If this is indeed a momentous year for mobile retail and transactions of all kinds, then what will happen to the mix of payment options and players currently jockeying for position? rant about the disconnect between the mobile and retail readiness of luxury brands (lacking to say the least!) and its announcement that it has helped drive more than $110 million in-store revenue for partner retailers and brands in 2011, and is poised to do even more in 2012. So are luxury brands falling down when it comes to mobile and retail readiness? Who, what, where, when & how? MORE >>

Heightened activity and interest in mobile retail (spurred on by holiday shopping and the rapid uptake of price comparison services and apps), has paved the way for a variety of new and immersive mobile experiences that insert marketing messages and campaigns into our daily shopping routines. However, only a handful of companies are prepared to compete where it really counts : at the point of inspiration, otherwise known as the retail shelf. Joe pointed out that vast majority ( 75 percent ) of purchase decisions are made in front of the retail shelf. What does Aisle 411 do? MORE >>

Nordstrom  has gone beyond the regular department store image and demonstrated to consumers they care to offer more than just being a brick and mortar retailer. However, I do think it would be cool if Nordstrom would take a step further and crowdsource some content for boards such as people wearing Toms or giving holiday gift tips from Nordstrom. The Gap on Pinterest  has a few different boards including products they make, a focus on denim, but what sparked my interest was the board which was just about repins from other Pinterest users, “popular Gap images on Pinterest.” MORE >>

Clothing retailer Gap decided to change logos. They decided to go from this… To this… Ouch… Without really knowing the full back story but having a good feel for when major retailers and companies crowdsource new ideas, I think it’s safe to say that Gap really didn’t reach out to its user base to find out what they might think. Gap North America president Marka Hansen,&# ‘The outpouring of comments’ shows ‘we did not go about this in the right way&# … So for those of you who missed this from last week. Yes but. Where? MORE >>

Strategies Data-Driven Marketing Marketing Automation Marketing to Latinos Conference Call Local Retail Sports & Entertainment Politics & Advocacy Automotive CPG Financial Services Healthcare & Pharma Agency Spotlight. Specifically, research by Shop.org, comScore, and The Partnering Group found that 70 percent of consumers click through on a retail blog to the firms website and 68 percent of consumers use YouTube to browse and research products. Pepsi Crowdsources Photos for Beyonces Super Bowl Halftime Show. Retail. Retail. ClickZ Awards. Email. MORE >>