News

Inside look at Walmart’s store of the future
Watch out Target — Walmart is also looking to reinvent its store experience.

Walmart is testing an array of new initiatives, from sleeker fixtures and signs to a cool BBQ eatery to a giant kiosk for online order pick-up — at a new store in Arkansas, according to TheStreet.
Study: Consumers want personalization, but most companies not on board
Customers know what prompts them to make purchases, but the companies doing the selling may not be aware.

A global, cross-industry study released by technology services provider Mindtree, “Winning in the Age of Personalization,” shows that 78% of consumers indicate that personalized promotions encourage them to buy products and services they have purchased before. Almost as many (74%) say personalized promotions encourage them buy relevant products and services they have never purchased.

Home furnishings retailer entering new state

West Elm will open its first Idaho store, in downtown Boise, on Thursday, June 9.

The 14,158-sq.-ft. -store incorporated wooden “Tater Blocks” salvaged from the renovation of Simplot’s Caldwell-based potato storage facility into the store’s custom interior design. The blocks, once used as industrial flooring for potato storage facilities, have been repurposed to create a unique art installation at the new store.
Hip European brand expanding in U.S.

Photo by Ola Wilk/Wilk Marketing Communications

Liebeskind Berlin, a trendy leather accessories and fashion brand from Germany, has opened a second location in the United States.
The Store of Today

Thank you for your interest! To download the report, click here.
Five Below goes above expectations in Q1; plans 85 new stores

Specialty retailer Five Below Inc. beat Wall Street projections for earnings and same-store sales in a hot first quarter of fiscal 2016.

Net income was $6.8 million, up 58% from $4.3 million the same quarter a year earlier. Higher gross profit and lower expenses boosted profit. Net sales rose 25% to $192.7 million, from $153.7 million. And the company reported same-store sales growth of 4.9%.
May same-store sales fizzle

With a couple of exceptions, May same-store sales figures reported by several major apparel, specialty and discount chains were less than impressive.

First the good news. Bath & Body Works reported a 3% same-store sales lift for May 2016 compared to the same month a year earlier. Same-store sales at Costco Wholesale Corp. and L Brands were flat, which may not sound that encouraging but was better than most other retailers reporting figures for the month.

Here is a roundup of other chains reporting negative same-store sales growth for the month.
Walmart finds interesting use for drones

Drones are getting a lot of attention as a means of delivering products to customers. However, Walmart is reportedly testing the applicability of drones a little further back in the supply chain.
Interactive store map? Yeah, Staples got that

Staples is bringing the mobile and in-store shopping experiences a little closer together.

The office products giant is releasing a new interactive store map feature on its iPhone app. Currently, the offering is being piloted at 83 select stores across New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and the Seattle area.
Regional grocer improves customer experience with automation

By removing manual effort from the checkout and cash management processes in stores, Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based supermarket chain Weis Markets Inc. is making shopping easier.

Weis Markets has signed an agreement with Balance Innovations to provide its vbScout self-checkout management solution in all stores offering self-checkout, as well as VeriBalance currency management software and vbInSight corporate reporting software in all 162 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and West Virginia.
Study: In-store pickup has room for improvement

Retailers are fairly good about making sure buy online pickup in store (BOPIS) orders are ready in a timely manner, but lacking in other aspects.

According to a new mystery shopping study of the BOPIS offerings of 30 major retailers from omnichannel commerce platform Kibo, the e-tailing group and Multichannel Merchant, “Unified Commerce and the Customer Experience,” 75% of retailers evaluated had orders ready for pickup within 24 hours.
NRF asks for PCI DSS inquiry

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct an investigation into an organization founded by the credit card industry that sets data security standards.

According to a letter from NRF senior VP and general counsel Mallory Duncan to FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez, the practices of the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI DSS) raise antitrust concerns.