5 rules for a retail town square: What Apple, Whole Foods Can Teach Us

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Here's a potential formula for retail of the future: One Apple squared equals a community experience minus the traditional sales space.

Macys, Stage, JC Penney tops in Black Friday discounts

November 29, 2016

A new report analyzing 8,000 deals across 35 top tier U.S. retailers reveals the best Black Friday deals will be courtesy of Macy’s, with Stage and JC Penney…

Black Friday: Gimmick, gone or more relevant than ever?

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Is Black Friday relevant, needed, necessary, or even a valuable marketing opportunity, or has it become a gimmick in the retailer's quest to grab consumers…

Appliance sales big part of JC Penney Black Friday event

November 18, 2016

Move over clothes and accessories. JC Penney is putting appliances up front and center for Black Friday and not one single toy.

Cyber weekend: A global opportunity for retailers

Cyber weekend – this year spanning Thursday, Nov. 24 to Monday, Nov. 28 – has clearly now become a global opportunity for online retailers.

Why 30 retailers are asking consumers to self-personalize the shopping experience this holiday

Personalization has long been touted as the Holy Grail for improved customer experience at retail.

Smaller discounts, fewer discounted products this holiday season

November 15, 2016

A new report predicts there will not be as many product discounts, or holiday promotional discounts, this holiday season and it's all part of a new retail…

7 critical questions traditional retailer metrics can't answer

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Traditional metrics of sales and share are not enough for omnichannel.

Wal-Mart, Target launching Black Friday deals way before Black Friday

November 11, 2016

Consumers won’t have to wait until Thanksgiving and the day after, Black Friday, to jump on retail holiday deals.

Mall of America prepping new retail concept for debut this month

November 10, 2016

The Mall of America will be home to a brand new, permanent retail concept, called Debut, come November 16. The concept, to be located in the new north end of…

1 of the greatest misses in omnichannel retailing

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

If retailers want to engage, they need more than products, pics and price.

Target revamps holiday marketing strategy with a Broadway touch

November 1, 2016

Target is going Broadway with this year's holiday strategy, pulling in new merchandise, decorating stores with new products and boosting savings.

4 tips for crafting a valuable SMS marketing campaign

When building the SMS marketing list remember the old saw, patience is a virtue. Focus on building good relationships with a wide network of clients and…

Cognitive computing: IBM's 'secret weapon' in transforming experience

Retailers already know they must embrace cognitive computing to better engage with shoppers, differentiate their offerings and adopt a culture of innovation.

Grocery chain bfresh to rollout Electronic Shelf Labels

October 25, 2016

The small-format grocery chain, bfresh, has partnered with Pricer to deploy electronic shelf labels for its future stores. Pricer, a Swedish-based digital…

Why egift rewards during holiday season are a win-win

Retailers and consumers are leveraging egift rewards for holiday promotions and passing on checks.

Nordstrom launches 'reserve & try on' customer service option

October 21, 2016

Nordstrom is debuting an omnichannel effort that lets Washington state shoppers choose an item online, via a reservation, before hitting the retail location to…

Not every retailer is closing on turkey day

October 20, 2016

Mall operator, General Growth Properties, isn't jumping on the bandwagon to close on Thanksgiving, and its CEO will be working the holiday at a New Jersey mall…

Sears aims to grab the price-conscious holiday shopper

October 19, 2016

As the holiday sales season nears, Sears is making a move to draw bargain-hunting customers with a new guarantee initiative.

Examining the design-it-yourself revolution

Enabling self-expression leads to a deeper and more intimate connection with brands, which is the basis for emotional branding.