A lesson in customer service

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

I just got a text the other day that many of us hope never happens: the guy who has cut my hair for years is leaving the salon. Oh no!

The 2011 holiday outlook for specialty stores

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

With Black Friday less than two months away, it's time to take a look at this year's holiday predictions. Here are some recent headlines about the upcoming…

How data-driven creative is transforming the customer-retailer relationship

Data-driven insights are creating a new language for retailers and marketers to deliver personalization.

Gilbarco gas pumps to greet customers by name, offer personalized promotions

September 28, 2011

Convenience store cashiers may not remember their customers by name or recall their favorite soft drinks, but fuel dispensers soon will — thanks to the…

The six incorrect reports you will hear about holiday retail – again

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Fruitcakes aren't the only things that reappear, stale, each holiday season.

You should stop issuing coupons. Here's why.

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

Megan McArdle, in her May 11, 2011 article, "Discriminatory Pricing," in The Atlantic, suggests that coupons are simply a way to distinguish between markets…

Best Buy announces its plans for 2011 holiday season

September 27, 2011

Best Buy has launched its holiday season by announcing a collection of offers that delivers what people say they want most from a retailer: competitively…

NRF: 161 million people plan on celebrating Halloween, highest in survey's 10-year history

September 27, 2011

Ghouls and goblins galore, Halloween celebrations will be "BOOming" this year as more people than ever are expected to partake in traditional festivities.

Deloitte forecasts a 2.5 to 3 percent increase in holiday sales

September 25, 2011

Although the slow U.S. economic recovery and uncertainty overseas are sending shivers through consumers this fall, retailers should expect small gains in 201…

Meet Marina, the doll behind Target's Missoni launch

In preparing for the highly anticipated Missoni for Target launch, the retailer "hired" a rather curious brand advocate.

NRF launches campaign to push jobs, innovation and consumer value agenda

September 21, 2011

With the 2012 election season around the corner, the National Retail Federation has launched a first-of-its-kind major year-long advocacy campaign to advance a…

Hey IKEA, this isn't sexist at all! Just kidding, it totally is.

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Had to double-check that I wasn't reading a story from The Onion at first, but no, I was on Adweek: An Australian IKEA location is testing Mänland, complete…

CustomInk fuels revenue growth by putting uncensored customer reviews on their home page

by Jeanne Bliss — Founder, CustomerBliss

In this era of social media, companies who embrace customer feedback and "believe" the words of their customers earn the right to growth. They realize that…

Lessons learned from Apple: Great customer experiences learn continuously

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Any brand that becomes good does so, in part, because it knows how to learn. Any brand that becomes great has developed the ability to keep on learning. Apple…

Holiday 2011: Study predicts more retail sales, fewer in-store shoppers

September 20, 2011

Despite the struggling economy and high unemployment rates, consumers plan to stuff their holiday stockings a little fuller this year.

Angry Birds crashing into Starbucks?

September 20, 2011

If you're one of the 350 million people that have purchased and played the game "Angry Birds," you may soon be incentivized to make a trip to Starbucks to play…

Sofia Vergara for Kmart

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

Sunday night was The Emmy Awards, and although she didn't win the award for which she was nominated, the big winner was Sofia Vergara.

Retail readies for advent of tight pockets at Christmas

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

It's not a fashion statement, but an economic one. According to a survey commissioned by the London-based global news agency Reuters, American shoppers will…

Why dynamic pricing is a trap you must avoid

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

Last week we discussed the airline industry's use of dynamic pricing and its impact on us, as consumers. Two other well known organizations, Ticketmaster and…

Local.com releases local rich-media ad platform

September 19, 2011

Local.com Corp., an online local media company, has released what it claims is the industry's first rich-media ad platform to incorporate dynamic, in-store…