New research dissects what makes a 'wow experience'

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

July 8, 2009

A new survey from The Verde Group and the Retail Council of Canada says that most shoppers — just slightly more than 50 percent — have had a great retail…

Retailers upgrading POS, focusing on its marketing capabilities

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

July 8, 2009

Aberdeen Group reports that 73 percent of retailers rate themselves as sub-par when it comes to keeping their POS systems up to date technologically. And…

Opinion: Retailers need to cut their SKUs

Increasingly, less is more. Here are some tips on shaving your product assortment down to a more manageable, profitable size.

Despite economy, largest retailers remain power players

June 30, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In spite of economic uncertainties, many of the nation's largest retailers held onto their coveted spots at the top of the retail ladder…

What recession? Retailers still spending on store maintenance, upgrades

June 28, 2009

Building Design & Construction: Not all is bleak on the retail construction scene. Though most retailers have scaled back their new store development plans…

Red Book reveals latest version of store execution management tool

June 16, 2009

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Red Book Solutions today revealed the latest version of Source-2-Source, a solution focused solely on store-level task completion. Paired…

Loyalty segmentation needs to extend into the store

When front-line employees are left out of the loyalty process, points programs miss the point.

Five underutilized features of the modern POS

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Today's point-of-sale systems are sophisticated business tools, but many retailers are still using them as glorified cash registers.

RetailWire Discussion: Most loyal customers aren't profitable

A recent Harvard Business Journal article suggests that few customers are profitable — and of the ones that are, most are not loyal.

Three specialty stores that stand out from the pack

When times are tight, experience counts more than ever. Here are three small retailers with singular in-store experiences.

Many retailers struggle, but Walmart is hiring

June 4, 2009

Forbes: While many employers are firing, Wal-Mart is hiring. The retailer says it plans to create 22,000 U.S. jobs this year.

NRF: Tough economy will mean more of the same for Dad

June 1, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to the National Retail Federation's 2009 Father's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, Americans…

Five viral marketing mistakes to avoid

There's a lot of buzz surrounding viral marketing — but retailers need to make sure to avoid these common missteps.

The financial discipline of customer experience

For the retail CFO, customer experience needs to shift from a "nice to have" to a "must have."

Secrets of high-concept retailers

Retailers such as American Girl that forge their own path thrive, despite tough times.

Altierre releases high-contrast displays for shelf-level digital signage

May 11, 2009

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Altierre Corp., a provider of digital signage and wireless dynamic pricing solutions for retailers, announced it has achieved a significant…

Avery Dennison announces mobile merchandising tool

May 10, 2009

PASADENA — Avery Dennison Corp. and Scanbuy Inc. have joined forces to produce a new mobile-merchandising solution that uses camera phone technology to enhance…

Solving the player-to-screen puzzle

How to make the right networking and connectivity choices when planning retail digital signage.

Opinion: Retailers giving lip service to customer service

Noted retail trainer and author discusses how the concept of customer service has been watered down by many retailers.

Rumor: Apple preparing download kiosks

May 6, 2009

Apple Insider: Apple has put some effort into conceptualizing a family of next-generation wireless iTunes kiosks that can be placed just about anywhere…