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Retail

  • Report: Staples-Office Depot merger on track

    Boca Raton, Fla. – A second request for information from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will reportedly not slow down the pending merger of Staples and Office Depot. According to the South Florida Business Journal, the FTC has requested unspecified additional documents and information from Office Depot.

  • IHL study links in-store WiFi to increased customer loyalty, sales

    Atlanta -- Deployment of in-store Wi-Fi had the most significant positive impact on retail sales and loyalty of any technology initiative, according to a survey by IHL Group. Almost half of the participating retailers claimed increased customer loyalty due to deploying in-store employee Wi-Fi, with an associated 3.4% increase in sales. One-third of retailers (28%) reported increased customer loyalty due to deploying in-store customer Wi-Fi, with an associated 2% increase in sales.

  • IBM brings the weather to retailers; teams up with parent of Weather Channel

    Armonk, N.Y. – The weather is traditionally a topic for conversation when there is nothing else to discuss, but for retailers knowing what the weather will be is a vital concern. IBM and The Weather Company, parent company of the Weather Channel, are partnering to integrate real-time weather insights into business to improve operational performance and decision-making.

  • Torrid opening Chicago flagship; on track to open 60 stores in 2015

    Chicago -- Torrid, the edgy plus-sized apparel division of Hot Topic, will open a flagship on State Street in Chicago, on April 8. It’s part of 60 stores the retailer is planning to open across the country this year.

    The 3,000-sq.-ft. store, located in The Loop, Chicago's historic shopping district, will be Torrid's tenth store in the Windy City.

  • Amazon.com gets to STEM of learning with new e-store

    Seattle – Amazon.com is addressing the need for more science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education with the launch of a new online store focused on toys and games that help kids learn STEM subjects and ideas.

    In addition to focusing on the core subjects, STEM also focuses on how they relate to each other and the real world.

    According to Amazon, it selected the initial assortment of STEM toys because they “have clear goals and encourage kids to learn STEM skills while having fun.”

  • Bloomingdale’s to open in new center in Norwalk, Conn., in 2018

    Cincinnati -- Macy’s announced that Bloomingdale’s plans to open a 150,000-sq.-ft., three-level location in fall 2018 in an all-new shopping, dining and entertainment center being developed in Norwalk, Connecticut, by General Growth Properties.

    “This spectacular new shopping center will be a distinctive and upscale destination for Fairfield County and surrounding areas, prominently positioned at I-95 and Highway 7,” said Tony Spring, chairman and CEO of Bloomingdale’s.

  • Virtual assistants help promote sweets in Belgian supermarkets

    Bay Shore, N.Y. -- Confectionary giant Mondelēz International is deploying digital signage displays that resemble a store assistant to promote its new sweet treats in Carrefour, Cora and Makro stores across Belgium.  

    The Tensator Virtual Assistants displays, which have a 20- by 20-inch footprint, will stay in each location for two weeks before continuing on their retail tour. The displays use cutting edge technology to project the image of a real person that can deliver a variety of messages.

  • Tech Guest Viewpoint: Poor Mobile Performance Can Mean Missing Out

    By Carin van Vuuren, Usablenet

    If there was ever any doubt of mobile’s essential role to retail success, the most recent holiday shopping season should put that to bed. Last year, more than 40% of all Cyber Monday sales came from mobile devices. In fact, Amazon stated that almost 60% of its customers shopped via mobile during the 2014 holiday season, with total U.S. sales from its app doubling from 2013.

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