Store Systems

Lowe’s Companies Inc. is trying to make its Iris smart home solution more accessible. The home improvement retailer is the newest participant member of the ZigBee Alliance.

Launched in July 2012, Iris by Lowe’s is a smart home solution created to monitor and control virtually everything in the home anytime, anywhere. Lowe’s is the most recent of 450 members currently working to develop and promote ZigBee Internet of Things (IoT) standards.

Kohl’s has been busy on the omnichannel front during 2015, and the retailer is now taking its efforts into high gear.

On Tuesday, the retailer announced several new omnichannel shopping tools, and said it will also pilot same-day delivery in select markets.

The upcoming Oct. 1 deadline for retailers to accept EMV-compliant, chip-based payment cards or face increased fraud liability mandates that retailers read card information stored in chips. However, the mandate does not specify whether the card be further verified by a PIN number or customer signature, and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has a clear preference.

7-Eleven Inc. is targeting cash-using consumers with a new mobile bill payment service. The convenience retailer is partnering with financial services technology company PayNearMe to launch the 7-Eleven Bill Pay app.

Lakeshore Learning Materials, a Carson, California-based specialty retailer of educational materials with about 60 stores nationwide, is taking a smart approach to customer service. The company has selected and implemented Aptos (formerly Epicor Retail) solutions to help streamline and mobilize store operations, and support cross-channel order management and customer engagement.

Ross Dress for Less is opening new stores under both its namesake and dd’s Discounts banners. The specialty apparel retailer will open a 25,000-sq.-ft. Ross Dress for Less store in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Oct. 10.

This store is the 11th new Ross Dress for Less location in Idaho. The opening is part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.

New York -- Apple Pay will soon have a rival. Google Inc. is launching a successor to Google Wallet called Android Pay, for Android phones running KitKat and above, PC World reported. It will be available in over 700,000 stores, including Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and McDonald’s locations.

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