News

North Face enhancing in-store experience with virtual reality
New York -- Outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear retailer The North Face has collaborated with Jaunt, which provides virtual reality (VF) hardware and software, on an immersive VR in-store experience designed to boost customers’ connection to the outdoors.

The attraction arrived in select North Face locations beginning in March in Chicago, and is now being rolled out to the company’s store in Manhattan. It transports viewers to Yosemite National Park and Moab, Utah, alongside North Face global athletes Cedar Wright and Sam Elias.
Session Spotlight: Roofing
The differences in available roof materials, insulation and installation took center stage at the SPECS session, “Under Roof: Advanced Roofing Design, Practices and Management A to Z.”

The speakers, Richard Justinn and Thomas J Taylor, from GAF Materials, also discussed roofing trends and strategies for selecting the right manufacturer and contractor.

In choosing a manufacturer, the speakers said the considerations should include:

GIVE ME LIBERTY

Liberty Center is Greater Cincinnati’s something-for-everyone development

There are mixed-use developments, town centers, and then there are PLACES, and Liberty Center is being designed to be just that when it brings 1.2 million sq. ft. of retail, restaurant, offices, residences, a hotel and three parks — including one inside the enclosed mall — to a young and affluent area of North Cincinnati.

Liberty Center, opening Oct.
AN INTIMATE OCCASION

David’s Bridal gets personal with advanced digital analytics

There are few events more personal in a woman’s life than her wedding.
Stop & Shop to turn food waste into energy

Quincy, Mass. -- Stop & Shop has broken ground on the company’s first anaerobic digester at its distribution center in Freetown, Massachusetts. The state-of-the-art digester will turn food scraps into clean energy.

As part of its sustainability efforts, Stop & Shop plans to donate and divert as much food waste and unsold food as possible to regional food banks and farms. But food that cannot be donated will be sent to the digester. The supermarket retailer has set a long-term goal to divert 90% of waste going to landfills.
Sustainability

Doughnuts may be required to spend some time in the proofer, but when it comes to sustainability, the proof is in the doughnuts, at least those that are served at a growing number of Dunkin’ Donuts 18,000-plus locations.

The rise of Dunkin’ Brands sustainability initiative was presented by the company’s senior director of global design and construction services, John Herth, and director of corporate responsibility, Christine Riley Miller, at the SPECS session, “Sustainability the Dunkin’ Brands Way.”

At the end of 2014, the company launched Dunkin’ Donuts (DD) Green Achiev
STEELPOINTE HARBOR

The largest economic development project in Bridgeport, Connecticut, since the Industrial Revolution

Steelpointe Harbor in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is that city’s largest economic development project since the Industrial Revolution. Don’t believe it?
PROMISE FULFILLED

Front-end omnichannel success relies on back-end fulfillment

The front-end promise of omnichannel retail cannot be delivered without investment in back-end technology and processes that allow fulfillment of orders across multiple channels. Retailers must eliminate internal silos and obtain real-time awareness of their full inventory.

Omnichannel fulfillment is a difficult, but not impossible, task.
Tech Guest Viewpoint: Five Things to Consider for SKU Onboarding

By Mihir Kittur, co-founder and chief innovation officer, Ugam

2015 is seeing enormous growth in the number of product SKUs listed online, and e-commerce and content managers will be tasked with the rapid onboarding of those SKUs. However, adding SKUs alone won’t be enough; they also need to have the right assortment and the right price and deliver a better shopper experience.
Bi-Lo strategy gets a digital makeover

Bi-Lo Holdings wants to tap into its shoppers’ digital lifestyles with a 360-degree mobile app and website experience that delivers personalized coupons based customer shopping habits.