News

New York grocer reaches out to customers
With 15 regional stores, New York-based Fairway Market needs to compete with larger rivals on quality of experience. To that end, Fairway has deployed the omnichannel retail platform from Index to help better communicate with customers and provide an optimal experience across various touchpoints. The platform includes secure in-store payment solutions that offer processing flexibility and are compliant with EMV and P2PE protocols. Fairway can also accept a variety of tender types, including Apple Pay and Android Pay.
Investment, interest in energy efficiency at all-time high
That’s one of the key findings of The 2016 Johnson Controls Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey of more than 1,200 facility and energy management executives.

Report: J.C. Penney looks abroad for new tech center

The J.C. Penney Co Inc. is reportedly developing a new IT facility in a popular overseas location.
Home furnishings powerhouse debuts new store design

Pottery Barn unveiled a revamped interior at its newly designed store at The Village at Corte Madera, in Corte Madera, California. Inspired by a modern farmhouse, the 12,288-sq.-ft. location features dramatic high ceilings with exposed wood beams, a skylight in the center of the space, and 11-foot high steel framed doors that open to an outside seating area at the front of the store.
TechBytes: Staying Competitive on Amazon Prime Day

Tuesday, July 12 marks the return of Amazon Prime Day. Based on last year’s results, Amazon will grab a sizable chunk of all online sales that day. Special “countdown deals” starting July 5 will also help funnel more e-commerce traffic than normal in Amazon’s direction. Walmart is countering with its own July online sales event built around its ShippingPass free shipping program.
Get ready: Kayne West’s next venture is retail stores

Adidas is doubling down on its relationship with Kanye West, the outspoken entertainer who doubles as a fashion designer. The German sportswear giant and West are expanding their very successful Yeezy brand via a new partnership called adidas + Kanye West. The Yeezy-branded collection will consist of footwear, apparel and accessories for all genders that will work across street and sport.
UPS, 7-Eleven offer seamless commerce assistance

Online retailers who want to offer physical pickup of their goods have a new option. Partnering with various retailers including 7-Eleven, UPS is expanding its “smart locker” program from nine locations in Chicago to 300 locations nationwide. UPS is adding 300 new Access Point locations nationwide. The lockers are usually outside and accessible 24 hours a day at convenience stores and other sites.
Dick’s Sporting Goods wins bidding war

Dick’s Sporting Goods was the victor on Thursday at the bankruptcy auction for former rival Sports Authority Holdings. Dick’s bid $15 million for the brand name and other intellectual property, beating British-based Sports Direct International PLC’s $13 million bid, according to the Wall Street Journal. Dick’s also had the winning bid at the auction for 31 Sports Authority store leases, for an additional $8 million, the report said.
Report: Visa sues Walmart over alleged PIN pilot

Wal-Mart Stores, which filed suit against Visa in May over debit card authorization, is getting taste of its own medicine.
NRF supports overturning of swipe fee settlement

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is publicly welcoming a ruling striking down the 2012 settlement of a class action lawsuit over Visa and MasterCard’s credit card swipe fees. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York overturns a December 2013 approval of the settlement by U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson.
Survey: Back-to-school means back to spending

Parents are increasing their back-to-school budgets, although overall spending is stagnant compared to recent years. According to a new survey of 1,830 U.S. parents of elementary through college students by Mintel, 52% of respondents plan to spend more on back-to-school (BTS) shopping than in 2015. Only 4% plan to spend less, with 44% planning to spend the same. However, overall planned BTS spending dropped to $68 billion in 2015 after ranging from $73 - $76 billion annually from 2010-2014.
Rough seas for Pier 1

Home décor retailer Pier 1 Imports swung to a loss in its first quarter amid heavy promotions caused by weak sales. The chain reported a loss of $6 million for the quarter ended May 28, compared to net income of $6.9 million in the year-ago period. Revenue fell 4.2% to $418.4 million in the quarter, also less than expected. Same-store sales were down 2.5%.