News

There were a lot of developments in the world of data security last week with a judge agreeing to consolidate lawsuits related to the Target data breach in a Minnesota court, more hearings in Washington, D.C. and troubling research about consumers sharing personal data on public Wi-Fi.

The shift toward electronic payments has had the unintended consequence of hindering shoppers’ ability to donate to charitable causes at the point of sale, but not anymore.

Third party logistics provider XPO Logistics completed its acquisition of Pacer International making it the largest provider of cross-border intermodal services with Mexico.

New York -- Consumers worldwide are increasingly using multi-platform devices, especially mobile, to enhance their in-store shopping experience, according to a study by global digital and technology agency DigitasLBi.

In the study, "Connected Commerce: A Snapshot of the Modern Shopper,” 71% of Americans say that using a mobile phone while shopping inside a store could affect their buying decisions.

Houston -- Mattress Firm Holding Corp. announced it has completed its acquisition of the outstanding partnership interests in Sleep Experts Partners.

With the acquisition, Mattress Firm expects to operate an additional 55 stores in the Dallas and Austin markets, two of Mattress Firm’s core markets.

Mattress Firm operates 1,400 stores across 33 states.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples is letting the public help determine the top three winners of its “Make Your Idea Happen” contest, which allowed entrepreneurs to share their ideas for a chance to receive all the products they need to bring their business to life. The retailer received more than 16,000 entries online and via Facebook.

The contest was announced in early January, and entrants were asked to submit a 100 word or less overview of their idea. Staples narrowed the submissions down to 10 finalists.

San Jose, Calif. -- VeriFone Systems announced today that five devices in its PAYware Mobile line of EMV- enabled mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) devices have been approved by the Visa Ready Program. The program is designed to ensure that devices, software and solutions used to initiate or accept Visa payments are compatible with Visa’s requirements.
 
By adopting PAYware Mobile devices that are Visa Ready approved, merchants enjoy the benefits of secure electronic payment acceptance from virtually any location.
 

Mountain View, Calif. -- IndoorAtlas Is releasing an indoor mapping application for the Apple iOS mobile operating system and licensing it to retailers. The software-only solution can provide accuracy within six feet inside any building without additional hardware. I

By Shelley E. Kohan, VP, retail consulting, RetailNext; instructor, Fashion Institute of Technology

Consumer confidence is 10 points higher than this time last year. Spring weather forecasts show April will be warmer than average for many areas. So, how can retailers optimize sales during this season? Learning from last year’s data and trends is a great place to start.

Deerfield, Ill. - Walgreens had March 2014 sales of $6.43 billion, an increase of 4.5% from $6.16 billion for the same month in fiscal 2013.

Same-store sales increased by 3.5% in March. Calendar day shifts positively impacted total same-store sales by 0.6%.