eCommerce

Shoppers continue to integrate digital devices into their lives and crave an equally integrated experience from retailers, but satisfying this heightened set of ominchannel expectation remains a work in progress for most retailers.

Few retailers have a well-defined omnichannel strategy with most professing to be in the development phase, according to a global consulting firm Hay Group. This rather worrisome insight was among the key findings in global consuling firm Hay Group’s 7th annual holiday hiring survey.

Three ways to beat showrooming

Showrooming, much like many other perceived threats in retail, must be seen as an opportunity, not as a negative. Arguably, the challenges that showrooming has created for retailers are relative to price transparency and finding a place and role within the consumer’s mind that will be superior to the online retailer (remembering that many online retailers can offer broader assortments, 24/7 convenience and shopping accessibility).

Von Maur has opened its first location in Alabama, just outside of Birmingham, at Riverchase Galleria in Hoover. The 185,000-sq.-ft. store is one of the largest locations in the country.

Ask six senior merchandising executives from Walmart and Sam’s Club what keeps them up at night and be prepared for an interesting collection of answers relating to key competitors and assorted challenges.

That’s what Scott Huff, SVP/GMM of consumable at Walmart did this week during a panel discussion with six Walmart and Sam’s Club VP/DMMs during the Emerging Trends in Retail Conference organized by the Center for Retailing Excellence in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

San Bruno, Calif. -- Walmart on Friday kicked off its online holiday deals, a month earlier than usual, and announced that it is offering free shipping on about 99% of its online items this year for orders over $50. (Last year, only about 15% of its assortment qualified for free shipping). The moves comes as retailers get ready for what is expected to be an extremely competitive season, one marked by intense promotional activity. Retailers are also challenged by this year’s calendar: Thanksgiving falls late, on Nov.

Camp Hill, Pa. – Rite Aid reported a same-store sales increase of 2.1% for October 2013 as compared to the same month in the prior year. Front-end same-store sales actually decreased 0.6%, but gains of 3.4% in pharmacy same-store sales and a 1.1% jump in prescription count drove the total growth.

Gigwalk has made a major upgrade to its platform that involves new higher skilled, higher paid “Gigs” (jobs on the Gigwalk app) and free training programs based on worker certifications. The move makes Gigwalk the only mobile work marketplace that allows workers to advance their careers through special courses and certifications.

Blue Nile, a leading online retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry, experienced its sixth consecutive quarter of double digit growth.

Net sales increased 10.1% to $98.9 million for the third quarter, compared to $89.8 million for the year-ago quarter.