Macy's loyalty pilot still circling the runway

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Fans of I.N.C, Martha Stewart and other Macy's exclusive brands will have to wait a while before earning new reward points for their purchases.

How social media is changing conferences

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

Last week I went to two industry conferences (OTC Perspectives and PRSA Counselors Academy) and an awards show (Sabre Awards) — it was a big networking week.…

How 'karma credit' can build a business

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

While charity may begin at home, you build business by bringing it into your store. What goes around truly does come around. Take care of other people, and…

Politics, religion and sex

by Harry Friedman

I admit it right here in the first paragraph. I am not really going to talk about sex. Too easy, a lob shot. So in this year of presidential hopefuls popping…

Social media for retail made simple

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

If you're still wondering about how important social media can be to your business, think about this. Getting involved in social media is the same as…

Where does the time go?

by Lynn Switanowski — President, Creative Business Consulting Group

Yesterday, I had a meeting with a client where we were supposed to spend 3 hours brainstorming a marketing strategy for a new store grand opening. Instead…

Shout Color Catcher: A lesson in brand extension

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

File this under "how do they do that?"

NRF: Retailers lead economic charge with 10 straight months of sales gains

May 11, 2011

Retail sales increased for the tenth straight month in April, further evidence that the retail sector and consumer spending continue to lead the economic…

What recent events in Japan will mean for luxury brands

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Before the news about Bin Laden, people were talking a lot about the effects from the tragic events in Japan. Of course there is a human side which we are all…

Forrester's Julie Ask on using mobile marketing strategically

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

Just how important is mobile? According to Julie Ask, a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, mobile will be transformational.

Walmart To Go – Will it Stay?

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

For all of those consumers who would never go to Walmart, the hyperchain has found a way to come to you.The world's largest retailer is testing a home-delivery…

The Napster Moment

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

In 1999, a teenager and a relatively simple piece of technology rocked the music industry. The teen was Shawn Fanning, the technology was P2P file sharing…

Altimeter’s Jeremiah Owyang pinpoints retail's sweet spot

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

To find retail's sweet spot, a purchase, put the customer ahead of technology. For multiple purchases, make customers influencers for your business.

Benchmarking your retail performance

by Lynn Switanowski — President, Creative Business Consulting Group

As retailers, we're always striving to do better. We have previously suggested that benchmarking can help give retailers the unique perspective they need to…

Four initiatives to improve long-term results

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

Here are four initiatives to focus on right now for a positive impact on your long-term business results. I've written about these before, but I also keep…

Barnes & Noble College launches social commerce platform

May 5, 2011

Barnes & Noble College, an operator of campus bookstores and a wholly owned subsidiary of the bookseller Barnes & Noble, Inc., has announced the launch…

Phone app guides consumers to DVD kiosks

May 4, 2011

Integrating technologies to better serve consumers is all the rage in the retail world, and Gulf Coast Multi Media is jumping on the band wagon with DVDFind, a…

Three ways packaging can impact, improve the retail experience

Brands are increasing their focus on more distinctive packaging that attracts a loyal customer base.

NRF: Retailers increasing mobile, search efforts

May 2, 2011

In an effort to better serve multi-touchpoint, always-on, and empowered consumers, a growing number of retailers are experimenting with mobile and social…

Supermarket chain Big Y offers rewards card - with a fee

While some consumers expressed interest in the new plan, others were unenthusiastic.