Hordes line up to cash in gift cards

December 25, 2007

The Arizona Republic: For those who love to shop, what happens Wednesday could be as exciting as unwrapping gifts on Christmas Day or during Hanukkah. Malls…

NRF: Retail needs more qualified managers

December 25, 2007

USA Today: When it comes to careers, less than a third of college graduates think retailing has a good reputation, says the National Retail Federation. With…

Report: 40 percent of shoppers rely on directional signage

December 19, 2007

A recent study conducted by M/A/R/C Research found 40 percent of shoppers rely on directional signs while shopping. The group polled almost 23,000 shoppers…

Retail Wi-Fi open to hacking

December 19, 2007

Security consultancy AirDefense recently published its "2007 Retail Shopping Wireless Security Survey," which found that most of the wireless devices in use…

Retailers: make customer experience 'more theatrical'

December 19, 2007

A new report from Datamonitor shows that retailers are seeking to win back market share by making the customers' shopping experience more theatrical, with…

Retailers to discuss 'green' initiatives at NRF

December 19, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Speakers at NRF's 97th Annual Convention and EXPO, January 13-16 in New York City, will teach retailers how to Dream Big and Dream Green.

One in five shoppers will favor 'green' retailers this season

December 19, 2007

USA Today: One in five people surveyed said they will buy more eco-friendly products this holiday and shop more at "green" retailers that make efforts to save…

NRF: U.S. should follow Europe's lead on 'hidden' credit card fees

December 19, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Retail Federation welcomed a ruling by the European Commission that hidden fees currently charged by MasterCard to process…

Best Buy, Circuit City compete for NY holiday shoppers

December 19, 2007

USA Today: Consumer electronic rivals Best Buy and Circuit City are battling head-to-head in Midtown Manhattan this holiday season. The duel was set up when…

Measuring and managing the customer experience

December 19, 2007

Retailers must measure, manage and improve the experiences of their customers, in order to grow their businesses effectively.

Harley-Davidson integrates HVAC with other in-store systems

December 19, 2007

Keeping one of the largest motorcycle dealerships in the world comfortable and efficient required an elegant solution as distinctive as Harley-Davidson itself.

Interactive signage gives power to the people

December 19, 2007

A new trend in digital signage is emerging that combines the strength of digital signs with the interactivity of digital kiosks. For many areas, such as retail…

Fossil integrates retail, wholesale operations

December 19, 2007

The global watch and accessory company wanted to integrate information systems for its growing retail operation with the SAP software environment that…

Marks and Spencer saves money with supply-base refocusing

December 19, 2007

A.T. Kearney worked with Marks and Spencer and their leading suppliers to deliver cost savings from supply-base re-focusing, joint retailer/supplier process…

New retail trend: 'park-your-husband lounges'

December 19, 2007

Forbes: When men accompany their ladies on a shopping trip, the last thing stores — and women — want is a nagging, bored husband. After all, the more time…

Breaking the rules of retail

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

December 19, 2007

Charging a fee for customer service? Asking shoppers to make an appointment for help? These might be the kiss of death for most retailers, but not Apple.

Survey: customer service trumps price

December 18, 2007

A recent benchmark survey on "The State of Retail Workforce Management," conducted by Retail Systems Research (RSR), and sponsored by Kronos Inc., indicates…

POPAI research: digital window signage increases footfall

December 18, 2007

Research commissioned by 3M and POPAI demonstrates the effectiveness of back-projecting dynamic promotional messages onto shop windows.

More gift cards going unredeemed

December 17, 2007

A Consumer Reports survey conducted in October found that among people who received a gift card during the 2006 holiday season, 27 percent of them left one or…

Customer satisfaction takes first dip in two years

December 17, 2007

Customer satisfaction is down for the first time since early 2005, according to the third quarter report of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).