Riding the Marrakesh Express to the roots of retail

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Frank Mayer launches in-store lens demonstrator displays for Transitions Optical

June 20, 2012

Frank Mayer & Associates Inc. has partnered with Transitions Optical, a leading manufacturer of photochromic lenses, to develop a complete line of lens…

Colonial Candle to open 'hands-on' boutique in S.C.

June 15, 2012

Colonial Candle has chosen Charleston, S.C., as the location for its first boutique. The 3,000-square-foot flagship store is the 103-year-old candle company's…

Experts discuss dos and don'ts of rebranding

Defining the target audience is one of the most important steps when developing a rebranding strategy.

To beat showrooming, change the showroom

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Almost every other retail headline is about the growing tide of online sales and the rise of mobile shopping. CEA just forecasted that more shoppers will shop…

U.S. retailers spending the most on remodeling since the recession

June 8, 2012

Retailers might be opening fewer stores, but they're spending money improving their existing locations — more than they've spent on remodels since the…

Big box retailers discovering less is more

June 7, 2012

Big box retailers opening smaller-format stores in urban settings is trendier than ever. Kohl's, for example, in March opened seven stores nearly half the size…

Brazil: Retail lessons from the land of beef

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

While in much of the world economies and retail are still in recovery mode, Brazil is a bull of an economy. Brazil is bold, brazen and the land of where "beef…

You had me at hello, but: What neuromarketing and Big Data miss

I'm a geek. I love big data and ferreting out patterns. Nothing fascinates me more than the burgeoning field of neuromarketing.

The Body Shop tests 'entertailing' in Britian

May 29, 2012

The Body Shop on New Bond Street in London is more than a store; it's an oasis of calm, according to theglobeandmail.com, and the prototype for a new…

Tesla Motors relying on new stores to drive sales

May 24, 2012

Tesla Motors is growing its network of retail stores across the United States in preparation for deliveries of Model S, the world's first premium electric…

Canadian comm company Rogers redesigns stores

May 17, 2012

Rogers Communications, Canada's largest provider of wireless voice and data communications services, has launched its new retail store concept with the grand…

Four Tips for Inexpensive Digital Signage Content Creation

Good content is key to the success of a digital signage deployment, but creating it doesn’t have to break the bank.

Converse opens largest mall location in Jersey

May 7, 2012

Converse Inc. has opened the doors to its first mall-based location in Westfield Garden State Plaza, the brand's fourth inline retail location in the United…

Former Apple exec joins jcpenney

April 27, 2012

To help redefine its brand, J. C. Penney Company Inc. has announced several new leadership appointments, including former Apple designer Benjamin Fay. As the…

'Retail is theater'

April 26, 2012

Retail is a form of theater, visual merchandising guru Martin M. Pegler said recently during his session at the 2012 International Home + Housewares Show in…

Blogger: Steve Jobs' greatest invention was the Apple Store

April 23, 2012

In his blog last week, Chris Maxcer wrote that he believes Steve Jobs' greatest achievement wasn't the iPhone, iPod, iTunes, iPad or white earbuds.

A conversation about building great retail window displays

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

This weekend, MSNBC's "Your Business" ran a segment on the venerable retail window display, and how the basics of good window design are the same for everyone…

New Balance opens Boston 'Experience' store

April 13, 2012

New Balance is stepping up its game with a new 2,500-square-foot high-tech store at Copley Square in Boston that opens today. The store features artistic…

Big-box retailers shifting focus to smaller stores

April 12, 2012

Big-box retail came alive in 1962, when Walmart, K-Mart, and Target opened their first stores, but after nearly 50 years of kicking mom-and-pop shops to the…