Data & Analytics

Paint Grows Greener And More Sophisticated
Whether it's a remodel or new construction, paint is one of a retailer's most essential and cost-effective design tools. Chain Store Age spoke with Jim Gorman, of Benjamin Moore & Co., about how paint is being affected by technology and environmental concerns. The company, founded in 1883, manufactures its own resins and colorants, and has more than 3,400 colors in its collection.
What is the most common mistake retailers make when it comes to painting?
More Effective Procurement
Generating revenue through electricity contracts
The U.S. retail and wholesale establishments make up one of the largest sectors of electricity consumption in the nation. And they’re likely to use even more within the next few years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, whose recent annual report indicates that commercial and industrial entities will lead domestic growth in primary energy usage through 2040.

Experience Counts

In retail, as in life, experience is everything. Whether it’s online, on a smartphone or in the store, it really doesn’t make a difference. A bad experience will turn off customers, while a good one will build brand advocates. It’s always been like that, of course. But today’s technology-enabled shoppers have changed the rules of the game by upping the stakes considerably.
Cool Technologies

In first U.S. application, H-E-B deploys energy-efficient, propane refrigeration system
H-E-B is thinking green — and out of the box — when it comes to refrigeration. The company is the first U.S. retailer to deploy a propane refrigeration system in its refrigerated display cases.
The Hussmann-designed system is in place in H-E-B’s new 83,000-sq.-ft. store in Austin, Texas, which is part of the redevelopment of an old airport site in the city’s Mueller neighborhood. The entire project is focused on sustainability and energy efficiency. So is H-E-B.
Staffing Up For The Holidays

Retailers tapping into technology to maximize in-store labor during the busiest season
Let the games begin.
Retailers are gearing up for the Super Bowl of the holiday-selling season, when stores generate up to 40% of their annual sales and boost their staffs in light of the heightened shopping spree.
As technology reshapes the retail landscape at a dizzying pace, it’s also advancing the art and science of aligning sales and traffic patterns with in-store labor — particularly crucial during the make-or-break winter selling period.
Systems Integration, Data Integrity Ensure Omnichannel Success

To provide customers with true omnichannel shopping capabilities, retailers must internally align all store and ERP functions. Mike Burge, founder and CEO of integrated retail enterprise platform provider MI9, recently spoke with Chain Store Age about how effective omnichannel retailing works and how retailers can leverage IT systems to achieve success in an omnichannel environment.
What are the main objectives of omnichannel?
Social Media

Tools for engaging with holiday shoppers on the most popular social platforms
Social media platforms offer retailers a chance for direct engagement with consumers as well as access to highly personalized data, all in real or near-real time. During the holiday season, with its intensified levels of competition and customer distraction, having the type of direct promotional connection with customers that social media can offer is more crucial than ever.
Mobile at Forefront

Delivering a superior mobile experience is a top holiday priority
Retailers can expect mobile devices to impact sales and play a greater role in buying decisions this holiday than last. Mobile as a percentage of site traffic on Black Friday shot up to 24% in 2012 from 14.3% the previous year. Sales over smartphones and devices on Black Friday rose to 16% in 2012, up from 9.8% in 2011.
Holiday Planning

At a time of year when consumers are still caught up in end-of-summer barbecues and back-to-school shopping, retailers are getting caught up in the rush of holiday planning. Holiday sales can account for 20% to 40% of a retailer’s total annual sales, according to the National Retail Federation, and a successful holiday can turn around a bad year or make a good year even better.

But the holiday season presents challenges as well as opportunities.
Pep Boys Courts Wider Audience

Small beginnings can lead to big things. That’s certainly true in the case of Pep Boys, which was founded in 1921 by four Navy buddies who pooled together $800 to open an auto parts store in Philadelphia. Today, with some 750 stores across the United States and Puerto Rico, the Philadelphia-based company is one of the nation’s leading auto supply and service providers.
Green Landmark

H-E-B has registered its new store in Austin for LEED certification and Austin Energy Green Building certification. Apart from using a propane refrigeration system, the store includes a number of other green “firsts” for H-E-B, including the use of 100% LED lighting, radiant floor cooling, a chilled water system that supports the store refrigeration and HVAC systems, chilled sails/beams for cooling, a wood building frame and roof deck, a ceramic-based roof coating and extensive use of photovoltaic panels.
Consumer confidence inches up in August

New York -- The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index which had declined in July, increased slightly in August. The Index now stands at 81.5, up from 81.0 in July.