New technologies offer retailers innovative means of engaging with consumers and help them to retain market share. 4 Oct 2007
Customer complaints are something that business leaders generally like to avoid, yet they are a fact of business life, and when handled well, they can have a huge impact on the success of the organisation. Some industry sectors are better at dealing with complaints than others, according to the UK Customer Satisfaction Index, a new survey carried out by the UK's Institute of Customer Service. 2 Oct 2007
Think vinegar is merely an ingredient to enhance meals? Think again. From removing laundry stains to repelling insects, a new online survey reveals consumers use vinegar for a variety of household chores. 27 Sep 2007
The Asics Gel-Nimbus 9 has been selected as the Editors' Choice shoe in a recent review done by gear editors, Lisa de Speville and Sean Falconer in the October issue of Runner's World magazine. 26 Sep 2007
Rather than travel down legal roads, a growing number of companies are trying to engage in a dialogue with their online constituents. Many are setting up their own message boards and blogs to gather customer feedback. In addition to putting the software in place, companies hire full-time or part-time monitors, individuals who examine the comments and report back to management what customers are saying. 21 Sep 2007
USA - For nearly half of all Americans, the old saying that "money burns a hole in your pocket" is true - at least, when it comes to cash. Every year, about $2,340 in cash "disappears" from Americans' wallets when people simply lose track of their spending, according to a new survey commissioned by Visa USA. 13 Sep 2007
USA - According to an article in the most recent issue of First-Perspective, a First Marketing publication, when researchers use a combination of demographic and psychographic analysis, they can predict an individual consumer's next purchase with up to 82% accuracy. By allowing companies to match products with those consumers who are most likely to buy them, psychographic segmentation improves the efficiency and effectiveness of their marketing efforts. 12 Sep 2007
With 2010 looming on the horizon, many companies are not only revising the service they offer to their customers, but also evaluating their standards from an International perspective. 6 Sep 2007
Game console makers saw a surprising sales boom in July, traditionally one of gaming's slower months. Nintendo sold 425,000 units of its Wii console, more than double the sales of Microsoft's Xbox 360 or Sony's PlayStation3, according to NPD Group. Sony focused on its increase in sales over the prior month, rather than wallowing in its last-place finish. Fred Aun of the E-Commerce Times reports. 3 Sep 2007
“The increasingly competitive retail industry is proving to be the perfect platform for the customer magazine market in South Africa, which is estimated to be worth over one billion rand,” says Bridget McCarney, MD of New Media. 30 Aug 2007
As the global vehicle market continues to grow, the overall picture has become increasingly blurry. Brand ownership has been consolidated broadly into massive motor company empires, only to be unbundled again recently. 29 Aug 2007
Retail Systems Research (RSR) latest report, The Next Generation of Business Intelligence: Driving Customer Insights across the Retail Enterprise has found that although retailers have been collecting consumer data for years, the data has historically been unavailable to the enterprise. The research confirms that using customer-driven business intelligence to inform assortment and space planning processes are key components of retail success. 27 Aug 2007
Nineteen percent of consumers polled in a recent IBM survey said they spend six or more hours a day online; 9 percent of those surveyed spend a like amount of time watching television. Twenty-three percent of respondents reported using a portable music service such as iTunes and 18 percent have an online newspaper subscription. 27 Aug 2007
Research conducted by Infusion over the last two years reveals opportunities and challenges of uneven development in various townships. 22 Aug 2007
In June, a ChangeWave consumer survey saw an Apple 'halo effect' emerging for Mac computer sales, due in part to hype surrounding the release of the iPhone. At that time, it appeared as though a transformational shift was taking place in the consumer PC marketplace. According to ChangeWave's latest consumer PC survey, the impact of this shift is now clear, and the news is great for Apple but ominous for Dell. 22 Aug 2007
In 2003, Internet users were spending about one-third of their time viewing content. Now, researchers say users spend about half of their Web time reading information, according to a study by the Online Publishers Association. Taking the backseat is e-mailing, to which users are devoting one-third of their Internet minutes. 22 Aug 2007
Retail loyalty programmes are at a crossroads, according to a new Retail Systems Research report, Getting Loyalty Programmes Back to Loyalty. RSR's research confirms that retailers must transform their loyalty programmes from a pay-for-data scheme into something that captures the customer data they need, while still providing the kind of value to a customer that generates real loyalty. 20 Aug 2007
Buying gifts for men can be a tricky situation. While most men prefer gifts they can actually use, the traditional stand-bys (such as clothing, hardware and gadgets) sometimes leave much to be desired. MenScience Androceuticals recently hosted an online poll to find out what men really want... 16 Aug 2007
ResearchBuy has revamped its web site and upgraded its offerings to help the research buyer get exactly what they need when looking for market research. ResearchBuy now offers reports from premium market research providers and ResearchBuild™ in addition to its patent-pending custom market research solution. 14 Aug 2007
The ongoing retailer's battle for a bigger market share is set to take a new twist as it becomes harder to segment consumers in traditional ways (age, gender, income and many more), due to profound changes in attitudes, health, convenience and lifestyle. 14 Aug 2007
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