Sales & Marketing

Retailers know the Internet of Things (IoT) is coming and will bring significant changes. But their preparedness for it is less certain.

The importance of expense control at Walmart became evident on Friday when the retailer confirmed it planned to eliminate 450 positions as part of a broader restructuring effort.

British retailer John Lewis has opened one of its largest department stores ever, in the just-opened Grand Central shopping center in Birmingham.

The four-level, 250,000-sq.-ft. department store has a strikingly contemporary design and features several new services and concepts, including a new fashion and lifestyle department, loved&found, and the first John Lewis-branded spa, &Beauty. There is also a market stall-styled food offering, The Place to Eat.

Specialty athletic retailer The Finish Line Inc. is trying to reposition its brand with a new initiative that cuts across channels. Called “Epic Finish,” Finish Line says the repositioning goes beyond a typical marketing campaign.

Supervalu announced that president and CEO Sam Duncan will retire at the end of the company’s fiscal year. The company also elevated two other executives to key senior leadership roles and affirmed its commitment to exploring strategic alternatives for the Save-A-Lot retail division.

The $18 billion grocery wholesaler and retailer said Duncan would remain with the company until February 29, 2016. He joined the company in February 2013 in connection with the sale by Supervalu of five retail banners to Albertsons.

The same freedom and flexibility that mobile devices bring to our everyday lives can also be leveraged in the retail environment. Most retailers are inherently aware of these benefits; yet many are still not sure of how or what to implement.

But this is no reason to delay or avoid deploying mobile technology. By adhering to a few basic principles, retailers can successfully integrate mobility into their daily operations, and reap significant benefits as a result.

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Newegg is looking to be the destination this holiday season for gamers with a new promotion designed to appeal to tech enthusiasts.

The importance of expense control at Walmart became evident on Friday when the retailer confirmed it planned to eliminate 450 positions as part of a broader restructuring effort.