information technology

Does Your In-Room Programming Speak to International Travelers?

Posted Tue, 2012-05-15 08:44 by BMM

NHK World is Japan's English speaking tv channel

TOKYO — When it comes to IT investment projects for 2012, guestroom technologies is topping the list, according to the 2nd Annual Lodging Technology Study conducted by Hospitality Technology magazine.

Retail Business & Technology Expo, New Spring Leaves

Posted Sat, 2012-03-24 02:02 by Nikki Baird

Last week I attended the Retail Business and Technology Expo in London. It’s the second year of the show. Their strategy to drive traffic appears to be paying off – registered attendees were reportedly up significantly.

Data Analytics: Target Learns to be Cautious

Posted Wed, 2012-02-22 06:52 by Bill Conerly

Kashmir Hill at Forbes has a great article, "How Target Figured Out a Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did." Short summary: the company looks at buying patterns and can estimate the probability that a regular customer is pregnant.

Retailers BI Expectations Outstrip Reality

Posted Mon, 2011-11-21 11:11 by Paula Rosenblum

Most beneficial channel for real-time business intelligence, RSR Research

data source: RSR Research

Retailers' focus on new business intelligence and analytic capabilities highlights the importance of getting information faster with a greater focus on evaluating the entire value chain from source to consumption

QR Codes for Franchisees

Posted Thu, 2011-09-29 12:34 by Timothy Lorang

There has recently been a lot of buzz about Taco Bell's QR Code promotion with MTV. This is often pointed out as a great example of a fast food or franchise business using QR Codes but my impression is that most franchise owners are local business people and the Taco Bell-MTV promotion is a better example of two national brands teaming up on a national campaign.

Pretty Bubbles

Posted Thu, 2011-08-04 15:09 by Paula Rosenblum

A few days ago I received a Groupon for a decent Mexican restaurant nearby. I bought it and used it to take a suddenly indigent friend out to dinner.

Social Media for Retailers: Playing Right in the Virtual Village

Posted Wed, 2011-03-23 15:40 by Paula Rosenblum

Everyone’s talking about Social Media these days. Obviously, we can’t ignore communities of a half-billion people or more that talk to each other, share recipes, product successes, failures, and preferences.

Personalization vs Relevancy

Posted Wed, 2011-02-09 18:25 by Nikki Baird

I have been tempted to declare this year the “Year of Retail Relevancy.” Retailers are getting a better picture of customer behavior in their stores, thanks to more technology touchpoints that can capture what consumers are up to, including consumers’ personal devices.

Robots that Interact with Us

Posted Wed, 2011-02-09 03:15 by Don Sniegowski

Wow! The inner tech geek in me is just fascinated at this presentation on using robots to interact with humans.

Griping about Your Business Is Now Easier

Posted Tue, 2011-02-08 22:38 by BMM

Customers are gravitating towards a new smart phone app that ranks the quality of the service they receive with a thumbs up or down for all to see.

Today's news for the franchise & small biz owner