News

XRC Labs: Designing the future of retail innovation
Free flowing venture capital dollars in the digital age have made business incubators and accelerators commonplace, but until now the retail and consumer packaged goods industry didn’t have one it could call its own.
NRF: Facebook ranks No. 1 for retail sales
While paid search and email marketing still top retailers’ lists of effective customer acquisition channels, social media has moved up the ranks to become an important tool for engaging with and attracting new customers.

Jet rolling on $20 billion runway

Boasting a proprietary dynamic pricing algorithm, the new online shopping club Jet.com officially launched on July 21 with plans to reach a lofty sales milestone faster than other retailer.
Meijer surveys back-to-school shoppers

With back-to-school shopping on the horizon, parents are looking to get their shopping started early in the hope of getting the best deals, according to Meijer’s customer survey.
A&P store sell-off begins

Quincy, Mass. – The sell-off of stores from the newly bankrupt Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) has begun. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC has entered into an agreement with A&P to acquire 25 A&P stores in greater New York for $146 million.
Report: eBay makes acquisition after PayPal split

San Jose, Calif. – eBay Inc. is not wasting any time in moving on now that its long-anticipated split with PayPal Inc. is official. According to MarketWatch, eBay has acquired online consignment apparel retailer Twice, and will not maintain the Twice brand.
Amazon competitor prepares for Tuesday takeoff

Hoboken, N.J. – The countdown is on for the latest competitor to Amazon.com to take off. Jet.com, which hopes to compete with the Amazon Prime membership service using “profit-free” pricing, has an online clock on its homepage counting down to launch at 6 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 21.
Oracle focuses on agility with retail cloud offering

Redwood Shores, Calif. – Oracle is focusing squarely on retail agility with the latest additions to its comprehensive set of retail cloud solutions. The new Oracle Retail Science Cloud Services and Oracle Retail Insights Cloud Services offer cloud-based access to Big Data analysis and expertise, scaled for retailers of all sizes.
Tech Bytes: Three Lessons from Amazon Prime Day

Now that the dust is clearing from the Amazon Prime Day sales “holiday,” we can take a look back at this unique retail event, which livened up the typical lull of mid-summer. Let’s review three initial lessons the retail industry can learn from what some observers called the “summer Black Friday.”

Every Day can be a Holiday
TreeHouse, Austin, Texas

TreeHouse is a first-of-its-kind home improvement store. Specializing in curated products and services that promote healthy and sustainable spaces, the 25,000-sq.-ft. eco-friendly space is a hub for everything tied to smart, thoughtful building.

TreeHouse is airy and inviting, with skylights and an open feel. There are lots of displays, product vignettes and graphics that explain how things work and tout the benefits of non-toxic paint and the like.
Taylor Swift picks Chinese e-commerce partner – it’s not Alibaba

Beijing – Pop star Taylor Swift has selected a Chinese e-commerce partner – and it isn’t Alibaba. Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com will be the first authorized seller of Taylor Swift merchandise in China.

The new JD.com store will be the official online source of Taylor Swift items, including a new fashion line the music superstar designed specifically for the Chinese market.
Harry & David selects PR firm

New York - Harry & David has selected MWW Public Relations to serve as its official public relations agency. To help drive Harry & David's brand relevance among target consumers, MWWPR is charged with developing and implementing a strategic communication plan that focuses on media and influencer engagement and strengthening Harry & David as a household name.