Dollars and Sentiments. The Real R.O.I. on Social Marketing

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

With the rush to social marketing, some companies are falling prey to a few common pitfalls that are ultimately derailing their success.  In this article…

Sourcing Retail Store Fixtures from China

Sourcing fixtures from China can increase ROI, but a careful eye must be kept on hidden expenses and quality.

The Right Way to Rollout

When rolling out a fixture installation, companies can choose to use in-house staff or outsource to an experienced company. Learn the pros and cons of each…

Fuel perks plus retail equals savvy loyalty play

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

With an economy that is recovering slowly and still keeping millions of Americans unemployed and in a recession-based, purse-strings-tightening mode, it’s…

Privacy Is Dead... And It Could Be Great

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Facebook recent announcement about its intentions to collect and store personal data has privacy advocates up in arms.  But could the move actually vastly…

Disney Store launching “magical new store design”

May 11, 2010

Disney Store announced today that it was launching "a magical new store design" in major markets across the United States and Europe this summer.

Walmart planning small for the future?

May 10, 2010

According to ProgressiveGrocer.com via FinancialTime.com, Walmart plans to open a miniature version of its Supercenter stores in the Los Angeles area. The…

NCR showcasing new era c-tailing solutions at FMI 2010

May 10, 2010

NCR Corp. will demonstrate its converged retailing — c-tailing — solutions for multichannel retailers in booth #1952 at FMI 2010, the largest food industry…

Harrod’s sale may prime the pump for U.K. retail market

May 9, 2010

According to Bloomberg Businessweek.com, Qatar Holding LLC’s 1.5 billion-pound ($2.2 billion) purchase of Harrods Ltd. could be a harbinger for more investment…

6 Big Ideas for a New Decade in Retail

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

The pace and volume of change is exponential.  We are witness to massive shifts in consumerism, technology, economics and sociology.  In this article, we…

The Moment of Truth: The 4 P's of Retail

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

All retailers use vast amounts of data to make decisions – whom to target, how to target, when to target, what to sell, how to sell, where to sell, etc.  But…

Best Retail in Romania...Hard Rock?

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Great brands don't just deliver a great experience. They deliver a great experience everywhere!

Going "Beyond" Customer's Expectations

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

On New York's east side, there’s a store with exceptional customer service.  It's not on Madison Avenue. It's not on 5th Avenue. It starts with a “B” but it’s…

Building a Better Bank

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

In the realm of retail shopping, Reluctant Shoppers* are defined by their ability to “put off” shopping as long as possible.  The actual problem might never…

Making Retail Work: What To Say Before They Go Out The Door

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Giving thought to what employees should say as customers leave is something most of us never consider when trying to build sales. I'm reminded of my first…

What's Really Good About HomeGoods

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

Do you find yourself regularly going to HomeGoods?  Just to see what’s there?  You’re not alone; the fans of HomeGoods are numerous and extremely enthusiastic…

If a Brand Falls in the Forest...The Power of Social Listening

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

There’s been an incredible amount of talk over the last few years about social media.  And frankly, most of the talk is about talking.  The truth is that the…

Retailing in the Absence of Recovery

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Each day we wait and wonder when the economy will kick in to a pattern of consistent recovery.  But in order to truly understand the forces at work in this…

New Orleans - The Ultimate Customer Experience?

by William Cusick — President, Customerspectives

I just got back from three days on a business junket of sorts in the Big Easy. I've been to NOLA a few times and the after-effect is always the same: I need…

NRF: Holiday season ends on high note as sales increase 1.1%

January 14, 2010

In the end, retailers got the best Christmas present of all: a holiday season of gains, not losses. After a year that saw holiday sales decrease by 3.…