A View into Your Holiday Morning

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Regardless of the Black Friday hype, the holiday shopping season still has a long way to go. After all, the Saturday before Christmas is often the busiest…

J.C. Penney unveils two new brands

November 11, 2010

J.C. Penney Co. has launched the Growth Brands, a division that will pursue high-potential opportunities in the retail sector. Growth Brands' initiatives will…

Kenneth Cole launches 'digital wish list'

November 9, 2010

Kenneth Cole is celebrating this holiday season with his "BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR" campaign, kicking off the brand's first ever digital "Wish List" and…

Rumors of the Death of Aspirational Shopping Are Greatly Exaggerated

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

The goal of aspirational brands is to allow us to feel better about ourselves. That’s what we have always done. And always will do.

MyMacy’s initiative customizes merchandise to boost loyalty

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

I was heartened by a recent Detroit News article that reported on a new Macy's initiative called MyMacy's, which allows managers to customize merchandise in…

Cost of Loyalty – For Retailers

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Often times, as I cash in my CVS Extra Bucks or Nordstrom Notes, I wonder how much these loyalty programs cost retailers. For some, I imagine they are a…

Gap on new logo: Never mind

The retailer quickly backpedaled on its new logo design after customer furor. Was it all just a PR stunt?

This Year, Let the Grown-Ups Have a Holiday

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Good news for retailers: Children may find actual brand-name toys – not recession-age oranges, IOUs or dollar-store coloring books – in their stockings this…

Yes Virginia, Retail Holiday Sales Will Suck... Again!

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Wherever you look from now until the first week of January, there will be one consistent message: retail holiday sales will suck. That's because the evidence…

Shoe-shopping with Friends in 10 Steps or Less

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Think of it as a virtual shopping trip where all your friends can offer their opinions and advice, even though they are not there.

A Test Material Girls Should Love: Macy’s Pilot

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

A new loyalty program may soon be rewarding shoppers who purchase brands by Madonna, Martha Stewart and Donald Trump – and they do not have to charge it.

Nordstrom Integrates Social Media on New Web Site

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Nordstrom's new website is killer. It blends the best of efficiency and design in one site that's easy to use, feels great, and keeps the customer focused on…

Choo-Choo! Shoppers May be Trading Up

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Chin-up, glossy-floored department stores. U.S. retailers may be experiencing a reversal of fortune, if a couple of recent earnings reports are an indication.

Retail Summit Review

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Reflections and Takeaways

Casual Male taps Headway for national recruitment

August 4, 2010

Headway Corporate Resources, a North American workforce solutions provider, has announced its recruitment solution partnership with Casual Male Retail Group…

Rebuttal to Mary Hunt in Woman's Day Magazine: Retailers Don't Trick Customers

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Mary Hunt takes aim at retailers by telling Amiable personalities they are all wrong and should become like her, an Analytical. I hate this type of X-files…

NRF unveils STORES' 2010 Hot 100 Retailers list

August 2, 2010

SYMS, Fresh & Easy, rue21 have been ranked among the nation's hottest retailers.

If the Culture Fits

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

In the humorous commercials from California’s Milk Advisory Board, viewers are told that "great cheese comes from happy cows." Whether or not cheerful bovines…

The Aspirational Tourist

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

Remember your last out-of-town getaway?  You probably wandered into a few shops at your destination to browse, buy a few mementos, or just pass the time before…

JCPenney to launch ALDO shop-within-a-shop

June 30, 2010

JCPenney Company Inc. and ALDO USA, Inc. have announced plans for JCPenney to become The ALDO Group's exclusive department store retailer in the United States…