Retail

By Joe Easley, Sr. Director, Business Development & Product Strategy, Kobie Marketing

As retailers continue their quest for deepening customer engagement, they’ll often turn to a loyalty program. Yet high membership numbers are deceiving because engagement levels are actually stagnant. This poses the question, are loyalty programs right for every brand? How do brands choose the right strategy for customer engagement and the overall integration of the loyalty program within the brand?

Framingham, Mass. – Staples is introducing Staples Connect, an offering that lets customers’ home or office technology interact and be controlled by a single app. With the touch of a button, Staples Connect lets customers shut down their office, turning off lights, lowering shades and locking doors, while at the same time turning on their lights and heat at home.

Toys “R” Us is preparing for the holiday season with plans to hire 45,000 employees to staff its stores and distribution centers nationwide. This number is basically flat from last year’s holiday staffing totals.

Toronto – Sears Canada CEO Calvin McDonald has resigned to take a position with an unnamed international company. The retailer named COO and executive VP Douglas C. Campbell as president and CEO.

As COO, Campbell was responsible for retail store operations, logistics, replenishment, IT, corporate procurement, and international sourcing. Prior to joining Sears, Campbell was a principal with Boston Consulting Group and also an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

By Laura Wheeler DeYonker, AbsolutData

Recent data from Harris Poll shows that weaknesses in retailers’ pricing, product information and customer service strategies lead 43% of customers to showroom — creating a situation where brick-and-mortar retailers incur all the sales costs and online retailers make the sale.

Rockville, Md. -- Mom’s Organic Market is opening its first Pennsylvania store, in Rosemont Square, Bryn Mawr, which is located outside of Philadelphia.

Orlando, Fla. — Jones Lang LaSalle has announced the appointment of Justin Greider to its Florida retail leasing business. Greider joins as a VP to oversee the firm’s retail leasing portfolio. Greider will work with Florida retail market lead John Lambert and senior VP Sean McConnell to provide strategic planning and execution of merchandising plans for the firm’s neighborhood, community and premier shopping centers throughout Florida.

Kohl's is expanding its beauty offerings in cosmetics, skin care, bath and body, hair care, men’s skin care and fragrance, as competition within the beauty space continues heating up.