TECHNOLOGY

Tips to jump-start strategies for the 2017 holiday season
Digitally-savvy customers will be contributing to a high volume of holiday traffic — and they have high expectations for retailers. Seventy-six percent of U.S. consumers expect their interactions with a brand to be easy, according to “The Holiday in July 2017 Holiday Retail Outlook” report from Alliance Data This will be a mantra this holiday season, regardless of the channel shoppers use to connect with their favorite retailers.
Pizza giant launches aggressive hiring spree
Pizza Hut is making big moves to improve the accuracy and reliability of its delivery experience. The subsidiary of Yum! Brands plans to hire nearly 3,000 new drivers a month through the end of the year. The hiring effort, which will include full and part-time positions, will add approximately 14,000 new drivers across its delivery fleet, according to the company.

The top back-to-school shopping day will be...
Online giant blending offline and online grocery — and it's not Amazon

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has stepped up its efforts to combine physical retail with online in the supermarket space.
Study: The most sought-after roles to transform operations are…

Businesses are eager to better serve their clients, but most lack the skills, processes and technology needed to leverage data effectively. In fact, 61% of U.S. companies agree that inaccurate data is undermining their ability to provide an excellent customer experience, according to “Investing in Digital Transformation: The Year’s Most Sought-After Data Roles,” a report from Experian Data Quality.
Women's fitness concept closing up shop

Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. is shutting down its women's fashion/fitness store format. Dick's is closing its two existing Chelsea Collective stores on August 6. Dick's launched the brand in 2015, but it never expanded it in any signficiant way.
Survey: Fast response times critical to customer experience and brand loyalty

Retailers who frustrate consumers risk brand abandonment. Almost half of North American and European consumers surveyed by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council say they will abandon a brand if they continuously encounter a poor, impersonal or frustrating customer experience across channels of engagement. The study was undertaken in partnership with SAP Hybris.
Home goods retailer inspires shoppers through AI, social media

West Elm is upping the ante on how it recommends merchandise to customers. The company, a division of Williams-Sonoma, introduced a new online tool that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to detect customers’ style patterns and connect them with products they can buy at West Elm stores and online. Called the Pinterest Style Finder, the tool is powered by Clarifai’s image and video recognition AI technology.
Target welcomes new class to accelerator program

The newest batch of start-ups are making their way to Minneapolis for the second annual Target + Techstars retail accelerator program. After receiving applications from more than 3,000 technology start-ups — 70% of which had a co-founder who is either female or comes from an ethnically diverse background — Target whittled the list down to 10 finalists for this year’s tech accelerator. Companies range from online advertising to rebates to clothing alterations, and hail from Minneapolis to as far as Belgium.
Amazon sets sights on new retail segment

Amazon has found a way to further expand its foothold in the grocery industry. The online giant has submitted a trademark application that will enable it to enter the meal kits business. The move will directly rival meal kit provider Blue Apron, according to CNBC.