TECHNOLOGY

Walmart, Toys ‘R’Us and Target going all out for ‘Force Friday II’
Disney's marketing firepower will be on full display starting at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 1, when it launches a global merchandise promotion — complete with augmented reality — of toys and products inspired by its upcoming film, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."
Square opens its first brick-and-mortar store
Mobile payments processor Square has set up shop in New York City. The company has opened a store, called Square Showroom and located in downtown Manhattan, that provides hands-on support for merchants using its technology and space to display — and let sellers experience — its POS hardware. The store includes a Genius Bar-like support desk, where sellers can make appointments with Square employees to troubleshoot a specific issue or get training on a new product.

Sur La Table exec joins fast-growing restaurant chain

Mod Super Fast Pizza Holdings has named its first chief marketing officer. The Seattle-based company has appointed Tracy Cioffi as chief marketing officer, effective immediately. She will lead the fast-casual restaurant chain's global marketing strategy.
Signet Jewelers beefs up digital capabilities with ‘strategic acquisition’

Signet Jewelers Limited is acquiring a fast-growing and innovative e-commerce company. Signet, whose banners include Kay Jewelers and Zales, said that it has agreed to acquire R2Net, owner of online jewelry retailer JamesAllen.com, for $328 million in an all cash transaction. R2Net also owns Segoma Imaging Technologies, a technology provider for the jewelry industry.
Amazon-Whole Foods Market deal closes Aug. 28; grocer to cut some prices immediately

That didn't take very long. Amazon said on Thursday — the day after the Federal Trade Commission gave the green light to the deal — that its $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods Market will close on Monday Aug. 28. Starting that same day, Whole Foods will offer lower prices on select products. And with time, Amazon will place lockers in Whole Food stores, and make Amazon Prime the grocer's customer rewards program.
Walmart in deal with Google to offer voice-activated shopping

Walmart is determined not to cede any ground to Amazon. In a partnership that takes direct aim at the online giant and its Alexa voice-controlled device, Walmart is teaming up with Google to offer hundreds of thousands of items available for voice shopping via Google Assistant, the search giant's online shopping platform that lives on its smart speaker Google Home and other smart devices. It will be the largest number of items currently offered by a retailer through the platform, according to Walmart.
Teens losing interest in Facebook

Retail marketers take heed: Facebook's appeal is fading among teens even as two other platforms continue to pick up momentum.
FTC won't block Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods Market

The biggest retail deal of 2017 has moved one step closer to completion. Shareholders of Whole Foods Market on Wednesday voted to approve the natural grocer's $13.7 billion acquisition by Amazon. The vote, which took place at Whole Foods' headquarters in Austin, Texas, was expected.
Survey: Millennials don't mind if retailers track their purchases

Millennials are on board with personalized marketing. While security may be a concern with older shoppers, 70% of millennials are comfortable with retailers tracking their purchasing and browsing behaviors if it means they’ll receive more relevant communications, according to a report from SmarterHQ, a multichannel behavioral marketing platform.
Visa and Uber take rewards program nationwide

Uber riders nationwide can now earn credits for shopping and dining under a rewards program with Visa. The program, Visa Local Offers with Uber, launched last year in the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets. It has been relaunched to be made available to Uber riders across the country. The program is open to Uber riders with an eligible U.S.-issued Visa card on file in the Uber app.