In order to survive and thrive don't breathe your own exhaust

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Biggest threat to today's retailers lies within the walls of the ivory tower.

Talking With: Gladson CEO Sue Sentell on data management strategy

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

A big focus in 2016 will be leveraging data to improve and enhance customer experience. An expert offers up tips and insight on making it happen.

Talking With: Zebra Technologies on why Wi-Fi is a must-have retail technology

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Implementing a free guest Wi-Fi can pay off in more ways than one and by 2017 an estimated 56 percent of retailers will be on board. But every retailer needs…

Hybrid cloud rains benefits on forward-thinking retailers

Cloud-based digital technologies are transforming the retail industry to provide digitally connected, time-pressed customers with the value they expect — and…

Consumers expect top-tier service and will take leave if retailers fail to deliver

February 1, 2016

Consumers still favor the in-store shopping environment but true optimization from the trend isn’t going to happen for retailers unless customer experience is…

Free Webinar: Experts discuss how restaurants can use the Internet of Things to win customers

February 1, 2016

To clear up confusion and demonstrate how restaurants can use IoT to help reach customers, FastCasual.com and VMOB recently hosted a free webinar now…

New York company debuts pure mobile-only grocery checkout

by Will Hernandez — Editor, NetWorld Media Group

While AmazonFresh, FreshDirect and Peapod have offered consumers varying degrees of online and mobile grocery ordering for several years, the in-store…

New NEC tools aim to help retailers with data, demographics and analytics

January 26, 2016

NEC Corp. of America debuted a slew of new tools at the January NRF BIG Show and the hardware, software and services are focused on helping retailers with…

'Evolved' retailers more likely to succeed compared to pure-play business strategy

January 26, 2016

Retailers going only online, or only in physical store locations, are likely not going to achieve sustainable, long-term operational success.

Hilton's Tru hotel chain aims to grab hipster, digital native travelers

January 25, 2016

Hilton's 13th brand will likely become it's biggest, claims CEO Christopher Nassetta.

Merchants shift priorities to better serve today's consumers

by Will Hernandez — Editor, NetWorld Media Group

London-based multinational retailer Marks and Spencer describes how it created a new loyalty program.

Free webinar focuses on how IoT can boost guest engagement, revenue

January 22, 2016

Attendees will learn how McDonald's and other chains are boosting campaign performance up to seven times by using mobile data to better target campaigns.

Discount Tire wheels out mobile payment with one goal in mind

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

The 56-year-old largest tire and wheel retailer realizes that buying tires isn’t usually a fun time for consumers so it wants to make the purchase point as…

Panera leader: Payment, mobile innovations boosting customer experience

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Panera Bread is still going full throttle in expanding payment strategies to reduce consumer friction points and enhancing the customer experience.

Amazon aims to make product re-orders easier than ever

January 21, 2016

Amazon wants to make shopping easier than ever and is building a re-order capability via connected devices tied to its Amazon Dash service.

Amazon flying fast forward with drone service strategy

January 20, 2016

Regulatory challenges, safety hurdles and increasing competition aren't stalling Amazon's plans to be one of the first, if not the first, drone service…

Yahoo offers researchers treasure trove of user data

January 18, 2016

Yahoo is sharing news-reading habits of its 20 million users and the data will likely improve recommendation technology down the road.

Talking with HP retail product chief Cory McElroy

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Mobile security is a challenge for any retailer hoping to lure in the mobile device shopper. HP's Cory McElroy says the key is to not become complacent with a…

NRF Preview: Retailers shine a light on beacons to drive mobile engagement

by Will Hernandez — Editor, NetWorld Media Group

Multiple mainstream publications near the end of 2015 rushed to declare beacon technology a dud even though Apple first introduced the technology less than…

How retailers are avoiding “Uberization”

In today's increasingly interconnected world, disruptive business models like those of AirBnB and Uber are thriving.