Apple, Inc.

New York -- Target Corp. has added its name to a legal defense of gay marriage. The move comes four years after the company was criticized for supporting a strident opponent of same-sex unions.

Target signed a court brief backing marriage equality in a pending court case and publicly declared its support of gay marriage, joining the likes of Starbucks, Apple and Intel.

Schaumburg, Ill. - Motorola Solutions Inc. has introduced the new Symbol CS4070 wireless handheld Bluetooth scanner that can pair with any Bluetooth-enabled tablet, smartphone or laptop to provide enterprise-class 1D and 2D bar-code scanning. The CS4070 works with all Android, iOS and Windows tablets, laptops and smartphones.

Ottawa, Canada – Leading the pack of the most price-dynamic retailers are Amazon and Sears, according to analysis from price intelligence technology vendor 360pi. Both retailers change prices on 15%-20% of their 360pi-sampled assortment on a daily basis.

New York – J. Crew was ranked number one for overall online customer service in June 2014. According to monthly benchmark analysis from customer service analysis provider StellaService, J. Crew ranked first in phone support, 10th in email support and 12th in returns.

J. Crew last topped the rankings in January, but is one of only six companies to remain within the top 25 since that beginning of the year.

By Bill Davis, Director, MB&G Consulting

For much of the last year, traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have been mired in a slump. Not only was last holiday season the toughest in several years, the consumer discretionary sector, which includes retail, was the only one of the 10 macro S&P sectors to be in the red for the first half of 2014. As a result, retail is widely perceived to be in a funk.

New York - Households with school-aged children (pre-school through 12th grade) plan to spend more this year on back-to-school necessities with a predicted increase of 9 % for an average spend of $655, according to the 15th annual survey conducted by Brand Keys.

Average anticipated spending in all major back-to-school categories reflect higher levels from 2013:

Clothing: $348 (+16%)
Shoes (athletic & dress) $127 (+15%)
Supplies $ 89 (+13%)
Computers/Electronics/
Tablets/Smartphones: $213 (+12%)

Toronto - HBC Department Store Group is deploying the Swirl in-store beacon marketing platform to deliver digital experiences to consumers' smartphones while they shop in the company's department stores in Canada and the U.S. Using beacons installed in merchandising areas throughout its stores, Hudson's Bay and Lord & Taylor will automatically deliver branded content and personalized offers to in-store shoppers through an array of company-owned and third-party mobile apps.

HBC Department Store Group has deployed the Swirl in-store beacon marketing platform to deliver digital experiences to consumers' smartphones while they shop in the company's department stores in Canada and the U.S.

Using beacons installed in merchandising areas throughout its stores, Hudson's Bay and Lord & Taylor will automatically deliver branded content and personalized offers to in-store shoppers through an array of company-owned and third-party mobile apps.

The revelation that IBM and Apple would be working together on a new range of mobile solutions is a huge development in its own right, but the landmark deal also promises to have a wide-ranging impact on the retail industry.

The revelation that IBM and Apple would be working together on a new range of mobile solutions is a huge development in its own right, but the landmark deal also promises to have a wide-ranging impact on the retail industry.