Store Systems

New York -- Looking to better respond to increasingly online and mobile customers, 70% of retail executives said their organizations have adopted an omnichannel strategy to link the consumer's in-store experience with the company's website, mobile device application and social media platforms. This strategy, according to the 2014 Retail Outlook Survey of 100 retail executives by KPMG LLP, will help create a seamless shopping experience for the consumer.

Naples, Fla. -- ACI Worldwide, a leading global provider of electronic payment and banking solutions, announced that Auchan Group, one of the world’s largest food retailers, has selected the company to deliver its new SEPA-compliant European card payments platform, the first of its kind in Europe.

Staples has enhanced its omnichannel offerings, enabling small business owners to buy products online and pick them up in stores within hours, pay online via Visa Checkout, use in-store kiosks and download and use a dedicated iPad app.

Albany, N.Y. - Trans World Entertainment Corp., owner of the FYE music and video chain, named Michael Feurer as CEO. Feurer, who succeeds longtime Trans World leader and founder Robert J. Higgens, most recently served as CEO and president of Vanity Stores. Higgins announced in March he was retiring.

Murad, the skin care brand founded by Howard Murad, plans to open in October the company’s first official stand-alone retail boutique.

The freestanding store, which will serve as Murad’s global flagship retail location, will be located in Los Angeles. The opening of the 1,500-sq.-ft. store front coincides with the celebration of Murad’s 25th anniversary this year.

Chicago -- Men’s lifestyle retailer Haberdash will unveil a new retail "Convergence" concept at its store at the Roosevelt Collection in Chicago's South Loop.

The "Convergence" model integrates the company's daily e-commerce operations into the store location; photo studio, pick, pack and ship and client services.

Fred’s second-quarter results reflected the company’s strategic decision to build its business model for the future as a convenience/pharmacy-centric store, driven by data-based inventory management, according to CEO Bruce Efird.

The company reported a net loss of $16.4 million for the quarter. Fred's total sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 increased 2% to $491.2 million. On a comparable-store basis, second-quarter sales decreased 0.1%.

It’s no secret that the position of retail CIO is frequently in a state of flux. For a variety of reasons, retail CIOs will shift their career with a different company, meaning at some point most retail IT professionals will probably find themselves transitioning to a new top boss.