was taught that the area closest to door handles was more valuable then retail space on 5th Avenue. I’m thankful that I am no longer in the beer industry. Please continue reading How Social Media Changes Retail Storefronts and leave a comment if inspired. This is a guest blog post by Matthew Cool. There is a trend among small business marketing in stores. My background is important. live in the traditional North End neighborhood of Boston. worked for a beer and wine distributor in my first job out of college. Your experience is changing. Why is this effective? MORE >>

While retailers struggle to win back the turf they have lost to price comparison apps and schemes that turned their shops into showrooms for rival retailers and Amazon, the 900-pound gorilla of mobile commerce, recent research shows the battle is far from lost. In fact, it’s just beginning, and retailers that arm themselves with insights into the new and complex customer segment known as the ‘mobile shopper’ can benefit hugely from this mobile behavior. ###. The advance of mobile has real-world retailers beating a retreat. Or has it? It’s not. MORE >>

One industry that has a  particularly big challenge in turning digital shoppers into digital buyers is the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPGs). From the graph above, it is easy to see why CPG online retailers believe that it is a simple matter of being a great online marketer. CPG CPG online retailers have to deal with well established incumbent juggernauts: Amazon.com, Walmart.com and eBay.com. CPGs online retailers must rely on creative strategies to increase direct site sales. This kind of creative thinking is necessary for CPG online retailers to stand out. MORE >>

But maybe there are in fact certain industries where we can be sure to always get an answer? According to a recent study carried out by Socialbakers , a global social media and digital analytics company, the leading industry in terms of response rate on Facebook is the telecommunications industry. The most socially devoted industry next after telecommunications is airlines followed by finance, retail and fashion. These top five industries are all positioned at more than a 40% response rate. Claro. KLM Airlines. MORE >>

National Retail Federation Show, New York City: This week the old Javits Center in the New York hosted retail folk from across the U.S. and shed some light on a technology play that may define a new industry I call Retail 2.0. And, since it is about the shopper experience, it’s clear that winning Retail 2.0 Allow retailer micro-visibility into order status and inventory. Yes, it is about the efficiencies that RFID and other wireless, smart technology bring to retail overall. Retail 2.0 Retail 2.0 It’s coming. What to do? MORE >>