News

Commentary: CurrentC failure was easy to predict
Merchant Commerce Exchange (MCX), the retailer consortium that formed to create a rival mobile payment service to Apple Pay, is pulling the plug on pilot tests of its CurrentC app. MCX also announced layoffs in May 2016 and despite public claims to the contrary, appears to be shelving CurrentC permanently.

According to Jason Del Rey of Re/Code, this outcome was never in doubt.
Familiar face returns to Under Armour
A veteran creative executive is coming back to Under Armour in a new role, following a short hiatus.

Dave Dombrow, former Under Armour senior VP, creative footwear and accessories, will return to the brand as chief design officer, beginning Aug. 1, 2016. In his newly created role as chief design officer, Dombrow will guide the design of Under Armour's entire collection of footwear, apparel and accessories.

Amazon keeps expanding supply chain infrastructure

Amazon.com has been announcing a lot of new distribution centers lately, and now is opening a new IT office dedicated to logistics, as well as a new physical pick-up location.

The e-tail giant is planning a new technology development center in downtown Minneapolis that will create 100 full-time, technology-focused jobs. Amazon currently has hundreds of employees in Minnesota and is also in the process of hiring an additional 1,000 full-time employees for its new Shakopee, Minnesota, fulfillment center.
Bon-Ton gets to the root of seamless experience

When it comes to supporting the back end of omnichannel retailing, the Bon-Ton Stores Inc. digs deeper than supply chain.

Bon-Ton has selected the end-user experience monitoring (EUM) solution from Catchpoint Systems, a digital performance analytics company, to help optimize the company’s digital customer experience. Specifically, the retailer will use Catchpoint’s Synthetic (Active) Monitoring solution to ensure that its e-commerce website and mobile site deliver consistently high performance, and to find and fix issues before they impact consumers.
CVS Health debuts across Oregon through Target

Oregon, a new market for CVS Health, is the latest market where Target pharmacies have been successfully transitioned to CVS Health, the Rhode Island pharmacy operator announced Wednesday. The new CVS pharmacies, located in several metropolitan areas, including Portland, Eugene and Medford, are being operated through a store-within-a-store format.
Study: The ins and outs of online shopping

E-commerce is generally popular with consumers, but some offerings are better received than others.

According to the Walker Sands 2016 Future of Retail Study, based on a survey of more than 1,400 U.S. respondents, most consumers shop online with some level of frequency. Forty percent shop online once or more a month, 21% one- to two-times a week, and 7% three or more times a week. This means that about two-thirds (68%) shop online at least monthly, while only 4% shop online one- to three-times a year.
Target shareholders vote on directors, exec compensation

Investors in Target Corp. decided on several important issues at the retailer’s 2016 annual meeting.

Shareholders elected 14 members of the board of directors, ratified the appointment of Target’s independent registered public accounting firm, approved proposal on compensation for executives and rejected one shareholder proposal.
NRF lauds Congress for overtime hearing

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is pleased so far with how many members of the House and Senate have reacted to the proposed new Labor Department rule that would expand overtime eligibility for employees.

David French, senior VP for government relations, NRF, released the following statement on the hearing by the House Education and Workforce Committee on the proposed rule:
UPS: Online shoppers shift purchase habits

Bob Dylan sang “The Times They Are A Changin’” more than 50 years ago, but the sentiment is very current in the world of digital commerce.
Another retail CFO moves on

Another day, another finance chief at a well-known retailer is leaving.

Jane Hamilton Nielsen, CFO at Coach Inc., will be departing the company to pursue another opportunity. In order to facilitate a smooth transition, Nielsen is expected to stay into August 2016. The company is commencing a search for her permanent successor with Crist Kolder Associates. Andrea Shaw Resnick, global head of investor relations and corporate communications, will be appointed interim CFO until a permanent appointment is made.
Study: What grocers satisfy customers the most (and least)?

When it comes to customer experience, not all grocery chains are created equal.

According to the new Customer Quotient (CQ) survey from global customer intelligence agency C Space, Trader Joe’s is the most customer-centric grocer. Conversely, Shaw’s scored the lowest of 27 options.
KTGY aids South Bay Pavilion expansion

The SouthBay Pavilion Center in Carson, California, is getting a little bigger.

KTGY Architecture + Planning has unveiled the design for Vintage Real Estate’s retailer expansion at SouthBay Pavilion, a 1.2 million-sq.-ft. enclosed shopping center. KTGY adapted Forever 21’s F21 RED brand for the new SouthBay Pavilion store, which includes large floor-to-ceiling display window boxes, textured wall treatments and red metal panels.