Verizon Wireless aims to improve the wireless retail experience for customers by incorporating a new store design. Features to enhance the customer experience include a greeter kiosk that allows customers to check in once they enter the store and list their wireless needs so representatives can quickly assist them. In addition, the new store layout will have customer service and technical support departments, making it easy for customers to get account information, customer service and address technical issues from trained in-store staff.

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Fewer and fewer people have the time to sit down and eat for breakfast. Jack In the Box is now offering convenient breakfast bowls that are “easy to pick up and transport”. The breakfast bowls consist of a meal of eggs, meat, hash browns, and cheese. The suggested price is $2.99.

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I came across an interesting article discussing how department stores have differentiated themselves in the past, what they should focus on now, and what they should focus on in the future.

What happens when the majority of department stores sell similar brands at competitive prices? Retailers then need to start focusing on customer experience and customer satisfaction as differentiating factors.

For instance, retail electronics giant Best Buy offers in home tech support with Geek Squad.

Can you think of any other examples?

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Retailers know that they will be facing a difficult back to school season this fall. They are aggressively introducing new products, slashing prices, and amping up marketing. However, despite these efforts, analysts say it will make little difference to consumers pressured by rising costs.

What do you think?

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From gasoline discount cards to emphasis on cheaper house brands, grocery chains are doing whatever it tales to keep customers coming back. Grocery chains are maintaining or reducing their costs to keep prices competitive and to prevent customers from going to Wal-Mart.

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At a couple of cupcake stores around the country, the frosting shot has emerged as a short-but-sweet pick-me-up. Ranging from 75 cents to a dollar, customers can order a shot of frosting about the size of a frozen yogurt sample.

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According to Nielsen, the number of shoppers buying less expensive brands is increasing from 23% in December to 35%. Stop & Shop, Shaw’s, and Whole Foods are responding by more heavily promoting their less expensive store-brand, or private-label, products.  “Some of the typical behaviors we see when people are feeling pinched is they do use coupons and they buy more private-label products,” said Judy Chong, spokeswoman for the West Bridgewater-based Shaw’s.

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Verizon’s small- and medium-sized business customers participating in the Business Link Rewards program are now eligible for discounts and special promotions every time they shop at the Verizon Business Links Online Mall.

Small- and medium-sized business customers who use the Online Mall can get discounts from more than 350 retailers, including Best Buy, Dell Computers, Office Depot, Expedia, eBay and Target

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There was a recent discussion on RetailWire  regarding Apple’s customer service. In the last few months, they have boosted the number of “concierges” that meet and direct customers in its stores. If better customer service and more frontline staff can help boost sales then why aren’t more
retailers increasing their frontline staff? Apple can afford to hire more workers because they have the margins to do so. This is not the case for most retailers, especially with the current economic state.

Let’s say a retailer can afford to increase their frontline staff. Is that enough? What drives customers to Apple Stores in addition to customer service are the ambiance, layout, and design of the store. All these components make up the customer experience.

Statistics show that even though there is a rise in loyalty cards aimed at retaining shoppers, about 22% of consumers say they are dissatisfied with the retailer where they do most of their shopping. Disloyalty is highest among supermarket shoppers at 32.4%.

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