Store Systems

Toronto, Canada –- J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. will reportedly end its agreement to issue credit cards for Sears Canada when the term expires Nov. 15, 2015. According to the Wall Street Journal, in the meantime the two companies will explore opportunities to sell the credit card program to a third party, with Sears Canada receiving as much as $154 million if a sale goes through.  

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears has introduced "Reserve It,” a free service that lets Shop Your Way loyalty program members identify apparel and footwear items in-stock at their local store, place them on hold and then try them on in-store. Members log in to their Shop Your Way account on Sears.com and select their local Sears store; apparel and footwear product searches will now show items in-stock at that specific store.  

Woonsokcet, R.I. -- CVS Health will reportedly open a 15,000-sq.-ft. digital innovation lab in Boston during the upcoming winter.   According to BetaBoston, CVS hopes to ultimately have about 100 employees working at the center, both new hires and workers moved from the CVS headquarters in Woonsocket, R.I.  

By Ed Stevens, Shopatron   Technology is changing the way people shop. Today’s retail customers typically touch multiple channels before making a purchase--researching products, comparing prices and checking inventory online or via mobile and buying online, via mobile or in-store.   

New York -- More shoppers will be leveraging their mobile phones for holiday purchasing than ever before. Burst Media and Rhythm NewMedia’s 10th annual holiday survey found that 39.5% of respondents who use a smartphone and/or tablet to shop will use their mobile devices more this holiday season versus last.  

Las Vegas –- At the recent KronosWorks 2014 conference in Las Vegas, clients across a variety of industries spoke about how they use Kronos solutions to better perform a variety of human resources and workforce management tasks.  

Chicago -- Accounting for over a third of grocery retailers' total sales, promotions are a top priority. Recognizing the profit potential, Australian retailer Woolworths prioritized the implementation of process improvements that would promote efficiency through its promotional strategies.  

Little Rock, Ark. -- Dillard's Inc. reported Thursday a profit of $55.2 million in its fiscal third quarter, up 8.4% over the $50.9 million profit in the same period last year.   Sales, however, dipped to $1.460 billion, from $1.469 billion, and same-stores sales declined 1%.   Still, said CEO William T. Dillard II, "We believe we are positioned very well for the holiday season.”