Samsung

A range of new Samsung brand smart printers and tablet computers are being added to the product mix at Office Depot and OfficeMax stores following an expanded partnership between the retailer and consumer electronics company.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples is expanding its home and office automation platform, Staples Connect, including a rollout to 500 stores, new pricing for the Staples Connect Hub, and collaborations with Microsoft, Jawbone, and D-Link. Staples is also the first retailer to announce the integration of wearable technology to its platform.

The connected home space is getting crowded with Staples Connect, the newest platform looking to simplify peoples’ lives by putting them in constant contact with their home or business.

The Barnes & Noble board has given the company the green light to separate its retail and Nook Media businesses to optimize shareholder value.

The company anticipates completing the separation of the businesses into two separate public companies by the end of the first quarter next year.

I don’t mean for this column to become a running commentary on the latest goings-on at Amazon.com, but there’s no escaping the fact that after two decades, the e-commerce pioneer remains at the forefront of digital commerce innovation. One area where Amazon has particularly excelled is at creating new form factors for consuming its content and buying its goods, and the recent release of the Amazon Fire smartphone is the latest example.

Beginning in July, Samsung intends to make a splash in retail stores with a high-tech appliance display called CenterStage. The new concept showcases Samsung’s portfolio of appliances in what it calls “an ultra-realistic and life-size display with an intuitive touch-screen interface.”

New York -- Barnes & Noble Inc. is teaming up with Samsung Electronics America to develop a new Nook tablet. The co-branded devices will combine the Nook software with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 4 hardware, creating full-service tablets that also can access Barnes & Noble’s collection of more than 3 million books, magazines and newspapers, according to a statement.   

Austin, Texas - More people buy Mother's Day gifts than Father's Day gifts (86%, compared to 77%). According to the 2014 Father’s Day Shopper Trend report from RetailMeNot, survey respondents say they spend $61 on Father's Day gifts and $68 on Mother's Day gifts.