News

Contact-free payment speeds up checkout at discount grocer
Aldi is making it easier for customers to pay for purchases. The fast-growing deep-discount grocer now accepts all forms of contactless payment, including Apple Pay, Google Wallet and Android Pay. All options are available across Aldi’s nearly 1,700 stores nationwide. Shoppers can pay for their groceries by tapping their contactless-enabled bank card, smartphone or other wearable device on a dedicated payment terminal.
Furniture e-retailer extends AR shopping app
Wayfair now allows Apple iOS 11 users to visualize 3D furniture and décor in their home before they buy it. The furniture e-retailer’s “View in Room 3D” app is now available on Apple’s on iOS 11 platform. Supported by Apple’s ARKit augmented reality technology, the app is now accessible on iPhones and iPads.

ICSC: Omnichannel shoppers to rule this holiday

Nearly all shoppers will be shopping a variety of channels this holiday season. Ninety-six percent of shoppers plan to make a purchase from a retailer who has both a physical and an online presence, with 40% of them buying online and picking up in-store, according to a report by the International Council of Shopping Centers. And 81% of those shoppers plan to make additional purchases when collecting their item(s).
Grocery giant to buy meal-kit company

Albertsons Cos. has become the first national grocery retailer to acquire a prepared-meals company. The nation's second largest supermarket chain is acquiring online meal company Plated in a deal that is expected to close later this month. The move taps into Americans' growing demand for meal delivery services and also shores up Albertsons' defenses against Amazon, which has become a key player in grocery with its acquisition of Whole Foods Market.
Amazon to embark on Big Apple hiring spree

Amazon is about to put down some new roots in New York City — and is hunting for new employees to support the operation.
The top fast-fashion brands that are killing it on social media are…

Visual content has made H&M, Topshop/Topman Forever21 the most successful social media brands in the competitive fast-fashion industry. This was according to data from visual content performance platform ShareIQ. The analysis digs into the data for the first three quarters of 2017 among the top brands in the fast-fashion category in the United States: H&M, Forever21, Uniqlo, Gap, Old Navy, Topshop/Topman, Zara, Mango and American Apparel.
Discounter ups mobile game with in-store location technology

Target Corp. is making it easier for customers to find their way around its stores — and to quickly find what they are looking for. The chain is integrating beacon and Bluetooth technology into its mobile app. It will show the shopper’s location in real-time on the app's map as they move about the store, and display nearby Cartwheel deals. Shoppers will also be able to find an item on the map through their digital shopping list.
Food and bed highlight OKC center’s expansion

Three restaurants and a hotel claimed four of the seven new out-parcels The Market at Czech Hall in Oklahoma City. Developer GBT Realty announced that Hooters, Arby’s, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, and Sleep Inn have signed leases at the 160,000-sq.-ft. “regional neighborhood center” on Interstate 40.
How retailers can recoup funds with CAM Audits

The continued popularity and development of town centers and lifestyle centers have made it clear that retailers can no longer go it alone. They must co-exist in a symbiotic live-work-play environment, and that means they must also co-exist with the different demands and cost structures of residential and office spaces.
Home furnishings giant expanding out West

Ikea is looking to expand its presence in Arizona. The home furnishings retailer plans to open a store in Glendale, Arizona. It would be the company's second location in the state.