that doesn't…

Identifying and leveraging your VIP customers

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

Of course all of your customers are important to the success of your business, but your top customers are even more important. Let's call them your VIPs.…

What Whole Foods gained from its LivingSocial deal

The offer of $20 worth of products for $10 sold 'at a staggering rate.'

A new concept: B2ME marketing

by Paul Flanigan — Founder, The Preset Group

I heard this term for the first time last week and had to take to the intertubes to learn more. Strangely, I didn't not find much. So I want to share my…

Access does not equal value

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

A professional recently told me that he'd merged his firm with a larger firm. Then he went on to say that he'd sent his clients a letter stating that the fees…

Tanga puts Etsy in its sights with craft site BelleChic

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

The daily deal retailer known for its sense of humor is reaching out to handmade goods shoppers with a new online store.

What Facebook's 'Want' button means for retailers

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Facebook is adding a WANT button in addition to other interface changes. Knowing what shoppers want before they buy it is a big deal for everyone.

Price Chopper selects Mercatus Smart Shopping tech

October 3, 2011

Mercatus USA, a software development company delivering cross-channel marketing capabilities to the retail industry, has announced a multi-year deal with Price…

After Missoni, what's next for Target: Obama favorite Jason Wu

October 3, 2011

With the last of the Missoni for Target products making their way off store shelves, the retailer has announced its next big-name fashion lure: Jason Wu.