Max Goldberg

Retailers are still learning what constitutes success. Sometimes it's physical stores, other times it's ecommerce; sometimes it's a blend of the two. There are no hard and fast rules. What works online might not work in physical stores, and visa versa. Retailers need to test their store concepts, both...

Building "likes" does not generate sales. In fact, research has shown that most consumers who "like" a brand of Facebook do not return to that brand's page.

Retailers and brands need to turn their pages into hubs of consumer interaction and promotion. Part of the interaction can be dialogue...

The first sentence of this piece, "E-commerce is clearly still in its infancy as a volume-driving "channel," strikes me as being from 10 years ago. Retail is about selling, with many successful retailers blending online with brick and mortar sales.

Online and offline sales should complement each other. Either...

With so many food-oriented options on TV, it makes sense that each generation will celebrate food. That said, this seems like a bi-coastal and city phenomenon.

As to food at music festivals...it makes sense. People who attend these concerts have disposable income and need to eat. If they can afford...

Anytime a retailer can take products to market where consumers are, the potential exists to generate sales. The question is whether consumers are willing to trust the merchant enough to complete the sale. Fashion truck owners need to offer the ability to sample the merchandise, as well as take...

The use of store locations to fulfill online orders can help close the gap with Amazon, but they must be backed up with stellar customer service. Amazon succeeds because it offers a wide variety of products at great prices, and backs this up with excellent customer service.

Macy's needs to...

Personalized coupons for mobile check-in is good in theory, but the offers need to be so compelling that consumers will give up their privacy and take the time to check in.

Foursquare has been around for years and is still searching for a business idea that will catch fire...

I see pluses and minuses here. On the plus side, Apple gets in introduce its products to a wide array of new customers who do not have access to an Apple store. The chains benefit from having these smaller Apple stores.

The potential downside is customer service. Will Apple be...

Tablets will only help provide information, not customer service. As the article states, tablets will not make salespeople smarter.

Retailers need to properly train salespeople and then reward them for high performance.

It's a gimmick. If the gimmick follows fashion trends, it may stick. Otherwise, it will enjoy 15 minutes of fame and be forgotten.

This is another attempt by retail to make stores more social. Being more social can result in increased word of mouth and sales. The hanger gimmick...