Omnichannel

RadioShack has named a new CEO with retail turnaround and transformation experience.

Dene Rogers will join the company as president and CEO on May 9, 2016. Rogers, who will also serve on RadioShack’s board, previously served as CEO of Target Australia and CEO of Sears Canada, which he led to become Canada’s most profitable online retailer, according to RadioShack.

At RadioShack, Rogers replaces CFO Gordon Briscoe, who has been interim CEO since January when Ron Garriques left the post after serving less than a year.

Payments are no longer a means to an end for accepting money and finalizing a transaction.

According to a new global survey of senior retail executives responsible for payments strategy and/or payments IT strategy from payments company ACI Worldwide and technology analyst firm Ovum, “2016 Global Payments Insight Survey: Merchants and Retailers,” up to 81% of retailers view payments as a clear part of their business strategy.

While generally steady post-recessionary economic performance has led to an extended period of retail growth, retailers and retail real estate professionals around the country have begun openly wondering about just how high rental rates can continue to climb. In the last few years, occupancy costs are up significantly virtually across the board; most dramatically in dense urban locations in larger markets.

1-800-Flowers.com is partnering with Amazon.com to make the digital ordering process even easier.

The specialty floral gift retailer will allow customers to place orders using the Amazon Alexa voice-activated artificial intelligence platform via the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Tap smart home devices and Fire TV streaming media player. 1-800-Flowers shoppers will be able to give Alexa basic ordering instructions, and the retailer will then process the order and arrange delivery.

The number of Sephora shops inside J.C. Penney stores is about to increase.

The department store retailer announced it will open 60 additional Sephora shops in Penney stores, including a flagship set to open in November.

More consumers can now order takeout food from Amazon.com, and rest assured they are paying a competitive price.

Amazon is making one-hour delivery from 117 different local restaurants available to Prime Now customers in 33 ZIP codes across the San Francisco market. Using the Prime Now mobile app, San Francisco customers can view participating restaurants, browse menus, place orders, track the status of their delivery, and watch as their driver travels from the restaurant to the delivery address in real time.

Wireless provider T-Mobile is launching a major retail expansion drive this year.

The company plans to open 400 of its own branded stores this year, according to a report by Fortune.

“We always just follow what the customer really wants,” T-Mobile’s chief operating officer Mike Sievert told Fortune, and customers, he added, have been “very clear” that “they prefer to do business at a fully branded store.”

Barneys New York is employing technology to give shoppers at its new flagship in downtown Manhattan flagship even more personalized attention — and an experience that combines the best of physical and digital retail.