Retail Trends

EMV: The Upside Of Smart Card Adoption, Will Small Businesses Be Ready?

By Brian Goudie - Apr 6, 2012 - 7 Comments

EMV and smart card adoption are becoming more important than ever, especially for smaller companies. The term “EMV” (which stands for EuroPay, MasterCard, and Visa, the three companies that devised the standard) refers to a set of fraud reduction technology standards that ensure payment … Read More

Insider Tips on Creating a Publicity Friendly Retail Website

By Margie Zable Fisher - Feb 29, 2012 - 3 Comments

In the over 10 years I’ve had my public relations business, I have worked with many clients who have sold products through their websites. Their goal in getting media coverage is to get more traffic to their sites, as well as sales. To achieve those goals, I have often asked clients to make … Read More

Peace, Love and Little Donuts: The American Entrepreneurial Spirit

By John Mariotti - Feb 15, 2012 - 4 Comments

I stopped into Wayne’s World BP Station on the corner of Mooring Line Drive and Tamiami Trail in Naples, Florida because I needed to fill-up with gas, - and because it was next to the PGA Tour shop where my next “errand” took me. I got a lot more than a full tank of gas that day when the … Read More

5 Money Saving Tools for Retail

By Susan Payton - Feb 14, 2012 - 6 Comments

It’s hard enough to compete with big-box retailers without paying big-box prices for the things that make your brick-and-mortar run smoothly. But 14the great thing about being a small retail business is that you’re more nimble and able to experiment with more affordable products and … Read More

Did Free Shipping Day Do the Trick for Small Biz?

By Susan Payton - Dec 22, 2011 - 3 Comments

Free Shipping Day was December 12 in Canada and December 16, 2011 in the United States -- and consumers, naturally, ate it up. But did it do what it was supposed to do for small businesses? Did it provide an extra shot of revenue during the busy holiday season? Let's check in on Twitter to see what … Read More

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday Kick Off a Big Shopping Weekend

By Rohit Arora - Nov 28, 2011 - 1 Comment

By almost all accounts, the start of the 2011 holiday shopping season was strong for retailers, who reported a 7 percent increase in sales over Black Friday 2010. Encouraged by a vigorous campaign supported by American Express and unseasonably warm weather in the northeast, shoppers made the rounds … Read More

Small Retailers: Don’t Ignore Senior Consumers

By Rieva Lesonsky - Oct 26, 2011 - 13 Comments

With the holiday shopping season approaching, small retailers are looking for any edge they can get over big-box stores and discount websites. Well, new data from A.T. Kearney's Global Maturing Consumer study offers an edge you may not have thought of: catering to senior shoppers. Why should you … Read More

Ring Up Point of Sale Success Year Round

By Brian Goudie - Sep 22, 2011 - 4 Comments

During the holidays and throughout the year, it’s important that the payment experience be efficient, secure and reliable for both the customer and the business owner. With the major holiday shopping season a few months away, now is the time for business owners to plan for maximum sales results, … Read More

11 Customer Service Trends to Watch in 2011

By Barry Moltz - Dec 29, 2010 - 26 Comments

Customer service is a perennial issue that is critical to all small business owners. Although it is included in every company mission statement, no one wants to focus on it. But some key customer service trends for 2011 make this phase of your business even more critical in the coming year. Here … Read More

Guarantee the Customer Experience – Remove Price and Worry from Buying Decisions

By Jeanne Bliss - Nov 19, 2010 - 17 Comments

Most guarantees put a limit on the time customers have to return a product after its purchase. That enforced timeline creates a transaction-based relationship with customers, as they measure happiness one purchase at a time. Zane’s Cycles in Branford, Connecticut decided to guarantee the … Read More

Overstock.com’s Main Street Revolution Initiative Aims to Help Small Businesses

By Anita Campbell - Jul 29, 2010 - 6 Comments

Will small business lift the economy out of recession? Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne hopes so, and he's trying to help. Recently the online discount retailer announced the launch of its "Main Street Revolution Initiative," an effort intended to increase the visibility of small, local businesses … Read More

Wow! Cookies! How One Company Stands Out

By Anita Campbell - Feb 5, 2010 - 5 Comments

I just had the best cookie! Yes, you read that right -- I'm writing about cookies. And no, this is not turning into a recipe blog. This post has an entrepreneurial connection -- bear with me, and I'll tell you about it. Today I got a package from FedEx. Turns out it was a box of … Read More