A new, intelligent self-service digital offer center allows shoppers to receive offers on their mobile phones and then redeem them wirelessly at the point of sale (POS). Based on an interactive digital sign, the solution connects to retailers’ legacy systems and is able to analyze customer responses to advertising and promotional offers.

Features of the solution include an interactive directory, product way finder, and an offer center. By correcting inventory imbalances and motivating customers to make purchases, the intelligent offer center can help reduce inventory distortion.

Comparison shopping engines (CSEs) constantly are changing and evolving. For example, the e-Commerce world was shaken up when Google transitioned from the free Google Product Search to the commercially based Google Shopping.

While CSEs are valuable in helping retailers drive click-throughs and conversions, there are five key misconceptions that can negatively impact programs.

Almost half of retailers responding to a recent survey said they are allocating enough payroll to execute an optimal customer experience; however, only 3% said the defined customer experience is being executed consistently in stores.

The quality of store employees directly correlates to the successful in-store customer experience. Retailers are working to find the right balance of quality store associates, while struggling with labor costs.

This report explores the drivers of Amazon’s top- and bottom-line growth to date, how it has managed to achieve success and what that success means for retailers and eBusiness execs, where the firm is vulnerable, how other retailers can effectively coexist in this new retail environment, and the strategic lessons other businesses can learn from Amazon.

E-Commerce, mobile and social media have significantly changed the ways consumers browse, buy and interact with brands and retailers.

To make the store the star in light of evolving shopping trends, retailers must redefine the purpose of brick-and-mortar stores, and think of them as “public spaces.”

 
To succeed in today’s highly competitive e-Commerce marketplace, retailers should attend to 5 key strategies related to: merchandising, integration, promotions, microsites and tablet/mobile technology.

Merchants also can benefit from attention to 15 best practices around analytics, design, user interface and more.

Smartphones are estimated to impact 19% of retail store sales by 2016, or $689 billion. Additionally, 48% of smartphone owners said their devices have influenced their decision to purchase an item in a store.

The question is: Are retailers ready for the mobile revolution?

Retailers with 50 or more full-time employees are determining how to best address new regulations within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). 

Overall, 44% retailers say that their organizations are “familiar” with the Affordable Care Act and are prepared to comply, according to research from Retail TouchPoints.

Would your organization benefit from a $2 million savings in lost sales and equipment maintenance? If so, managed services may be able to help. A total premise managed services package can support all elements of retailers’ IT infrastructure.

This white paper provides the 5 steps to managed services implementation and points out key questions retail executives should ask when seeking a managed services provider.

Retailers invest a great deal of resources to fine-tune marketing measurement, merchandising, promotion, payroll and more, but it is all for naught if not executed well in the store.

To coordinate these efforts at store level, retailers are turning to fully integrated enterprise solutions to ensure compliance with customer engagement goals and corporate labor strategies. Manual processes are no longer sufficient when it comes to the detailed information needed to ensure consistent execution of best practices.

Retailers need to pick up the pace to keep up with today’s digitally savvy shoppers. While close to 70% of retailers currently have a presence on Facebook and 34% are on Twitter, just 26% are participating on YouTube and only 18% have invested in Pinterest, according to a recent survey of 302 retailers, sponsored by Pitney Bowes Software.

Macy’s, Toys “R” Us and Target are just a few of the retailers who are profiting from Pop-Up stores today. When considering a Pop-Up store, retailers need to think about strategy goals as well as technology considerations.

This white paper shares 8 types of technology merchants may need when setting up a Pop-Up location: Router, POS card swiper, WiFi networks, IP web camera, VoIP phone, Web-based POS, mobile and tablet devices, and a receipt printer.

Retailers may no longer have to worry about out-of-stock inventory. High-definition video display technology brings products to life with full-size images, allowing shoppers to view product details and make product comparisons without having the actual product in front of them.