News

What technology do retail employees use to communicate?
Retail employees are using mobile communication technology in their jobs, but a more established channel is still most popular.

According to a study of 500 professionals within a variety of industries including retail from Infinite Convergence Solutions, 57% of retail employees use email most frequently for business communication. This made email significantly more popular than mobile messaging; (24%) or voice calling (19%).
Tech Bytes: Three Modern Strategies for Product Discovery
Enabling consumer product discovery in the omnichannel age is not a simple or easy matter. Having merchandise available and visible on store shelves is no longer sufficient. Meanwhile, products consumers see on e-commerce sites are mostly determined by prior behavior or their search choices. Furthermore, it is hard to serve effective digital promotions on the mobile screens consumers are increasingly using to shop.

Wayfair to hire 450 for Texas service center

Wayfair is opening a new customer service center in Texas as it scales operations to service its rapidly growing customer base.

“Wayfair’s steadfast commitment to exceptional customer service has helped fuel the incredible growth of our business as more people discover a new and better way to shop for home furnishings,” said James Savarese, COO, Wayfair. “We look forward to expanding our operations to the Bryan-College Station area as we welcome new talent to our world-class customer service team.”
Amazon increases free shipping minimum to $49

Amazon hasquietlyraised its minimum free shipping for non-Prime members from $35 to $49, according to anupdateon the company's website.
What categories capture mobile consumers?

Shoppers on the go show distinct preferences in the types of products they engage with.

According to a study of 10,000 U.S. websites across 24 categories by website/mobile analytics provider SimilarWeb, cosmetics sites such as Ulta (76% of online visits from mobile devices) and Sephora (69% mobile share), have helped the beauty and fitness sector achieve a market-leading 67.25% share of all its visits via mobile phones, in comparison to desktop visits.
MasterCard, Visa bring payment to the consumer

MasterCard and Visa are both intent on letting customers pay anyway, anyhow anywhere they choose.

Both of the major financial services providers are releasing new Internet of Things (IoT)- and mobile-enabled payment solutions that will allow consumers to shop from an increasing number of locations, using a variety of touchpoints, with greater security.
Report: Whole Foods launches enhanced app with coupons

In addition to opening a new (and cheaper) store format, Whole Foods is offering shoppers more ways to save by quietly launching an enhanced mobile app nationwide this month.

According to the Motley Fool, the retailer also plans to introduce a digital version of its paper sales flier later this year.

Read more by clicking here.
Here’s what consumers think about CVS’ ban on tobacco products

CVS Health's decision to stop selling cigarettes is having its intended impact - 52% of those consumers who used to buy their cigarettes from CVS say it is now harder to buy cigarettes altogether, according to a survey commissioned by V2, a manufacturer of electronic cigarette and vaporizer products. Out of that group, 73% called the impact manageable, stating that “buying cigarettes is now harder but I have other options” and 27% said it made buying them “much harder.”
O2, London and Manchester

Digital exploration and the customer experience are at the heart of two new concept stores from wireless carrier O2.

The stores were designed to revolutionize the look and feel of a traditional mobile phone shop and provide a destination for people to not just buy a phone, but to learn about the latest technology.
Startups Spotlight: Brands on the Rise

January is a tech bonanza for retail, with interesting, innovative and sometimes downright out-there new technologies and brands on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and the National Retail Federation’s Big Show in New York City. It’s nearly impossible to keep track of every startup out there, but here’s a selection of the most promising ventures that should be on your radar.

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Learning to love mobile in age of enterprise apps

A disconnect between brick-and-mortar retailers and their mobile strategies could be hurting sales.
Instacart exec talks online delivery

Retailing Today's sister publication Chain Store Age recently spoke with Vishwa Chandra, VP of retail accounts for Instacart, to get a better sense of the current and future state of online delivery.

What is driving growing consumer interest in online delivery?