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Alex and Ani has promoted Cindy DiPietrantonio to president of the company.           DiPietrantonio joined the jewelry and lifestyle brand in July 2016 as interim COO, and her transition to president has happened in “a very natural, organic way,” the company said.  

Retailers and other employers of minimum-wage earners can expect to see their labor costs go up in four states.    Voters in the states of Colorado, Maine, Washington, and Arizona all approved measures to raise their state’s minimum wage in Tuesday’s election.   The biggest hike will be in Maine, where the minimum hourly pay will increase from $7.50 to $12 by 2020, and later increasing with inflation.    

Shoppers can skip the line and checkout on their phones at a new supermarket in San Luis Obispo     At California Fresh Market, shoppers can download an app that lets them scan items' barcodes to add to their purchase. Shoppers can keep track of their running total while they browse and see specials and other information.     

The unexpected election of Donald Trump as president has serious implications for the retail supply chain, which could especially effect online commerce,    

Chinese shoppers were so eager to participate in Singles Day that they purchased more in the first hour than the entire 24-hour event in 2013.   Specifically, more than $7 billion of gross merchandise volume (GMV) was settled through Alipay on Alibaba’s China and international retail marketplaces within the first two hours of the 2016 “11.11 Global Shopping Festival,” according to a company statement. The annual shopping event kicked off at 12 a.m. China Time, on Nov. 10.  

Competition is fierce in the apparel business — even for online players with a devoted following.   Los Angeles-based women’s apparel retailer Nasty Gal has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.      

While a majority of shoppers are ready to shop online this holiday season, many will sit out Cyber Monday this year.   This detail was highlighted in “Computop 2016 Holiday Shopping Study.” Computop’s report, which is based on responses from over 1,900 consumers across the United States and UK, found that 76% planned to shop online this holiday season. However, 62% of those respondents don’t plan to shop on Cyber Monday, noting it doesn’t offer the deals it used to previously.  

As Amazon continues to up the ante on convenient, fast shipping options, shoppers expect their favorite brands to follow suit.   Specifically, 42% of shoppers surveyed consider three- or four-day shipping "fast" – a significant drop from the 63% who said so last year. Instead, the majority (83%) of shoppers consider fast shipping to mean delivery within two days or less, according to the “2016 Deloitte Holiday Study,” a report based on responses from 5,038 consumers in the United States.  

To compete with Amazon’s pickup points and lockers, Newegg now offers order pickup service across more than 2,500 locations.   While most online shoppers ship items to their homes, a growing number of people prefer the security and convenience of retrieving their packages at a store or retail location. Through a partnership with FedEx, Newegg shoppers can now order and pick-up packages at more than 2,500 FedEx locations throughout the United States, including 1,800 FedEx Office retail stores.   

Wayfair is so bullish on virtual reality that it launched its second app — a solution designed to guide shoppers through virtual showrooms.   Available on Daydream, Google’s mobile VR platform, Wayfair’s IdeaSpace app enables consumers to explore a variety of uniquely designed spaces, and shop their favorite finds in an interactive setting. IdeaSpace was built by Wayfair Next, the company’s internal research and development team, using Google’s virtual reality technology.