Omnichannel

Retailers already knew they had work to do to better meet online shoppers’ expectations, just maybe not as much as revealed by new research from IBM.

E-commerce start up Symphony Commerce is facing seriously elevated expectations now that it has been singled out by Shop.org as the company with the greatest potential to transform the shopping experience and positively impact the retail industry.

Redwood Shores, Calif. – Retailers are sometimes accused of being laggards when it comes to technology and process adoption, but that does not appear to be the case when it comes to marketing. To assess marketing maturity across industries and demonstrate the business impact of modern marketing best practices, Oracle commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a global study of marketing decision-makers.

Two technology trends stood out above all others at this week’s NRF Annual Convention. First, retailers are becoming aware that omnichannel inventory transparency is the back-end platform supporting the front-end seamless customer experience they have been building the past few years. Being able to see all inventory across all channels in real time is the key to enabling omnichannel processes such as shipping and fulfilling from store, centrally managing orders from multiple sales channels, providing “endless aisle” access to full inventory.

Entering 2015, it is a good time for retailers to reflect on the changing state of digital advertising and how the most effective ads are increasingly shaped by smart optimization technologies. One essential fact is driving this broad industry trend: consumers are becoming ever more reliant on their smartphones, tablets and wearable devices. This growing dependence on mobile devices has even ushered in a new term for “nomophobia,” which is the fear of having no mobile contact.

New York -- Neiman Marcus is testing interactive mirror technology at its store in Walnut Creek, Calif., that enables shoppers to see how they look in different outfits at the same time. The luxury retailer is set to pilot the technology in two additional locations, including its store in San Francisco.

Beverly, Mass. - Orchard Brands, a multichannel retailer of apparel and home products focused on consumers older than 50, has partnered with Borderfree for global e-commerce. Through its partnership with Borderfree, Orchard Brands’ 13 unique online storefronts are now available to international shoppers in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide.

Burlington, Mass. – Demandware Inc. has agreed to expand into in-store retail sales by acquiring Tomax, an enterprise cloud software company that provides an integrated solution for retail POS and store operations. Total purchase price will be about $75 million, including $60 million in cash and $15 million in contingent retention-based payments.