United Parcel Service of America, Inc. (UPS)

Life just got a little easier for merchants who sell goods on Shopify. The cloud-based e-commerce platform is partnering with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for direct, discounted shipping.

Retailers can now buy and print discounted shipping labels directly within the Shopify platform. Labels will be up to 60% off retail rates. In addition to saving money when purchasing shipping labels, merchants will now have the ability to either drop prepaid shipments off at USPS offices without having to wait in line, or they can schedule a free home pickup.

More associates working more hours to elevate the customer experience is the pledge Walmart COO Judith McKenna is making to holiday shoppers this season.

The day after Kohl’s, Toys “R” Us and UPS announced ambitious holiday hiring plans, Walmart said it would add 60,000 seasonal workers after giving existing workers the opportunity to pick up extra hours.

It is the season before the season when retailer revelations about plans to hire temporary workers offer insight into holiday expectations. One of the best indicators of what to expect this Christmas comes courtesy of UPS.

UPS said it plans to hire between 90,000 and 95,000 seasonal employees (about the same as last year) to support the anticipated increase in package volume that will begin in November and continue through January 2016.

It is the season before the season when retailer revelations about plans to hire temporary workers offer insight into holiday expectations. One of the best indicators of what to expect this Christmas comes courtesy of UPS.

UPS said it plans to hire between 90,000 and 95,000 seasonal employees (about the same as last year) to support the anticipated increase in package volume that will begin in November and continue through January 2016.

Online shopping is driving more sales and foot traffic in brick-and-mortar stores than ever before. In fact, Deloitte expects digital interactions will influence 64 cents of every dollar spent in retail stores by the end of 2015 – that’s $2.2 trillion worth of in-store sales that are aided by e-commerce.

Some major retailers are participating in the 30th Retailing Summit conference hosted by The Texas A&M University’s Center for Retailing Studies at Mays Business School.

Dallas – Some major retailers are participating in the 30th Retailing Summit conference hosted by The Texas A&M University’s Center for Retailing Studies at Mays Business School.

Marvin Ellison, the new CEO of The J.C. Penney Co. Inc. and Barry Beck, co-founder and COO of Bluemercury, which was recently purchased by Macy’s, will be among the speakers at the conference, held Oct. 8-9 at the Westin Galleria in Dallas.

Everyone has had the disappointment of being promised something great for the holidays, and then for one reason or another not getting it. Men’s Wearhouse Inc. goes to great lengths to ensure that if a holiday promise is broken, it’s not because of any shortcomings on its end.

The Houston-based, 1,750-plus-store specialty men’s apparel retailer collaborates with supply chain management solutions provider United Parcel Services Inc.