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.

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…

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…

Giant Food debuting c-store concept

April 7, 2009

Progressive Grocer: Giant Food Stores LLC plans to open its first convenience store, Giant To Go, on April 15 in Lancaster, Pa. The 4,422-square-foot store…

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.

Item out of stock? Many shoppers won't buy a substitute

April 2, 2009

CSP: Call beverage consumers fickle, if you must, but their likelihood to leave a store without making a purchase if their preferred drink is hard to find or…

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.

Coinstar named top performer in prepaid category by retailers

March 26, 2009

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Coinstar E-Payment Services, a subsidiary of Coinstar Inc., has been named a top prepaid performer in the 2009 Convenience Store Decisions…

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.

iCongo version 8 adds dynamic catalog creation, enhanced merchandising

March 4, 2009

MONTREAL — iCongo, provider of e-commerce and cross-channel systems, today announced a set of new features to its retail e-commerce and cross-channel system.

Putting your best customers to work for you

The best retailers don't just serve their customers — they put them to work, on behalf of the organization.

Five ways retailers can use Microsoft Tag today

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Redmond's new mobile barcode app offers some incredible flexibility for creative marketing — and it is available and ready to use right now.

Retail architect: Meet the new consumer

February 10, 2009

Jeffrey Hutchison, The Huffington Post: The current financial crisis has ushered in a new retail era which spells the end of shopping as we have known it…