News

&pizza receives $10 million in funding
Washington, D.C. – Regional pizza chain &pizza may not have the recognition or reach of its larger competitors, bur the company is taking a step in that direction with a $10 million investment for growth and expansion. The company plans to leverage the investment, along with the investors' experience in branded consumer retail, for expansion of its stores in key markets.

Currently, &pizza operates nine locations in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, with six more slated to open in the first half of 2015.
Walgreens.com to offer patients drug 'reviews'
As the popularity of online reviews continues to increase among shoppers, Walgreens announced it is working with a Yelp-like website to make it easier for patients to read reviews about the medications they take.

Now, anyone researching a medication or filling a prescription on Walgreens.com can access a simple snapshot that shows how their prescribed medication has impacted other patients on the therapy, including medication side effects, as reported by PatientsLikeMe members.

The human side of omnichannel retailing

Omnichannel commerce is exposing organizations as "legacy channel impaired." Customers don’t talk about and don’t care about channels. Customers care about engagement, information, value, product and service. Channels are a frame we’ve used to organize around and operate in an increasingly disruptive environment. What started as a fear of cannibalization has evolved into an opportunity for augmentation, as digital and physical convergence accelerates across categories and formats.
Bond Brand Loyalty launches CPG mobile loyalty app

New York – Loyalty brand agency Bond Brand Loyalty, a Maritz company, has launched SynapzeSHOP, a new consumer mobile loyalty solution for CPG brands. With SynapzeSHOP, brands can offer consumers a personalized, branded mobile loyalty and rewards experience.
Report: Ann Inc. working with JPMorgan on sale

New York – Ann Inc., parent of Ann Taylor and Loft. is reportedly working with financial firm JPMorgan Chase & Co. on a potential sale. According to Bloomberg, the $1.6 billion Ann Inc. has spoken with other retail chains and at least two buyout firms and a private equity firm.
Finish Line adds two-store Striders to its Running Specialty Group unit

Denver - The Finish Line’s Running Specialty Group (RSG) division, which operates 70 stores, is adding the two-store, Utah-based Striders running company to its national network.

RSG operates in 16 states and the District of Columbia under a variety of banners.

Striders was founded in 2004 by John and Kristin Wojciechowski, who will now join RSG in senior advisory roles and will focus on developing community initiatives to enhance the customer experience.
Nordstrom wins with customers, not Street, in Q4

Nordstrom is doing all the right things when it comes to store traffic, e-commerce and customer service, but it wasn’t enough for Wall Street in the fourth quarter.

Nordstrom’s same store sales grew 4.7% in the fourth quarter; online sales grew to now represent 40% of the store’s business. And just this month the company was ranked No. 1 in the United States in terms of customer service, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Belk omnichannel Santa promotion a big success

Charlotte, N.C. – Nothing succeeds like success, and 300-plus-store department store chain Belk Inc. took a previously successful TV holiday campaign and modernized it for the omnichannel era, with impressive results.
Report: RadioShack cleared to sell 1,100 store leases

RadioShack has received court approval for its plan to sell the leases to more than 1,100 stores that it will close by the end of February, according to Reuters.
Survey: Retailers using mobile POS to grow 300%

Nearly 300% more retailers plan to use mobile POS in the next two years, according to a special report by Boston Retail Partners (BRP).

The study, “Mobile Technology – Transforming the Customer Experience,” forecasts that the use of mobile technology for other customer-facing activities in retail will also dramatically grow in the next two years. For example, approximately 200% more retailers plan to use geolocation within three years. And 350% more retailers plan to support NFC payments by October 2015.