Store Systems

Hoping to bolster sales across its home appliance category, Best Buy opened five outlet locations dedicated to major appliances.   The outlet stores are located in San Antonio and Famers Branch, Texas, Raleigh, N.C., Newark, Del., and Moreno Valley, Calif. All five locations opened this month, according to The Dallas News.  

For the past five years, retailers and millennials have been in a very one-sided relationship.    Big budgets were spent to capture and engage with this highly sought-after group of consumers through intelligent advertising, a carefully curated social media presence, and viral marketing campaigns. And in true millennial fashion, the response was indifferent.    But retailers, it’s no longer all about millennials.   

A vast majority of Americans now buy online, but that doesn’t mean it is their favorite way to shop.    Approximately eight-in-ten Americans are now online shoppers: 79% have made an online purchase of any type, while 51% have bought something using a cellphone and 15% have made purchases by following a link from social media sites, according to the Pew Research Center.  

Staples has appointed Faisal Masud to the newly created role of chief technology officer.     Masud had previously served as executive VP of global e-ecommerce since joining the company in May, 2013. Prior to Staples, he served as VP and general manager for Groupon, responsible for managing Groupon Goods’ global strategy and execution. He also held various leadership roles at eBay and Amazon.  

A dramatic spiral staircase highlighted by three chandeliers and a cascade of lights and crystals suspended from a 30-ft. ceiling welcomes shoppers at Shreve & Co. new flagship in San Francisco.   The two-level, 15,000-sq.-ft. store features a modern, luxurious design, with in-store boutiques, private viewing suites for personalized consultations and an entertainment room. It also houses an array of services, from a dedicated watchmaker to an estate jewelry appraiser and consultant.   

Amazon and Saks came out on top in the 12th annual ForeSee Experience Index (FXI), which identified the top brands for retail customer experience this holiday season across three channels: online, store and mobile.   

GNC Holdings is changing its pricing structure and marketing, and adding tech enhancements to its store environment as it looks to replace what it described as “an old broken model.”      The company announced that all corporate stores will close on Dec. 28 and reopen on Dec. 29, when GNC will offer customers a “dramatically improved experience with the launch of One New GNC.”  

The 165-year-old Shreve & Co. has opened a flagship in its San Francisco home town.    The two-level, 15,000-sq.-ft. store is Shreve's first new, permanent location in 110 years and features a modern, luxurious design. The centerpiece is a dramatic, free-floated, elongated semi-spiral staircase that offers sweeping views of the store. A waterfall chandelier of lights and crystals is suspended inside the arch of the stairway. A cascade of crystals and lights hangs from the 30-foot ceiling.