TECHNOLOGY

REI in gym partnership
Outdoor retailer REI is setting up shop in a fast-growing gym niche. REI and Momentum TM Indoor Climbing are launching REI Co-op Climb, which will serve as a hub for climbing gear, programming and events at each of Momentum’s new climbing gyms. Expert instructors from REI’s Outdoor School will help Momentum members and guests gain skills and confidence through gym to crag classes.
Amazon marks 20 years as a public company
Amazon is celebrating two decades as a public company in a big way — as an enterprise worth nearly $460 billion. The retail giant, which began as a modest online bookstore, went public on the Nasdaq in an IPO valued at a modest $438 million. Today, Amazon has grown into an empire that not only sells books, but has become a major player across categories, including clothing, food, furniture, jewelry, private-label goods and electronics, among other segments.

Sears’ Lampert takes on vendors in blog

Eddie Lampert, the chairman and CEO of embattled Sears Holdings Corp., is not holding back. Days after he gave a rare newspaper interview in which he commented on the current state of affairs at Sears and partially blamed media coverage for its troubles, Lampert has taken vendors to task in a new blog post on the company’s website.
Lowe’s employees have a new uniform — a robotic suit

A home improvement chain is taking a page from science fiction to keep employees safe. Lowe's and Virginia Tech have joined forces to develop an exosuit — a wearable robotic suit with lift-assist technology — for Lowe's store employees. The lightweight exosuit, which is designed to help employees lift and move product throughout the store more efficiently, and aids against muscle fatigue, is being piloted in Lowe's Christiansburg, Virginia, store.
Tech Bytes: Three steps to achieve better customer engagement

Regardless of how volatile the retail landscape is, brands must remain focused on driving customer engagement — especially if they want to survive. This point was driven home during Manhattan Associates’ Momentum conference, held in Las Vegas, May 8-11. During the event, industry observers discussed how the future of retail will center around the customer — and delivering a seamless, personal experience moving forward.
Beloved movie gets sequel treatment — with help from this retailer

The countdown is on to the highly-anticipated U.S. debut of a sequel to the popular holiday-themed movie “Love Actually.”
Nordstrom partners with Hollywood celeb on wellness pop-up

Nordstrom is welcoming its newest retail curation — one that is centered on wellness. The department store chain is creating an experience around goop, the modern lifestyle brand founded by Gwyneth Paltrow, through its Pop-In@Nordstrom concept — an ongoing series of themed pop-up shops. Pop-In@Norstrom, which was developed and curated by Olivia Kim, VP of creative projects at Nordstrom, is designed to feature a different brand of new, often exclusive merchandise every four to six weeks.
Study: Pitfalls still linger around loyalty programs

Consumers are excited by the prospect of retailers taking their loyalty programs digital — if they can keep programs simple. In fact, a majority of shoppers would prefer if retailers would create digital rewards programs. Not only do 71% of shoppers want the option of managing their loyalty programs on mobile phones, 70% said they would use a mobile version of their loyalty cards if they didn’t have to sign into a website or download an app.
Study: Gen Z digital, decisive and drone-ready

More than any generation before it, Gen Z has high expectations related to customer service and engagement across emerging channels. That’s according to a new report by American Express, “Raising the Bar: How Gen Z Expectations Are Reshaping Brand Experiences.” The study, conducted by Forrester Research, surveyed 1,027 North American Gen Y (ages 23 to 37) and Gen Z consumers (ages 16 to 22).
Report: Amazon makes bigger push into furniture category

The message is clear: Amazon wants to furnish its shoppers’ homes. The online retailer has made a strong commitment to the furniture category by expanding its merchandise assortment and custom designs. Now it is giving the category even more attention, according to sources that said the Amazon is building at least four massive warehouses focused on fulfilling and delivering bulky items, MarketWatch reported.