Data & Analytics

Amazon promises to put 100,000 Americans to work by mid-2018
Move over Alibaba — Amazon has a new jobs plan too, one with more details and a more immediate window of opportunity.
Study: The first ‘digitally native’ generation shops in stores
Generation Z grew up online, but that doesn’t mean that’s where they do all their shopping. Sixty-seven percent of Gen Z — the first “digitally native” group to grow up not knowing a world before cellular phones, smartphones and other digital devices — said they shop in a bricks-and-mortar store most of the time, with another 31% shopping in-store sometimes, in a new survey by IBM and the National Retail Federation.

Report: Mobility driving unified commerce

Retailers finally understand that the always-connected consumer expects a personalized, seamless experience wherever, whenever and however she shops. This, coupled with the proliferation of mobile devices, are the catalysts driving the new retail paradigm called unified commerce, according to “2017 POS/Customer Engagement Benchmarking Survey,” from Boston Retail Partners (BRP).
Twitter shutting down business app

Retailers may need a new way to track their Twitter activity. As of Feb. 3, the social media platform will shut down Twitter Dashboard, a service that enables businesses to track tweets about their brands, monitor keywords, schedule posts, and access analytics, among other functionality, according to TechCrunch.
Report: Wal-Mart CIO to leave

Wal-Mart Stores is reportedly losing its top technology executive. Karenann Terrell will step down as CIO of Wal-Mart on February 24, the Wall Street Journal reported. Terrell has served in the position for nearly five years. The retailer, which did not say where Terrell is headed, expects to announce new leadership in technology “shortly,” according to the report.
Top 10 Women in Retail Tech

Chain Store Age presents its third annual “Top 10 Women in Retail Technology ” report, which showcases the achievements of an influential group of technology executives. The professionals in the class of the 2017 — profiled below in no particular order — exemplify the innovation and leadership needed to suceed in today’s fast-changing retail environment. They share a record of success that is worthy of emulation by all their peers.
Target is looking for a few good tech start-ups

Target is bringing back its retail accelerator program for a second round. On the heels of the first Target + Techstars retail accelerator, the retailer said it has opened applications for a second round of the program yesterday, inviting retail-specific tech startups worldwide to apply for a chance to relocate to Minneapolis and embed themselves at Target.
J.C. Penney committed to brick-and-mortar but will still close some stores

Look for J.C. Penney to close some stores as it moves forward. In remarks at the The Weitzman Group’s annual forecast event, Penney CEO Marvin Ellison said the company’s 1,014-store portfolio is too large and that the retailer is analyzing which locations don’t meet its “brand standard,” the Dallas Business Journal reported.
New partnership expands digital payments

A new partnership is giving Discover card users more flexibility and security at point-of-sale. An agreement between Discover Financial Services (DFS) and PayPal allows U.S.-based PayPal customers to use Discover at all contactless-enabled merchants that accept the card. Discover cards will be presented as a payment option within the PayPal wallet, making accounts easily identifiable to card members when paying.
Supervalu Q3 sales disappoint

Supervalu Inc. swung to a loss in its third quarter amid increased competition in the retail segment. The company reported a net loss of $26 million during its 2017 fiscal third quarter, ended Dec. 3, as revenue fell 1.4% to $3 billion. The loss, however, included a settlement charge of $41 million related to pensions and also store closure charges.
Another solar milestone for home furnishings giant

The larger solar rooftop array in the state of Washington is now completed — and it’s on top of an Ikea store. Ikea has installed a solar array on the top its 244,000-sq.-ft. store currently under construction in Renton, Washington. It is scheduled to open in spring 2017.
Can E-Commerce and Sustainability Co-Exist?

Technology is transforming the retail landscape as we know it. The Census Bureau estimates that U.S. online retail sales were $97.3 million in second quarter 2016, a 15.8% increase from the previous year. According to Forrester, that growth is expected to continue with U.S. online retail sales anticipated to exceed $520 billion by 2020. Globally, online sales are growing three-times faster than GDP.