Did Groupon really kill this waffle shop?
A small business says it was destroyed by a bad Groupon deal –but was that really the bad business decision that did this retailer in? Back Alley Waffles, a small Washington D.C. breakfast spot, opened...
View ArticleAmazon vs. Facebook: Which do buyers trust more?
In a battle between two of the biggest consumer-oriented sites, who do people most trust with their info? Turns out, it’s not even close: Consumers are twice as comfortable with Amazon using their info...
View ArticleReputation matters: How retailers earn top marks for satisfaction
There’s no one thing customers need to give your company high ratings for satisfaction. What they’re really look for is a combination of price, value, service, quality of the goods or services and a...
View ArticleCaught on tape! Granny’s savings robbed from CVS shopping cart
Retailers need to have good security in place — but even top-notch efforts can’t overcome the combination of carelessness and greed. The latest example: A 75-year-old woman in Philadelphia withdrew...
View ArticleChick-fil-A gets into fight with Kermit the Frog
When your company finds itself in a PR war with the Muppets it’s safe to say management has made some poor decisions. It’s hard to politicize fried chicken enough to cause a nationwide controversy,...
View ArticleSurprising promo consumers prefer over a sale
You’d think slashing prices would be the quickest way to get more buyers opening their wallets. Turns out they actually prefer a different kind of promotional offer. Customers strongly prefer “buy one,...
View ArticleMotivating for the long run: 5 keys that work
The dog days can make employees less motivated and customers harder to please. To keep everyone happier, in the new book Retail Truths, Chip Averwater recommends the following five ideas to help...
View ArticleKohl’s sued by its own laywers
A lawsuit over actress Zooey Deschanel’s promotional endorsement has resulted in Kohl’s lawyers suing the company itself. Back in December 2010, Deschanel, current star of “The New Girl” television...
View ArticleMan goes berserk in store that sold ‘bath salts’
Not liking what a store keeps in its inventory is frustrating, but it doesn’t make it OK to take a bat to the fixtures. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Daniel Avery did after Tebb’s Head Shop of...
View ArticleTough conversations: Dealing with upset employees, customers
Working in retail means a daily dose of having to have difficult discussions — and doing so in a tactful enough way that customers and employees don’t feel worse afterward. Balancing negatives like...
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