Store Systems

New York - Total retail sales in the United States  will rise 5% to reach $862 billion during November and December this year, according to the latest forecast from eMarketer.  Among the biggest trends to watch will be the acceleration in online sales, which are expected to grow at  16.6% year over year to reach $72.41 billion, or 8.4% of all retail purchases this holiday season. It’s a considerable uptick from 2013, when online sales totaled 7.6% of all holiday retail purchases.

  New York - Apple is expanding its Apple Pay across hundreds of supermarkets.  Associated Food Stores, Shaw's Supermarkets, Jewel Osco, Albertson's and Bi-Lo Holdings have joined Whole Foods Markets,  which was one of the original Apple Pay launch partners, to accept the new payment option.   Bi-Lo Holdings, parent company of Bi-Lo, Harveys and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, said it is now suporting Apple Pay across its entire southeastern footprint.

Hamilton, Bermuda – Signet Jewelers Ltd. has named Daniel Shull as its first CIO effective Jan. 5, 2015. As CIO, Shull will be responsible for Signet's IT systems across its three divisions.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc. is looking to make shopping as easy and convenient this holiday season– regardless of whether shoppers  prefer to shop online, in stores or on their  mobile device.  Plans include the launch of an online Wish List tool that allows shoppers to create a list of most-wanted items from across all five of the company’s brands: Gap, Banana Republic & Banana Republic Factory Store, Old Navy, Athleta and Piperlime.

Following in the footsteps of other major retailers, Bi-Lo Holdings, the parent company of Winn-Dixie, Harveys and BI-LO grocery stores, has announced that it will begin accepting Apple Pay in its retail locations.

“Customers want a shopping experience that is convenient, easy and secure,” said Bert DuMars, vice president of digital marketing at Bi-Lo Holdings. “Bi-Lo Holdings is prioritizing digital mobile solutions for our customers, and Apple Pay is an exciting first step in our journey.”

Boca Raton, Fla. – Polaroid is opening three locations of its Fotobar experiential retail concept in the Los Angeles area, with the first debuting Nov. 18 at Westfield Culver City. The 300-sq.-ft.micro-stores offer a cube shape and Polaroid Color Spectrum logo, and customers can take a seat at the Fotobar and transform their pictures instantly from their smartphone, Facebook or Instagram  into three different size Polaroid pictures which can be collected in unique Polaroid shadowboxes or other picture accessories.  

Buckinghamshire, U.K. – Omnichannel U.K.-based mass merchandise retailer Argos has selected Paragon’s advanced home delivery (HDS) software solution as part of a large-scale project to revolutionize its home delivery operation. Paragon’s HDS software enables Argos to offer optimized time windows to customers at the point of order.

Customers at the nation’s largest home improvement retailer appeared to shrug off any concerns about a data breach as Home Depot’s sales increased 5.4% to $20.5 billion. Comparable store sales increased 5.2%, but grew 5.8% at U.S. stores. The increased productivity at existing stores drove profit growth, with earnings increasing to $1.5 billion, or $1.15 per share, compared to $1.4 billion, or $95 cents a share, the prior year.