Customer Service

Beauty retailer Sephora has promoted Mary Beth Laughton to executive vice president of U.S. omni retail. Previously, Laughton was senior vice president of digital. “Mary Beth is a visionary and strategist with a deep understanding of how customers are evolving,” said Calvin McDonald, chief executive officer and president of Sephora Americas. “During her time at…

Despite the traditional retail industry being beset by online competitors and margin pressure, here’s a bit of good news from a recent Capgemini report: More than 80 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for a better experience. However, that same study found that while 75 percent of organizations believe themselves to be customer…

In this brand new version of "The Nordstrom Way," co-authors Robert Spector and breAnne O. Reeves examine in-depth the values by which Nordstrom has survived and thrived for more than 116 years. One of those values is the combination of “communication and collaboration,” which is essential for every organization to succeed. This is an excerpt from the book.

An overwhelming majority (95 percent) of U.S. consumer goods and retail CEOs are confident about the growth outlook for the global economy, the industry and their companies over the next three years, despite potential technological risks, according to a recent survey by KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm. In other parts of…

Online shopping has hit its stride. But with all the things that set it apart from traditional retail — more convenience, options and ways to buy — there's one facet that won't ever disappear: retail giants. Just as mom-and-pop shops watched department stores and big-box retailers spring up and seemingly take over, independent online sellers…

With reports swirling about the uncertain future of the retail industry, retailers are working to stand out in a highly competitive market, deciphering what customers really want from the brands they interact with, and delivering those things in a timely manner. While determining what consumers want may seem daunting to retailers, according to a recent…

For a long time, science fiction made many people unsure, and often fearful, of how technology would shape the future. Fast-forward to today, and many of us can’t imagine our lives without the help technology offers us. The average consumer is accustomed to living a tech-assisted lifestyle, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications are emerging to…

Retailers are investing in technology and resources to improve customers’ experiences as their online shopping expectations increase. This is particularly true in the age of Amazon.com, which has made personalization, one-click purchasing and same-day delivery commonplace. Over the summer we've been reviewing Total Retail and IBM's recent report, The Amazon Effect: How Retailers Are Adapting Their Businesses…

It’s all very well waxing lyrical about Sears, Macy’s and J.C. Penney, but let’s be honest, they’ve let things slide. Having fallen behind the times, they no longer relate to today's consumers. In the last decade, Sears has closed 22 percent of its stores. We’re witnessing the death of the mall because traditional retailers failed…

Smart brands are looking for new ways to beat their competition and succeed in this changing retail industry. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSI) is leveraging its best competitive advantage — its network of stores — to give customers an enhanced shopping experience across its portfolio of brands (Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm). Williams-Sonoma, Inc. recently introduced…