Nike, Inc.

The nation’s top Internet retailer is also tops in corporate reputation.

Hhgregg CFO Robert Riesbeck is acting as interim CEO at the appliance, electronics and furniture retailer following the abrupt departure of longtime executive Dennis May.

2016 will be a year when many niche innovations in customer experience will become mainstream as consumers expect more out of their shopping experiences, forcing traditional retailers to step up or risk becoming irrelevant. Marketplace buzzwords and emerging trends, such as personalization and seamless mobile access, will become table-stake elements of the customer experience.

Here are ways retailers will take their customer experience to the next level:

Personalization

I remember something a retailer once said to me more than 25 years ago, long before digital mattered. It’s still true today: If the product’s not right, nothing matters. If the product is right, everything matters. That everything now includes staying ahead of the consumer digitally. We’ve gone from a generation that saw technology as a skill to one that doesn’t see it at all — it’s so natural it’s become instinct. This shopper lives in a world where digital doesn’t just define shopping habits — it defines the way shoppers live.

Levis Strauss & Co. has named a new leader with experience at Nike, Petco and Target to drive growth at its 2,700 unit global retail division.

Levi Strauss & Co. said Carrie Ask will join the company on Feb. 16, 2016 as executive vice president and president of global retail. She fills a position that has been vacant since June when Craig Nomura resigned after just 16 months with the company. Ask will report directly to Chip Bergh, president and CEO of the $4.8 billion global apparel company.

Retailers need to improve several aspects of their omnichannel customer engagement strategies if they want to truly satisfy customers.

I remember something a retailer once said to me more than 25 years ago, long before digital mattered. It’s still true today: if the product’s not right, nothing matters. If the product is right, everything matters. That everything now includes staying ahead of the consumer digitally. We’ve gone from a generation that saw technology as a skill, to one that doesn’t see it at all – it’s so natural it's become instinct. This shopper lives in a world where digital doesn’t just define shopping habits - it defines the way they live.

While athleisure apparel is still quite trendy these days, the creator of the trend, Lululemon Athletica, is struggling to grow profits as competitors threaten its value proposition.

For the third quarter ended Nov. 1, the company posted a profit of $53.2 million, or 38 cents a share, down from $60.5 million, or 42 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 14% to $479.8 million. Same store sales rose 6% for the second quarter in a row on a constant-currency basis.

More Stride Rite shoe stores are closing as parent company Wolverine World Wide increases its focus on direct sales and improving the performance of lifestyle brands.

RANDOM NOTES: Microsoft made its Manhattan debut with a 22,369-sq.-ft. flagship on Fifth Avenue — its largest location yet. Designed in collaboration with Gensler, the store has a striking, all-glass facade that provides a full view of the contemporary, multi-level interior. High-definition video walls and digital signage are featured throughout the space, streaming video, images and information. A two-story video wall is located behind an “answer desk,” where shoppers can receive assistance and training. ...