Omnichannel

Consumer interest in wearables is booming for reasons that retailers should find encouraging.
 
New research from Mintel reveals that the U.S. wearable technology market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with estimated sales increasing 186% from 2014-2015, reaching $7 billion in 2015.
 
And despite just one in 10 consumers owning a fitness tracker (12%) or smartwatch (7%), 16% of consumers said they planned to purchase a fitness tracker or smartwatch in the final three months of 2015.
 

Welcome to Star World, a new retail format that combines brick-and-mortar and e-commerce — with Latino sensitivity.

The 30,000-sq.-ft. store combines a streamlined environment with a high-tech business model that digitally extends its aisles into the warehouses of its suppliers via interactive in-store kiosks. Shoppers can make purchases via the kiosks, which connect directly to vendors.

NYX Professional Makeup continues its brick-and-mortar expansion, opening a flagship at Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara, California.

The store is the first of several NYX locations set to open throughout the year. Upcoming locations include Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek, California, and Willowbrook Mall, Wayne, New Jersey.

In the name of creating a more efficient and focused organization, Staples announced several key senior leadership moves while its acquisition of rival Office Depot appears in jeopardy.

Shira Goodman, currently president, North American commercial, has been named president, North American operations with responsibility for Staples’ business-to-business, online and retail operations across the United States and Canada.

Retailers have one less form factor to consider in their wearable connected device strategies. According to Gizmodo, Google is officially ending all support for its Google Glass connected eyewear device in the consumer market. This ends plans to relaunch Google Glass among consumers in partnership with Luxottica Group that were announced in April 2015, although Google is still promoting Google Glass as a workplace tool. [Gizmodo]

AutoZone knows that driving experience and customer experience both depend on a well-built frame.

Thus AutoZone is turning to AT&T to provide the chassis for a seamless front- and back-end retail experience. AT&T will provide a suite of mobile and broadband solutions for its U.S. stores, call centers, and back-end offices that deliver voice, Internet and mobility solutions.

Retailers are generally optimistic about 2016, with such factors as low gas pricing and the housing market uptick working in the industry’s favor.

That’s according to a survey of store managers by real estate services firm Levin Management, which has 95 properties in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia and North Carolina. Several industry sources have also expressed a positive outlook, including Kiplinger, which anticipates retail will grow approximately 4% this year, and Trading Economics which expects 3.6% growth.

True Religion Apparel, Inc. is leveraging a leading-edge, consumer-grade mobile device to help store associates deliver a truly omnichannel experience.