News

PayPal and Samsung have collaborated to make Samsung Galaxy S5 users the first to be able to log in and shop at any merchant that accepts PayPal on mobile and in-stores using their fingerprint.

The new biometric feature means Galaxy S5 users will no longer need to remember passwords or login details. PayPal is touting itself as the first global payments company to support Samsung’s mobile fingerprint authentication technology.

Walmart is awarding $1.75 million in grants from the Walmart Foundation to three of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Urban League (NUL) and United Negro College Fund (UNCF).

Tuesday Morning, a leading closeout retailer with 819 stores across the United States, has appointed Douglas B. Sullivan as SVP for real estate and Michael J. Jones as SVP and chief information officer.

Most recently, Sullivan served as EVP for development at Michaels, where he led the company's real estate strategy development and rollout.  

New York -- G Asset Management, LLC ("GAM"), a private investment management firm, has made a proposal to acquire 51% of Barnes & Noble Inc., valuing the company at $22 per share, or about $1.3 billion. This is a 10% increase on the $20 per share offer G Asset made for 51% of Barnes & Noble in November 2013.

By Hedgie Bartol, Business Development Manager Retail, Axis Communications

Fort Myers, Fla. – Chico’s FAS Inc. is reportedly building a mobile shopping app for the iOS and Android platforms. According to the Wall Street Journal, the app will integrate with iBeacon location sensors on shelves.

This app, currently in pilot testing, would reportedly use iBeacons to notify customers who have opted in when they are near items that fit their purchase history. Associates would then use iPads to update the customer’s history.

Minneapolis – Tile Shop Holdings Inc. swung from a net loss to profit during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, but still reported a net loss for the full fiscal year. During the fourth quarter, Tile Shop reported net earnings of $1.4 million compared to a net loss of $35.8 million to the same period a year earlier.

San Francisco -- Banana Republic is releasing an omni-channel spring 2014 marketing campaign called “True Outfitters” in March 2014. Styled by Jessica Diehl and shot by Mikael Jansson, the campaign was developed with Laird+Partners, Banana Republic's advertising agency.

The campaign will appear in March and April publications, supplemented by outdoor, online and direct mail. Digital portions include a dedicated website and a special YouTube event on March 2.

Woonsocket, R.I. – CVS MinuteClinic will switch to the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) called EpicCare. MinuteClinic currently uses its own proprietary EMR.

EpicCare will support MinuteClinic's evidence-based model of care and facilitate connectivity with health care providers nationwide that currently use Epic, including many major health systems, hospital networks and physician groups currently affiliated with MinuteClinic. MinuteClinic's full deployment of EpicCare is expected to take 18 months.