Survey: Grocery shoppers maintain or increase spending, look for more value, service

Consumer spending on groceries has increased in the past three months, but consumers are expecting more from their stores.

Regifting the ghost of Christmas past

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

For most of us, holiday gifts can haunt us like the ghosts of Christmas past. From nose-hair clippers to maternity bras, we've each been given an…

U.S. households plan to spend an average of $497 this holiday season

November 8, 2011

U.S. households are expected to spend an average of $497 on gifts this holiday season, The Conference Board reports today. Only 7 percent of consumers said…

Gap mobile coupon program now to include Banana Republic, Old Navy brands

November 8, 2011

Retailer Gap Inc. said it will be expanding its Gap Mobile4U program to include its other brands Banana Republic (BR mobile 4U) and Old Navy (Old Navy 4U).

Old Navy joins location-based shopping app shopkick

November 8, 2011

Today shopkick, the location-based shopping app that rewards shoppers for walking into stores, announced Old Navy has joined its Partner Alliance. According to…

Survey: Retailer digital marketing spending to increase across all channels in 2012

November 7, 2011

While traditional digital channels such as search and email continue to dominate retailer marketing spending, social and mobile channels are growing in…

Young America short-term rewards result in 10 percent sales lift

November 7, 2011

Loyalty programs that are structured like promotions may generate significant short-term sales lift, according to Young America, an incentive marketing firm.

Big Y selects AisleBuyer mobile shopping platform

November 7, 2011

Big Y Foods, Inc. and AisleBuyer LLC have announced a partnership to provide Big Y's customers with a mobile application for iPhone and Android devices that…

Report: Mobile device retail traffic will more than double this November

Fifteen percent of people logging onto a retailer's Web site are expected to do so through a mobile device.

Target giving free shipping to its cardholders

November 6, 2011

Target today announced that it is giving free shipping for all orders placed at Target.com when shoppers use their branded REDcard. The company also announced…

Covert loyalty: Treat, or trick?

by Phaedra Hise — Senior Editor, COLLOQUY

Last week I received an invitation to join Zappo's VIP loyalty program. Of course I knew it existed. I had heard that it was a model of customer service and…

Why it is time for retailers to quit discounting, start rewarding

Promos mainly appeal to shoppers that only buy on discount without the intent to repurchase.

Amazon opens Kindle Owners' Lending Library

by James Bickers

November 2, 2011

Amazon's quest to make its Kindle the "one media device to rule them all" got a little bit more aggressive today: It opened its Kindle Owners' Lending Library…

Social media doesn't suck (but your marketing might)

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Hardly a day goes by that I don't read at least one article that debates the inherent value of social media. The marketing community continues to hunt for the…

Transition-driven marketing should be done at local level

November 1, 2011

Cardlytics is deploying transaction-marketing specialists nationwide to work directly with leading local retailers.

Digby demonstrates its In-Store Mobile app

Digby mobilizes retailers by helping them take a strategic approach to in-store mobile engagement and mobile commerce, delivering a unique retail branded…

Bank of America's pricing woes

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

It seems that every time Bank of America tries to raise fees it gets hammered in the press. Why is this? More importantly, what can you learn from their…

Juniper Research predicts $43B mobile coupon market by 2016

October 31, 2011

U.K. analyst firm Juniper Research has a released a new report that forecasts that the total redemption value of mobile coupons worldwide will be more than $4…

Some stats about Halloween

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

As we prepare for the what some consider to be the 4th biggest holiday in America (after "December", Thanksgiving, and 4th of July), I thought I'd share some…

Are you getting your additional 13 percent?

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

The 2011 American Express Global Customer Service Barometer finds that 70% of American consumers are willing to spend an average of 13% more with companies…