Data & Analytics

The Container Store attracts a lot of loyal customers, and soon those shoppers will have another reason to buy more closet organizers and kitchen jars, thanks to a partnership with Synchrony Financial.

The retailer announced a new, multi-year agreement with Synchrony Financial to offer a private label credit card program for customers. The card will be available for use in the retailer’s stores and online and is scheduled to launch in the spring of 2016.

A new survey has revealed some more glum news about shrink in the U.S. retail industry.

Kroger is in the process of installing "smart shelf technology" at one of its stores in Ohio, according to Cincinnati.com.

The grocery chain is completing the installation of 2,200 Edge shelves throughout the center of the supermarket, including most aisles with dry goods. Today the tech features price tagging beneath the respective items, but future applications could include providing on-demand nutritional info, Cincinnati.com reports.

Midwest discounter Meijer tapped a former store pharmacist who worked his way up in the company as its next president.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meijer announced that Rick Keyes, who joined the company 26 years ago as a pharmacist in Columbus, Ohio, has been appointed as president. He will succeed James Kevin "J.K." Symancyk, who is leaving Meijer, effective Oct. 9, to become the CEO of Texas-based retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors.

Brookstone’s new store display should appeal to its gadget-loving customer base.

Gasoline/convenience retailer Thorntons Inc. maximizes its customer “convenience” with 24-hour service at many locations. This requires the Louisville, Kentucky-based, 175-store chain to operate robust network security that can handle heavy transaction volume at all times.

“We needed a simple and effective whitelisting (file and application approval) product to prevent outbound Internet access except to desired places,” said David Caudill, VP of IT for Thorntons.

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.

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

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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Citing favorable market conditions and a desire to “de-risk” its pension plan, nearly 14,000 participants in J.C. Penney’s retirement plan opted to receive lump sum payments.