News

Specialty retailer Cost Plus World Market and digital retailer Shutterfly are teaming up for an omnichannel Mother’s Day promotion any mom would love.

Kroger is moving ahead with its strategic plan for 2015 by closing and rebranding some of its Harris Teeter stores in Tennessee, according to the Nashville Tennessean.

The four Harris Teeter stores owned and operated by the Kroger Co. in the Nashville, Tenn., area will be closing on or before June 15, the newspaper reports. Three of the stores will re-open, but under the Kroger banner. This is the first time the Kroger Co. has switched banners on a Harris Teeter store.

San Francisco — Omnichannel solutions provider RichRelevance has hired Mahesh Tyagarajan, a former WalmartLabs executive, to serve as its chief product officer.
 

By Ken Nisch

The evolution of shopping based on the consumer mindset that is reflective of the past and targeted for the future can be described as a “Digital Ecosystem.” Much like the proverbial iceberg, this ecosystem has most of the system existing before the consumer “waterline.” Above this waterline exist the elements for which we are most accepting; such as mobile and tablet interface, kiosks across applications ranging from the ATM, to the calling of an Uber cab street side.

Providing an omnichannel customer experience is one of the most rewarding and challenging efforts a retailer can undertake. I recently spoke with David Stover, global head of business-to-consumer omnichannel solution management for Hybris, about some of the benefits and difficulties operating in the omnichannel space presents retailers.

Store Enablement is Harder than it Looks
According to Stover, store enablement represents the “last foot” of retail.

Seattle - Amazon.com Inc. has expanded Prime Now service to Atlanta. The expedited delivery service, offered exclusively as a benefit to Prime members, provides one-hour delivery on tens of thousands of items through a mobile app.

Seattle - Nordstrom has implemented new Oracle Retail Merchandise Operations Management and Oracle Retail Store Inventory Management solutions to support its expansion in Canada. The retailer plans to roll out the latest releases of these Oracle Retail solutions companywide to support its Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores.

New York – Lane Bryant is launching its #ImNoAngel omnichannel spring campaign Monday, April 6. The #ImNoAngel campaign, conceptualized by creative agency- Laird+Partners, kicks off with a series of TV advertisements and photographs taken by photographer Cass Bird.

The comprehensive national advertising campaign will feature Bird's images and video across Lane Bryant's stores and social media channels, as well as on billboards, public transportation (including on buses and subways), television and in print.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart is launching the spring “Fight Hunger. Spark Change” campaign, a nationwide initiative inviting the public to take action in the fight against hunger. Working with food companies including Campbell’s, ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Kraft, and Unilever, Wal-Mart aims to donate up to $3 million to Feeding America based on customer participation in the #WeSparkChange social media challenge.

Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded its 2015 Energy Star Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence Award to Kohl’s Department Stores and Staples in recognition of the companies’ continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency initiatives.