Forrester Research, Inc.

Stored value gift cards have become a staple item in many retailers' holiday assortments. Last year the NRF estimated U.S. consumers would spend close to $29 billion on gift cards during the holiday shopping season, and there is no reason to think the trend is slowing down.

I recently had the chance to observe and talk with some tweens and teens about their smartphone use. You guessed it: it’s first and foremost about communicating with their friends and, yes, even with parents and other family members. Shopping runs a good second. Anyone targeting this particular age group must think of communication as a “use case” for smartphones. 

The retail world is seeing significant shifts in consumer expectations and behaviors. Today’s online shoppers have higher expectations than ever before.

By John Orr, [email protected]

Passive-aggressive, unengaged employees just aren’t that into your customers. Worse, they might be taking it out on customers, whose experience sends them to competitors. Contrast that with the upside of having an engaged staff happy at their jobs and going out of their way to treat customers well.

By combining offers with other retailers or entities, retailers can avoid being victimized by the “adverse selection” of consumers who simply look for the largest discount they can find at a given time, Alex Rampell, CEO and co-founder of offer-based payment platform TrialPay, told attendees at the recent Retailer Roundtable event sponsored by digital gifting platform CashStar.

“Offering a massive discount just gets people to go elsewhere for a bigger discount,” said Rampell. “Those consumers do not develop into loyal customers.”

I was fortunate enough to attend the CashStar Retailer Roundtable in Portland, Maine, last week. Beyond getting to spend a beautiful summer day overlooking the sights of Casco Bay, I got to hear a lot of great speakers from companies including Google and Forrester Research discuss the latest trends in mobile commerce and electronic gift cards.

HAMPSHIRE, U.K. — Mobile couponing is expected to greatly increase in popularity this year. According to a new report from Juniper Research, the number of discount coupons redeemed through mobile and tablet devices is expected to reach 10 billion this year, up by more than 50% on last year.

Hampshire, United Kingdom -- The number of coupons redeemed through mobile and tablet devices is expected to reach 10 billion this year, up by more than 50% compared with last year, according to a new report from Juniper Research.

HAMPSHIRE, U.K. — Retailers are predicted to spend $55 billion on mobile marketing by 2015, which is almost double the $28 billion expected this year, according to a new study by Juniper Research.

Hampshire, U.K. -- Retailers are predicted to spend $55 billion on mobile marketing by 2015, which is almost double the $28 billion expected this year, according to a new study by Juniper Research.