Artificial Intelligence

By David King, fulcrm.com

For many retailers, the “best customer” search has been an ineffective venture where the results haven’t warranted the time or expense, despite a host of different efforts. But this tantalizing target keeps pulling dollars out of budgets, dollars that could be spent on creating a more realistic and profitable approach to customers -- one that considers customers’ shifting behaviors and value.

By Michael Haydock

The retail industry might just be the last bastion of the gut instinct.

In my 20 years working with apparel merchants, department stores and big box companies, I've seen bosses make bet-the-company decisions on little more than a "feeling." Retailing is that kind of a business - it's filled with wonderful visionaries who have an uncanny sixth sense for the nascent trend - or, the moment when a powerful trend is about to falter.

By Carsten Thoma, [email protected]

Mobile is not just another customer communications channel; it is rapidly evolving into an effective commerce channel. Strengthening the link between existing channels such as physical and online stores, mobile now enables customers to start shopping using their mobile devices and finish the process online, via a contact center, in the brick-and-mortar store, or even on the mobile device itself.