eCommerce

On the same day Target launched a pilot<span st

Macy’s Inc. is getting in touch with a new omnichannel payment option.

Star Wars merchandise is shaking up the busy fall retail season, according to a new report.

According to new research from 360pi, between Sept. 4 and 10, Star Wars-themed toys comprised nearly two in 10 of the daily top 100 best selling toys on Amazon, dethroning bestsellers Cards Against Humanity, Crayola and Exploding Kittens, and replacing traditional Lego items with Star Wars-themed versions.

Vancouver-based specialty online footwear retailer Shoes.com is sprinting toward new levels of fast delivery.

Shoes.com is offering home and office delivery in two hours or less on select items on its Canadian website.

The service costs $19.95 per order and launches Thursday, Sept. 17 in Vancouver and Toronto and surrounding municipalities, with plans to expand to Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Ottawa by the end of 2015.

Shoes.com will use a network of local fulfillment centers that have access to the retailer’s technology, operations and marketing.

Justice continues to be a drain for the Ascena Retail Group, but in the fourth quarter Lane Bryant also proved to be a burden, as the company reported a drop in same-store sales.

The operator of Justice, as well as stores under the Lane Bryant, Cacique, Maurices, Dressbarn, and Catherines brands, said combined same-store sales declined 2% during its fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 ended July 25.

As statistical revelations go, the fact most Americans use the Internet and mobile phones is not especially surprising, but still significant for omnichannel retailers.

According to the latest Global Media Intelligence Report from eMarketer, 80.8% of the U.S. population, or nearly 260 million people, will go online at least once a month in 2015.

There are four key elements that sustain a customer’s loyalty over the long term (and price is not one of them), according to the newest research from Synchrony Financial.

According to Synchrony Financial’s 2015 Customer Experience and Impact Study, which examines 27 elements of the shopping experience, four experiences stand out as most valued by customers and translate into greater spend and loyalty for retailers.

New York-based coupon publisher News America Marketing, which produces billions of coupons annually in the U.S. and Canada, is making the printing of online coupons easier for consumers.

News America Marketing is using new coupon printing technology for it SmartSource.com website that allows consumers to print coupons without having to download coupon printing software. The solution was soft-launched in August, and has seen print success improve by rates approaching 100% from the previous solution.

Toys “R” Us and Kohl’s are among the first retailers to announce their holiday hiring plans this year, and the numbers are more or less the same as last year for both companies.

Toys “R” Us plans to hire 40,000 employees at its stores and distribution centers throughout the country (about 5,000 less than last year). The retailer also plans to allow seasonal workers the opportunity to take on significantly more hours than in previous years, while also continuing to provide extra hours to current employees.