GlobalShop: Interactive mannequin stops traffic

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

March 19, 2008

CHICAGO — One of the most eye-catching retail applications unveiled at this week's GlobalShop expo was tucked in the back of the Epson booth.

U.S. consumers making fewer shopping trips

March 18, 2008

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — U.S. consumers are making fewer shopping trips across most retail outlets as they look for ways to combine errands and save money in an…

GlobalShop: Day 1 news roundup

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

March 17, 2008

CHICAGO — Today was opening day for GlobalShop 2008, the 16th installment of the trade show devoted to store design, visual merchandising and in-store…

RFID a boon for retailers, bane for privacy advocates

March 16, 2008

Associated Press: The problem with RFID, critics say, is that the microchipping of products might have unintended consequences. With tags in so many objects…

Personas connect retailers, shoppers

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Fictional customers can lead to real-world improvements.

Freedom Shopping unveils RFID checkout solution

March 12, 2008

HICKORY, N.C. — Freedom Shopping Inc. announced the availability of an OEM offering that plugs into existing cash registers and point-of-sale terminals to…

Harris poll: Consumers expect retailers to know their preferences

March 10, 2008

Advertising Age: A Harris Interactive poll finds that a whopping 95 percent of people believe it is at least somewhat important that companies know "who I am…

Customer experience spending will intensify in 2008

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

March 5, 2008

According to a new report just published by Forrester Research, customer experience spending is about to take off to new levels.

Grabbing shoppers by the nose

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Intentional use of scents can profoundly impact the customer experience.

U.S. retailers just beginning to understand customer experience, report says

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

February 27, 2008

Forrester Research has published "The State of Experience-Based Differentiation," a summary of its recent survey of 287 customer experience decision-makers…

Opinion: the shopping experience can be more important than the product

February 24, 2008

Advertising Age: Nordstrom executives long have made it their business to do whatever is necessary to please the consumer — everything from stocking every…

Blog: recession will be helped by 'reproduction mania'

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

February 21, 2008

Heather Strang, blogger for Retail Design Diva, isn't particularly worried about the effect a possible recession would have on retail. No, she says, there are…

Customer satisfaction down overall, up online

February 19, 2008

Medill Reports: Another explanation for lackluster consumer spending emerged Tuesday when the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index…

Software-as-a-service for in-store digital signage

February 11, 2008

The distribution model is one of the most important aspects to investigate when selecting digital signage software.

Inserts more influential than TV ads

February 11, 2008

BALTIMORE — Vertis Communications announced the tenth anniversary of its proprietary Vertis Customer Focus study, which has been analyzing the key trends…

More companies realize customer experience will be critical in 2008

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

February 11, 2008

Forrester Research has just published "Obstacles to Customer Experience Success, 2008," which distills the results of a survey of 287 customer experience…

Adidas unveils new store design

February 10, 2008

DNR: Adidas unveiled a new store design for its Adidas Originals boutique in Soho on Feb. 2. The refashioned store also serves as the U.S. launch pad for the…

Putting the 'world' in Wincor World

by Tracy Kitten — Editor, AMC

Steady growth, innovation mark German firm's annual self-service show.

Old Navy recasts image, aims younger

January 31, 2008

Advertising Age: Old Navy, a division of the struggling Gap Inc., is trying to shake off its traditional discount image with a new logo and marketing campaign…

Shoe stores need new format to compete, says study

January 29, 2008

Design Week: Footwear retailers are suffering from high levels of competition from clothing chains, and should develop new store formats to catch up with…