Is price the only 'P' that matters?

Convenience-based value propositions are losing their appeal as people are repricing their free time.

Oracle introduces Oracle Retail Data Model

April 26, 2009

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. — To help retailers accelerate their design and implementation of an enterprise data warehouse, Oracle today introduced the Oracle…

Finding the financial value of the customer

When making customer service decisions, consider the lifetime revenue each customer provides — and their potential for sending referrals.

Opinion: Loyalty is more than points programs

Building a perfect loyalty program requires a delicate balance between reward and customer effort — and online retailers are leading the way.

Mother's Day spending dips, but 'moms will understand'

April 15, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It's not easy having the hardest job in the world, but mom will likely understand the reasoning behind smaller, less expensive gifts for…

NRF: March retail sales disappoint as retailers wrap up first quarter

April 13, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Several months of stronger-than-expected retail sales provided hope that the industry was poised to bounce back, but March retail sales…

Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren to speak at Shop.org Annual Summit

April 12, 2009

WASHINGTON D.C. — Shop.org announced today the addition of Terry J. Lundgren, chairman, president and chief executive of Macy's Inc., to its list of Annual…

New research initiative to measure qualitative effectiveness of in-store marketing

7-Eleven, Ahold, Frito-Lay North America, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages, Walgreens are among the research participants.

Checkpoint introduces source-to-store merchandise visibility solution

April 7, 2009

THOROFARE, N.J. — Checkpoint Systems Inc., a supplier of shrink management solutions, has announced the release of its Merchandise Visibility Solution, which…

Maritz, Welcome Real-Time announce POS-based marketing and loyalty program

April 6, 2009

ST. LOUIS — Maritz and Welcome Real-Time have announced a partnership to launch a new loyalty solution in the United States and Canada. The offering, Maritz…

Brown Shoe adds Trusonic music service

April 6, 2009

LA JOLLA, Calif. — Fluid Music Canada's Trusonic Inc., a provider of Internet-delivered music and messaging services for retailers, announced that Brown Shoe…

What green can mean for a retailer's image

Properly leveraged, green initiatives can make customers feel better about shopping at certain stores.

Loyalty programs and brand loyalty

Branded goods, and stores themselves, need to find new ways to engage and connect with shoppers.

Stores offer alcohol, movies to keep men shopping

April 2, 2009

The Wall Street Journal: On a recent afternoon, customers at Lost Boys in Washington, D.C., sipped cold beers and watched "Casino Royale" on a giant…

New retail kiosks offer virtual clothing, hair colors

March 29, 2009

New York Times: Sales clerks still ask customers, "May I help you?" on the floors of many department stores, but some shoppers may soon choose to be served…

The retail power of suggestion

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

A carefully worded farewell can often subliminally impact shoppers into coming back for more.

Digital shopping assistants

In the next five years, shoppers will increasingly rely on themselves - and the opinions of each other - to make purchasing decisions rather than wait for help…

The psychology of color at retail

Cultural, demographic differences play crucial roles in color design for the retail environment.

Basket-at-once scanning technology exists, but retailers aren't biting

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

RFID-based scanners can massively speed up checkout and cut wait times, but supply chain challenges have prevented adoption.

Opinion: 12 ways to maximize the customer during a recession

The author of Retail Business Kit for Dummies weighs in with tips on how to get more out of each customer interaction and drive repeat business.