When it comes to spending money on our dads, the average is about $95 dollars. That is one of the lowest spending dollar amounts for gifts of any of the ‘holidays’ in this country. However, we will spend on our dads, so on Good Morning Maryland @ 9 we showed off a few ideas from local stores.

Q: I manage a chain of stores and we do thousands of transactions a month. Our problem is that, given our large volume of business, a few people are inevitably unhappy about something, and these days, people post their unhappiness online. When people Google us, they often see these few complaints first. What do we do?

Does Twitter still leave you scratching your head? Many businesses are struggling to make sense of Twitter, but even if it strikes you as an enigma or hype, consider this: many of your customers are already there.

In the consumer-packaged-goods (CPG) sector, there’s no shortage of online interaction between consumers and brands these days.

After 12 years on the job, Derek Christian tired of selling cleaning supplies at Procter & Gamble and yearned to become an entrepreneur. So in 2007, he acquired My Maid Service, a cleaning company in Lebanon, Ohio, that catered to the needs of an affluent clientele in Cincinnati.

Every week, Merritt Islander Sharon Burrows has a date night with her husband. When she heard the shops in Cocoa Village planned to stay open later on Fridays and Saturdays starting June 4, she saw an opportunity.

It is often the little details that customers recall even more than the product they purchased or the service they received. Little details that customers notice, and that makes them feel good about not only making the purchase, but making the purchase from you, is a significant part of the overall customer experience. Here are six ways to go above and beyond good customer service and boost customer loyalty.

Discount retailers, including Nordstrom Rack, Wal-Mart, Forman Mills, AJ Wright and Hobby Lobby, are moving more aggressively into the Washington region, leasing space vacated by Circuit City and other stores that went out of business, according to real estate research firm Delta Associates.

In an industry obsessed with the wants and needs of women, men have been an afterthought among retail and marketing executives for as long as many can remember.

Twitter is getting an affectionate embrace from fashion. Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa tweeted pictures of models being fitted backstage before his latest fashion show. The late Alexander McQueen sent his final inspirations into the Tweetosphere. Hot new arrival Prabal Gurung tweets about his gym workouts.

In a world consumed with technology, where Twitter and Facebook are the new “hot spot” for social interactions, where–or rather how–does the department store fit in?

Urban Outfitters Inc, owner of brands including Anthropologie, has announced a new bridal label amid a growing wedding trend in ready-to-wear.

It’s already time for the prom at Men’s Wearhouse, and the formal wear brand is going to the dance with social media for the second straight year.

J.C. Penney Co. knows it scores with consumers on quality and price. Now it wants credit for style with a new tagline that pokes fun at itself: “New look. New day. Who knew?”

Imagine getting a promotion and being publicly praised by the boss for your hard work. On the way home, do you buy a fancy watch or comfy couch?

Adidas and the National Basketball Association are hitting the malls. Adidas, which is the league’s official uniform provider, has inked a deal with the NBA and mall-based retailer Champs Sports for an “Official NBA Shop at Champs Sports.” The NBA Shop will debut in 69 Champs Sports stores this month and will be in the remaining 486 Champs Sports stores nationwide by the start of the 2010-11 NBA season, per the companies.

The spring campaign for Candie’s featuring singer Britney Spears was shot by three famous photographers, including Annie Leibovitz.

Disney, the company that created “the happiest place on earth” and cornered the market on pink, is embracing a darker aesthetic as it reaches out to an unlikely audience for new merchandise: female “goths.”

The mobile phone is more than just a device for speaking to people while on the go. Consumers are using it more often to compare and shop for deals and products.

Much like some fine jewelry shops, some e-commerce sites are making prices for items difficult to spot. Only by adding the merchandise to their shopping carts are consumers able to see the cost.