Store Systems

The increasing use of smartphones has drastically impacted the consumer's path to purchase — and the momentum continues.   Most online U.S. consumers (60%) now use mobile technology for shopping, and two thirds (67%) searched online for additional product information, according to “The Consumer Technology Association's (CTA) Path to Purchase Using Mobile Devices Market Research report.”  

A new coffee shop is open in San Francisco. The blend of the day: artisan coffee and automated technology.   Taking a page from the AmazonGo experience, Cafe X is an automated coffee shop that opened in San Francisco’s Metreon mall on Jan. 30, according to the Los Angeles Times.   

Pacific Sunwear is one step closer to more secure in-store payments.   PacSun is working with BTM Global to implement and integrate EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) software that will support the global stand-ard for credit card and debit card payments. The implementation will roll out across more than 494 stores in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, a move that will strengthen payment security and protect its customers’ data.    

Saks Fifth Avenue is giving New York City a new “boy’s club.”    The chain’s first-ever Saks Downtown Men’s store is a stand-alone 16,000-sq.-ft. location dedicated to men’s categories. Featuring a strong focus on modern fashion, it carries more than 100 brands, including a dominant assortment of designer footwear and accessories.    Located at 250 Vesey Street in lower Manhattan, the store also features an “experiential shopping environment.” 

Despite strong online volume, low store traffic translated into weak fourth quarter sales for Kohl’s.   For the quarter ended January 28, 2017, the department store chain’s profits fell 15% to $252 million, or $1.44 per share, from $296 million for the same period last year. Meanwhile, revenue dropped 2.8% to $6.21 billion, from $6.39 billion in 2015. Yet, the company still exceeded analysts’ expectations of revenue hitting $6.2 billion, or $1.32 per share.  

CBRE has brought in a former Sears executive to help retailers monetize under-performing retail space through partnerships with outside brands.   Kevin Marschall, formerly director of strategic partnerships and licensed business at Sears, has joined CBRE as a store-within-a-store specialist in the company’s retail partnerships unit.  

Lowe’s is the latest retailer making job cuts.   The home improvement retailer has laid off more than 500 full-time corporate employees company-wide — its latest effort to streamline the company and boost profitability, the Charlotte Observer reported.    

The Tori Richard brand is a staple in Hawaii, but it’s taking steps to expand sales across the continental United States.   A company founded as a women's wear brand 60 years ago in Honolulu, has since become an internationally recognized men's and women's resort wear brand available in its 17 stores and approximately 2,500 wholesale accounts, including in Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. This breadth contributes to sales that span across the main-land U.S., Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.