Retail

A new digital payment process promises to improve in-store experiences, deliver operational efficiencies and create more consistency cross-channel.   Mastercard and Oracle are joining forces to expand the card issuer’s QKR! with Masterpass mobile app, a platform that enables consumers to seamlessly order and pay for goods and services via their smartphone. Targeting retail stores, restaurants and hotels, the platform reduces friction and drives more security for the consumer.  

The world’s largest brick-and-mortar retailer, Walmart, has eliminated the membership fee on its two-day shipping program ShippingPass – its strongest response yet to the growing dominance of Amazon Prime (which is not estimated to 65 million members worldwide).    

Starbucks is shuttering its remaining Evolution Fresh stores, but the brand will live on.   The coffee giant will close the two Evolution locations, both of which are in Seattle, but will continue to sell Evolution Fresh cold-press packaged juices in its coffee shops and at supermarkets. It also is launching new flavors.      Starbucks bought the brand in 2011, reportedly with an eye to rolling out stores nationwide. But it never grew beyond a handful of locations.  

A week after bringing in advisers to determine how to return the chain to profitability, Hhgregg is preparing to file Chapter 11.  

Walmart turning up the heat on prices?   The nation’s largest retailer is not going to let grocery competitors, both newer and more established ones, take away its low-price dominance.   The chain is running a price-comparison test in about 1,200 U.S. stores as it looks to close a pricing gap with such rivals as Aldi and Kroger Co., according to a report by pymnts.com.

Food Lion continues to roll out its updated store design to new markets.    The chain announced a $178 million investment in its stores in the greater Greensboro, N.C., market, which includes remodeling 93 stores. The remodels,  part of Food Lion’s "Easy, Fresh and Affordable...You Can Count on Food Lion Every Day!" initiative, include a new design that is easier to navigate and shop so customers can get in and out of the store quickly, new registers and enhanced service.   

Macerich, Simon, and Westfield have all signed on for a new service that accepts returns of online purchases at their malls as a way to win a bigger share of Web-shopper’s dollars at their properties.  

The proliferation of cheaper, mass-produced consumer-grade virtual reality (VR) applications are finding their niche in retail.   The technology, which was often synonymous with customized and expensive equipment, has been a long-time staple for military training, civil flight training, and industrial 3D modeling.