Technology

With more big-box retailers and department store chains such as Sears launching commerce-enabled applications for Apple's iPad and other tablets, merchants must position their offerings to differentiate from competitors.

Welcome to augmented reality (AR), also known as interactive video technology, which is set to transform the consumer experience.

The National Retail Federation's BIG Show, which took place in New York last week, is an annual opportunity for retailers to tap into the latest technologies for improving everything from customer analysis to mobile commerce.

Belk CIO Mike Laurenti compares the department store chain's three-year, $150 million transformational IT initiative to "heart surgery on virtually everything that runs the company" — including its point of sale, core merchandising, e-commerce and data warehousing.

If you ask the average online retailer what they think of proactively inviting website visitors to engage in a live chat, chances are they’d say it’s “too intrusive” or “annoying to the shopper.” A recent survey of more than 1,000 regular, U.S.-based internet shoppers begs to differ.

Aside from its impressive sales figures, the iPad already has found its way into our culture, making appearances on hit TV shows, in popular YouTube videos and in White House policy meetings. With this much momentum, what kind of an impact might the device have on retailers? We'll see much more innovation in the year ahead, but here are three early signs of the iPad’s expected impact in retail:

A Betsey Johnson store in California and a novelties e-tailer will each launch Facebook Places campaigns today. The location-based efforts represent the first-ever Places initiatives, marking the beginning of what promises to be a growing trend among Facebook marketers.

It’s quite natural that many customer-focused businesses are asking themselves: “How does Foursquare fit into our marketing mix?” The answer: it depends on your audience, your approach and your aim.

When executed properly, printable coupon campaigns can be an incredibly cost-effective way to drive customer acquisition and traffic into stores. When executed incorrectly, printable coupons can cause problems across an entire organization.

Timberland is putting its best foot forward in a new global campaign showcasing the Earthkeepers collection of eco-friendly apparel. The effort, dubbed "Nature Needs Heroes," includes TV, print and retail ads, as well as social media and a microsite that uses 3-D technology to help consumers become better acquainted with Earthkeepers.