Target, Inc.

New York - Enabling shoppers to buy an item online and pick it up in a local store (BOPIS) is supposed to be a means of offering additional customer convenience. But according to a new study from business analytics firm StellaService, for BOPIS shoppers, 58% of their time in-store is spent at the checkout desk (3.1 minutes on average).    For context, the checkout process for in-store shoppers is more expedient, representing only 15% of their in-store time (1.1 minutes).  

Technology will give fraudsters an edge in 2015, but it will also provide new tools for organizations and investigators, according to three experts from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) who were asked for their top fraud predictions for 2015. The experts weighed in on digital currencies, information security and other issues that will help shape the effort to prevent and detect fraud in the new year:  

A number of retailers saw changes at the top this past year. Here are the ones I found the most interesting:

Abercrombie & Fitch: The abrupt departure of longtime chief Michael Jeffries presents the former teen powerhouse with an opportunity to bring in a badly needed breath of fresh air.

In his day, no one could touch Jeffries, whose transformation of Abercrombie into a cool, exclusive club is a textbook example of brilliant, holistic retail branding. But Jeffries failed to keep up with the changing times. He seemed blind to the recession.

As 2014 draws to a close, it’s time to look back on another year of technological disruption in retail. While many solutions, applications and tools played a role in changing how retailers use technology in their business, three developments in particular stood out. Two of them did not actually launch in 2014, but this was the year they truly achieved their disruptive potential. So read on, and have a happy, prosperous and innovative New Year!   ApplePay

Home Depot EVP Marvin Ellison will become president of J.C. Penney on November 1 and succeed Mike Ullman as CEO of the department store retailer next August.

A federal judge has ruled that customers suing Target for last year’s data breach may move forward with their claims.

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson in St. Paul, Minn., dismissed claims by plaintiffs in certain states but largely denied Target's request to toss out the proposed class action lawsuit.

Magnuson rejected Target's argument that the consumers lacked standing to sue because they could not establish any injury.

Time and again in 2014 the vulnerability of retailers’ information systems became apparent with Staples the latest major chain forced to admit an inability to protect customers’ personal information.

Now Staples has released more information about its data breach in September.

With 2014 almost over, another holiday shopping season is drawing to a close. The looming question on everyone’s mind, of course, is whether holiday sales managed to live up to the (mostly) positive holiday forecasts from analysts and retail organizations.