January/February 2012
Cover Story : A How-to-Do-Everything-Great-in-2012 Guide for Cross-Channel Retailers
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe, but 2012 is here and in full swing. Hopefully you had a busy and productive holiday season and are now ready to jump into 2012 no-holds-barred. Before you get started, however, make sure...Features
What Retail 2012 Can Learn From Retail 1912
Think about it: A century ago, shopkeepers and customers actually knew each other by name since their visits were frequent. Loyalty wasn’t a function of points, deals or discounts, but of service. Relationships were built on trust. Merchants knew their...Product Returns : Return on Profit
We’re in the midst of the holiday peak — four more weeks of industrywide frenetic selling activity. But while the sales peak ends at Christmas for most direct retailers, the inventory returns peak is just starting. ...Columns
Understanding Postal : Caught in the Postal Downstream
In my role as second-in-command with American Catalog Mailers Association (ACMA), I’m often asked by members what they should do about their catalog marketing programs in light of the current state of calamity facing the nearly bankrupt U.S. Postal Service...Legal Matters : Proposed Marketplace Fairness Act Threatens Direct Marketers
On Nov. 9, 2011, a group of 10 senators from both sides of the aisle introduced the Marketplace Fairness Act, S.1832. On Oct. 13, 2011, a similar bipartisan bill was introduced in the House of Representatives called the Marketplace Equity...Departments
Check it Out : Get Ready for Green Tuesday 2012
By the time you’re reading this, the 2011 holiday season will be over. As such, you’re probably analyzing what worked and what didn’t during the critical fourth quarter and, believe it or not, beginning to plan for this year’s holidays....Case Study : Deluxe Cashes in With Voice-of-Customer Analytics Tool
Deluxe went in search of a tool that could help it better measure customer satisfaction by obtaining voice-of-the-customer feedback. After testing a host of solutions, it settled on iPerceptions’ 4Q Suite. ...Shop Talk : Best Practices When Shipping to Canada
Q: “What are some best practices around shipping orders to Canada? What practices ensure optimal customer service, and what shipping services, methods or providers do you use or recommend? Thanks!”— Nicholas Cole, vice president of e-commerce, Trinity Road...
