Email development can be hard to get right! Even for veteran email developers and web jedi, the rendering limitations of inboxes have created a disturbance in the force. I just saw the new Star Wars, so bear with me. No spoilers, I promise.

It’s 2016 and we’re just coming down off the holiday rush, but I bet you’re already thinking about where and how to find new customers and subscribers.

While we anxiously await the final holiday revenue numbers to be calculated, there are a few things we already know regarding the way customers shopped. And these holiday shopping trends tell us a lot about the ways customers will continue to interact and buy from retailers in 2016.

Christmas is only six days away. If you haven't finished shopping yet, chances are you'll be picking up some gift cards in the next few days.

Listrak is a research partner for Internet Retailer, keeping track of what retailers in the Internet Top 500 and Second 500 are doing in the channel.

Our Listrak Retail Reality trip to NYC and our Sephora visit has been mentioned, but we wanted to take a moment to expand on the experience that we had in the store and the follow-up we have received since our visit, as well as a more recent trip to our local Sephora store in our mall.

I love to shop. Nearly every purchase I make is online - clothing, household items, even cat food. I shop so much that the Google Street View of my house shows several boxes on my front porch. But, until recently, I would only visit a store if I needed to return something I purchased online.

It wasn’t that long ago that the industry was saying, “Retail stores are dead!” and “The malls of America are empty and closing for good!” But with a new focus on interaction and engagement with consumers in retailers such as Rebecca Minkoff and Ralph Lauren, there could be a whole new world of retail.

I'm going to say the one thing you probably wouldn't expect from a post about welcome emails, but I promise I have my reasons: for the love of all things good in this world, please stop using the word "welcome" in your welcome campaigns*.

The New Balance store in Midtown Manhattan offers a truly foot-centric digital experience. Amongst the typical shoes and socks that you would find in a traditional shoe store, this New Balance location also offers a variety of interactive touchscreens and kiosks to help each unique customer find the right footwear, personalized for them.

On Listrak’s recent Manhattan Retail Reality Roadtrip, our group visited many stores located in Chelsea, Soho and along 5th Avenue. Even as an avid online shopper, I still love shopping in-store.

Some early reports have indicated that while online shopping is soaring today, traffic at malls is a little lighter than retailers may like.

It's that time of year again. Mailboxes are stuffed full of holiday catalogs and direct mail pieces. When I was a kid, I loved looking through the Christmas catalogs, circling all of the toys I wanted Santa to bring me. But now I rarely even open them before putting them in the trash.

Take advantage of in-store technology to create a one-of-a-kind integrated customer experience.

I had a revelation the other day while chatting with a wonderful client and was able to see this tried-and-true concept in a brand new way: a welcome series campaign is a lot like your first couple dates with someone new. You can begin to lay a strong foundation right there with a few smart moves or ruin it with a few often-made missteps. Hear me out.

The following post comes from our technology partner, OvenBits. Our partnership allows our shared clients, like giggle (referenced below), to use behavioral and transactional data from the Oven Bits ecommerce app platform, Pivot, to improve user experience at a brand level. This provides highly relevant, personalized content in triggered and marketing email campaigns, on site recommendations and more.

It’s easy to get caught up in the busy holiday season and overlook simple email strategies that are guaranteed to help you shine brighter in the inbox. Below are six simple, proven must-dos offered up by Listrak’s seasoned account managers:

The in-store experience is still an important way to improve customer engagement and increase sales.

When I logged into my inbox last Black Friday I expected to see a lot of black and I wasn’t disappointed. Black is naturally the go to color for Black Friday creative.

Today’s consumers are savvy shoppers. They shop on more devices than ever – not just the standard laptop, tablet and phone – but also smart TVs and wearable technology as the Internet of Things becomes a reality.

Every designer loves to be asked the age old cliché, “Can you make it pop”? Thanks to Apple, now we can make your emails Peek & Pop!

Holiday marketing campaigns appear to start earlier every year, both in-store and online, and it seems that the larger omnichannel retailers are leading the way this year.

According to the National Retail Federation, more than 157 million American adults will celebrate Halloween this year, and each will spend an average of $74 on costumes, candy, decorations and more. Treat your subscribers right to maximize your share of this $6.9 billion holiday.

By now you’ve likely heard news about mobile ad and content blockers and how they can negatively impact mobile shopping experiences this holiday season.