Customer Retention

There's no doubt that retail is changing, but brands and retailers that meet the challenge are thriving. That’s because data personalization and a multichannel approach are creating opportunities for the smartest brands and retailers to acquire, delight and retain customers for life. That last point — “for life” — may seem dramatic. It’s not. Given…

Each year, our agency releases a Brand Intimacy Study, which is the largest study of brands based on emotion. We cultivated the theory of brand intimacy nine years ago, defining it as the emotional science that measures the bonds we form with the brands we use and love. MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2019 study contains the most…

It began with “groceraunts,” but it has extended throughout the retail industry. The concept of community spaces within retail stores has been used to drive more foot traffic and offer a more complete customer experience. Whether it's a café, wine bar, bistro, or even just a sitting area with free Wi-Fi, community spaces have been…

Most business leaders want to run an enterprise that's truly “great.” Some are satisfied with running a “good” business, and in many circumstances there's nothing wrong with that. Over the long haul however, there’s a problem with just being “good.” As the venerable Jim Collins has researched and proven, all businesses over time break one…

Target has announced that it will roll out its new loyalty program, Target Circle, nationwide on Oct. 6. The expansion of the loyalty program complements Target’s branded credit card, Redcard, which only a quarter of its customers use. It also replaces Cartwheel, a separate discount program, in an attempt to offer a “more seamless, intuitive shopping experience.” The…

It wasn’t that long ago customer loyalty meant something to brand marketers. If you held someone’s loyalty, there was little question you controlled their purse strings, and it took a significant amount of strategic effort to sway, say, a Coke drinker to become a Pepsi drinker. In 2019, however, loyalty has become a bygone buzzword.…

In episode 211 of Total Retail Talks, Executive Editor Joe Keenan speaks with Jonathan Clarkson, managing director of loyalty, partnerships and products for Southwest Airlines. Listen in as Clarkson discusses Southwest's Rapid Rewards loyalty program, how the program differentiates from other airlines’ rewards programs, and the fundamentals of its revenue-based earn-and-burn points system. He shares Southwest Airline's…

I would find it highly unlikely for anyone in marketing or retail to say they haven’t recently read an article related customer experience (CX). The term is popping up everywhere nowadays. We all know the customer’s overall experience with a brand has a significant influence over his/her loyalty, but how do we best go about…

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Joe Keenan and Kristina Stidham discuss a session from last week’s eTail East conference on customer experience best practices. The session, which was led by David Levin, vice president of customer experience and digital innovation at Bob’s Discount Furniture, offered the audience 10 CX best practices…

For brands today, the battle for customer loyalty is more difficult than ever before. Rather than sticking to one brand, many customers are selecting products based on a variety of factors like price, overall purchasing experience, and reviews from family and friends. In fact, recent studies show 81 percent of consumers trust their friends and family’s…