Digital transformation, customer experience and omnichannel are three of the biggest buzzwords in retail these days. Here’s one more to add to the conversation: layaway. Surprised? That’s understandable. After all, layaway is a century-old service that many retailers phased out decades ago when credit cards went mainstream. But many others still offer layaway. One reason…

If you’re looking for new and different ways to provide a great customer experience, consider the surveillance systems you already have in your stores, warehouses and even parking lots. They’re there to thwart theft, but with a little incremental investment, these systems can identify opportunities to wow customers and keep them coming back. Take checkout…

When it comes to data analytics, there is a lot to be learned from what higher education institutions are doing with this technology. Schools are facing constant financial and competitive pressure — not unlike most businesses. They need to retain their customers, the students. This can be difficult because of competition from online educational options…

When we talk about improving employee productivity through mobility, the conversation often focuses on knowledge workers who use their mobile devices and apps to get real-time information on the road, catch up on emails in airports and join video collaboration sessions from their homes and hotel rooms. But in reality, mobile devices and apps help…

For a large retailer in the news recently, 90 minutes of system issues likely cost it approximately $50 million in lost sales. Initial reports showed that the company was unable to process credit card transactions because of an error that occurred during a normal maintenance cycle. Obviously, that’s bad news for a retailer — and…

Twenty years ago, investors and analysts asked businesses, “What’s your web strategy?” Fifteen years ago, it was, “What’s your mobile strategy?” Today, it’s, “What’s your AI strategy?” Artificial intelligence gives businesses powerful new ways to get deeper insights into customer experiences, needs, wants, habits, risks and more. Yet as with the web and mobile, recognizing…