Retail

Regional supermarket co-op Hy-Vee Inc. is giving customers seamless access to their purchases just in time for the holidays.

Earlier this year, 240-unit, West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee launched Hy-Vee Aisles Online, a new service that allows customers to shop for their groceries, pay electronically and choose to pick up their order or have it delivered to their home. The rollout of the program began in select stores in the Des Moines metro area in April and was gradually launched across other markets throughout the summer.

I don’t make mobile payments yet. I don’t drink coffee, so I do not frequent Starbucks. However, I have been attempting to get up to speed on the state of the market. As I have a phone running Android, v5.1.1, that’s the best place for me to start, as that’s where my familiarity lies.

Dollar General’s nearly 13,000 stores will be closed on Christmas Day, but the retailer is offering an enticing online discount in hopes of making a digital connection with shoppers.

The former president of Trader Joe's has created a supermarket concept in the Boston area that offers fresh, healthy food at affordable prices. Now just a few months since opening, the store boasts over 300 customers visiting daily and has begun to look into expanding with a second location in the Boston area. [Food World News]

Pure play home furnishings retailer Wayfair is citing one digital channel in particular as serving as a major growth driver.

According to Wayfair, 35% of all orders in third quarter 2015 were placed on mobile devices. In addition, a majority of traffic to Wayfair now occurs on phones and tablets. Phone traffic in particular has been sharply rising throughout 2015 as customers switch from PCs and even tablets.

When your customer base is drivers who have had an accident or mishap with their vehicle, capturing consumers “in the moment” is crucial.

So with 6,500 mobile glass shops across the country, Columbus, Ohio-based Safelite Group Inc. runs a national business model that relies on capturing natural search traffic.

Houston --

Steel City Pops has leased 3,710-sq. ft. of retail space in Heights Plaza, a specialty retail center. Kyle Knight with the Houston office of The Weitzman Group handled negotiations as tenant representative for Steel City Pops.

Heights Plaza, a project of Houston developer Radom Capital, represents the redevelopment of a historic retail property that is home to several Texas-based concepts, including Bird’s Barbershop.

Click and collect services are designed to provide an omnichannel shopping experience that combines the simplicity of ordering online and the immediacy of in-store pickup. But according to the Washington Post, this holiday season many retailers’ click and collect offerings have left much to be desired. [Washington Post]