Omnichannel

By Steve Pugh, [email protected]

Imagine this scenario:

Philadelphia — Downtown Philadelphia will be the site for Walgreens' next Well Experience flagship store, according to an online report published Friday by CBS/Philly. The new Walgreens will be located at Broad and Chestnut Streets in Center City, filling the space of what was once a Borders bookstore.

The retail space extends 26,000 sq. ft. across three floors.

The CBS/Philly report suggested the new store will open its doors this fall, citing the real estate agent who brokered the deal.

By Jundong Song, [email protected]

Wal-Mart, the largest grocer in the world, does not run any traditional loyalty programs to enroll and reward customers for their loyalty. Will this prove to be a costly mistake?

Giving competitors an edge

Henderson, Nev. -- Frozen yogurt purveyor U-Swirl said Thursday that its area developer for the Houston market has signed a lease for its first of a 10-miminum store commitment to be opened over the next 48 months.

Houston is the fifteenth area in 13 states where U-Swirl is currently developing locations. It currently has 29 yogurt cafes open and operating.

 

Armonk, N.Y. -- IBM announced it has completed its acquisition of Tealeaf Technology, a provider of digital customer experience management and customer behavior analysis solutions.

The acquisition extends IBM’s Smarter Commerce initiative with qualitative analytics software that helps organizations deliver an optimal digital experience to their customers via the web and mobile devices.

NEW YORK — Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has appointed Michael Robinson to the newly created position of VP e-commerce. Robinson brings retail, direct-to-consumer and digital experience working with popular brands such as Anthropologie, Smith & Hawken Ltd., and Banana Republic Inc., and will be responsible for building out the company's e-commerce presence, including the site the company is jointly developing with JCPenney, which is slated to launch in 2013.  He is reporting to Lisa Gersh, president and COO of MSLO.

Roswell, Ga. -- PGA Tour Superstore is opening a second Chicagoland location on June 14, in Downers Grove, Ill. The company opened a store in Schaumburg, Ill., last month.

Downers Grove is PGA Tour Superstore's 14th retail location. The stores are owned and operated by Golf & Tennis Pro Shop, whose controlling owner and chairman is Arthur M. Blank, retired Home Depot co-founder and current owner of the Atlanta Falcons.

Roseville, Calif. -- Revionics, a provider of price optimization systems, announced it has acquired the business and related assets of Retail Optimization, New Haven, Conn., a provider of cloud-based assortment and space optimization systems. Terms were not disclosed.