eCommerce

The chief technology officer of Nordstrom is leaving the company after less than a year on the job.      Kumar Srinivasan is leaving the upscale department store company effective Friday, Jan. 7, to return to India, GeekWire reported.    Srinivasan, who joined Nordstrom in March, after serving as the co-founder and CEO of software company Evocalize. Prior to that, he was the former general manager at Amazon Payments Merchant Solutions unit   

Amazon set new records this holiday season, and its first-party sellers, especially those selling gadgets, are reaping the rewards.   Besides shipping more than 1 billion items worldwide the week follow-ing Christmas, Amazon welcomed 3 million new Amazon Prime members who signed up in the days leading up to Dec. 25, according to the retail behemoth.   

New Yorkers will have a new way to browse Amazon’s best-selling book titles — in a physical store.   Later this year, the retail giant will open a book store in Manhattan’s Shops at Columbus Circle, in the Time Warner Center, according to ReCode.  

Online apparel-rental company Rent the Runway continues its brick-and-mortar expansion with the opening of its biggest store to date, a tech-savvy, 4,000-sq.-ft. flagship in Manhattan.

The stylish space merges the retailer’s digital assets with physical elements to create a very personalized customer experience, one based on each customer’s unique needs and past interactions with the brand.

As Amazon expands across the globe, enhancing its logistics capabilities as well as adding to the list of perks for its Amazon Prime members, retailers and logistics providers are taking note.

The pressure is on for retailers to not only meet customer expectations, but to also exceed them as differentiation in the retail industry becomes paramount. Amazon has raised the bar for expectations with offers such as same-day delivery and free shipping, and its influence is spreading as it becomes one of the world’s biggest retailers.

Walgreens Boots Alliance on Thursday reported a better-than-expected profit for its first quarter and also said an announcement that it has closed the deal on its proposed acquisition of Rite Aid would come soon.   Walgreens confirmed it is actively engaged in discussions with the Federal Trade Commission regarding its pending Rite Aid acquisition, which was announced more than 14 months ago. Also subject to FTC approval is the sale of 865 Rite Aid locations to Fred's for almost $1 billion.    

Retailers’ returns policies are critical factors in consumers' purchasing decisions. But many consumers are far from pleased with their experience.    This was revealed in Voxware’s third biennial report, which highlights why consumers return items purchased online or by phone and how their experiences with the returns process affects their future intentions to shop with retailers.  

As digital disruptors continue to alter retail operations, brands are working to harness these emerging innovations to drive engagement among shoppers and employees. Look for the National Retail Federation’s upcoming 106th annual convention to educate attendees on these and other critical business strategies.