Data & Analytics

Staples has appointed Faisal Masud to the newly created role of chief technology officer.     Masud had previously served as executive VP of global e-ecommerce since joining the company in May, 2013. Prior to Staples, he served as VP and general manager for Groupon, responsible for managing Groupon Goods’ global strategy and execution. He also held various leadership roles at eBay and Amazon.  

The wealthiest segment of the U.S. population is cutting back a little this holiday season.      

For the past five years, retailers and millennials have been in a very one-sided relationship.    Big budgets were spent to capture and engage with this highly sought-after group of consumers through intelligent advertising, a carefully curated social media presence, and viral marketing campaigns. And in true millennial fashion, the response was indifferent.    But retailers, it’s no longer all about millennials.   

The union that represents cargo pilots who fly Amazon goods has launched online ads that warn staffing problems could lead to delayed deliveries.       The ads, set to run on Facebook and Google, link to a site called “Can Amazon Deliver?” that outlines alleged staffing issues at two cargo airlines from which Amazon leases planes, reported ReCode.  

For more than half a century, Chain Store Age’s annual SPECS conference has delivered one of the retail industry’s most important and impactful events.   

Logistics and supply chain executives from such retail powerhouses as Walmart, Target, Hudson’s Bay Company,  7-Eleven, Neiman Marcus, and The Home Depot will be among the speakers at the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s annual Retail Supply Chain Conference.

The 165-year-old Shreve & Co. has opened a flagship in its San Francisco home town.    The two-level, 15,000-sq.-ft. store is Shreve's first new, permanent location in 110 years and features a modern, luxurious design. The centerpiece is a dramatic, free-floated, elongated semi-spiral staircase that offers sweeping views of the store. A waterfall chandelier of lights and crystals is suspended inside the arch of the stairway. A cascade of crystals and lights hangs from the 30-foot ceiling.    

More digital connections and a speedier checkout process rank among the top trends for grocery shopping in 2017.   That’s according to John Karolefski, supermarket analyst and purveyor of GroceryStories.com, who also predicts a more diverse produce department, increased availability of meal kits, and better access to product information.   "The top trends for 2017 will result in improved loyalty to stores and more informed shoppers," said Karolefski.   

GNC Holdings is changing its pricing structure and marketing, and adding tech enhancements to its store environment as it looks to replace what it described as “an old broken model.”      The company announced that all corporate stores will close on Dec. 28 and reopen on Dec. 29, when GNC will offer customers a “dramatically improved experience with the launch of One New GNC.”