Events

New York -- As more dollars are spent online and consumers become savvier in product knowledge and comparison shopping, retailers must rethink their customer experience strategies.

Chain Store Age’s Webinar, “Creating the Ultimate Experience: Research Shows How to Increase Customer Loyalty,” will provide insight into how retailers can capture more revenue through a consistent and well-executed customer experience. Webinar attendees will receive a complimentary research report detailing the full research findings.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart is launching its first-ever original reality series developed for the web. The new weekly web series highlights 20 finalists in the Walmart Get on the Shelf contest, which lets entrepreneurs present products to Walmart customers.

Washington, D.C. -- Nearly 158 million consumers will participate in Halloween activities this year, slightly less than the historic high of 170 million people last year. New figures from the National Retail Federation (NRF) indicate the average consumer will spend $75.03 on Halloween this year, down 6% from $79.82 last year.

However, average overall spending on Halloween has increased 54.7% since 2005, with total spending estimated to reach $6.9 billion in 2013. Other NRF figures include:

San Francisco -- Piracy and discoverability are the top issues facing app developers today, with 26% of app developers reporting their apps have been pirated. A survey of more than 250 app developers App Developers Conference (ADC) also shows that a similar 26% found that their apps had been hacked, or obtained without proper payment.

Pittsburgh -- Dick’s Sporting Goods will open its newly renovated store in Cary, N.C., on Sept. 29, featuring 56,000 sq. ft. of specialized services and experiential elements such as a golf simulator, club fitting center, putting green, archery lane with an on-site bow technician, and bike safety inspections, custom fittings, tune-ups and assembly.

Egg Harbor Township, N.J. -- Spirit Halloween, the largest seasonal Halloween retailer in North America, has officially opened the doors of some 1,050 plus locations in the United States and Canada for the 2013 Halloween season. The company this year is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Spirit stores provide one-stop shopping for everything from top costumes and decor, to accessories and party goods. The stores are feature a variety of interactive displays designed to entertain and — in tune with the season — thrill shoppers.

Puyallup, Wash. — WiggleWorks Kids has leased a 4,500-sq.-ft. space for an indoor playground and birthday party center in the South Hill Mall in Puyallup, Wash. WiggleWorks will open the first week in December. It will be WiggleWorks second playground. The first is in Bellevue, Wash.

In addition to the playground, the WiggleWorks offers a semi-private part room equipped with a small kitchen for birthday parties, community gatherings and family gatherings.

Rockville, Md. — Kids First Swim School has leased an 8,654-sq.-ft. space at the Randolph Hills Shopping Center in Rockville, Md. Divaris represented the landlord, Randolph Properties Limited Partnership, in the transaction.

Kids First Swim School is the nation’s largest provider of year-round, warm-water swimming instruction. The school operates in 16 locations in four states and teaches more than 80,000 students every year.