News

Microsoft’s new HoloLens looks to up customer experience with holograms
Redmond, Wash. – As part of its Windows 10 OS announcement earlier this week, Microsoft Corp. revealed it will be releasing a new holographic computer system called HoloLens that may offer retailers some interesting new ways to deliver an enhanced, seamless customer experience. HoloLens features see-through, holographic, high-definition lenses and spatial sound so users can see and hear holograms in the physical world around them.
Target cooks up a coffee range with Batali
Target already has famous TV chef GIada De Laurentis selling her products on its shelves, but the retailer is teaming up with another celebrity foodie for a new product line.

The company said it is launching a Mario Batali coffee range. Caffé Italiano, a collection of Italian-style coffees, will sell at select Target stores nationwide and online at www.target.com. The coffee is a product of a unique collaboration between Batali and Todd Carmichael, founder and CEO of La Colombe, world-renowned specialty coffee roaster.

New Balance and Berkshire Partners form new entity to buy Rockport

Canton, Mass. -- Athletic-shoe maker New Balance has teamed up with private-equity firm Berkshire Partners LLC to acquire The Rockport Company from the Adidas Group for $280 million.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

As part of the deal, New Balance affiliate Drydock Footwear LLC, whose brands include Cobb Hill, Aravon and Dunham, will join with The Rockport Co. to create The Rockport Group.
Macy’s outgrows California omnichannel facility

Macy’s plans to quadruple the size of a central California distribution facility that has played a key role in the execution of the retailer’s omnichannel strategy.

The company plans to relocate its West Sacramento, Calif., direct-to-consumer fulfillment center to a larger facility in a nearby location in Sacramento County to support continued sales growth driven by Macy's omnichannel strategy.
Cumberland Farms runs Facebook SmartPay promo

Framingham, Mass. – To celebrate the two-year anniversary of its SmartPay Check-Link mobile and card payment program, convenience chain Cumberland Farms is launching a promotion on its Facebook page Jan. 23-25. To enter, customers must calculate their projected 2015 coffee savings using Cumberland Farms' Coffee Savings Calculator, and post them as a comment on the Cumberland Farms page.

Twenty winners will be announced in the comments and will receive a $20 gift card to their local Cumberland Farms.
J. Crew CEO to leave Apple board

Cupertino, Calif. – Mickey Drexler, chairman and CEO of J. Crew and former CEO and president of Gap Inc., is retiring from the board of directors of Apple Inc. as of March 2015. Apple disclosed the impending retirement in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Drexler has served on the Apple board since 1999 and is currently its longest-tenured member. No replacement has been announced. Drexler was initially recruited to the Apple board to help the company, which opened its first store in 2001, create a retail strategy.
Wawa rewards customers with new app

Fans of Wawa may be excited to learn about the innovative new programs the convenience retail chain has rolled out.

The new initiatives -- the Wawa Mobile App and the Wawa Rewards program -- are now available for free through the App Store for Apple devices and through Google Play for Android devices.
NRF: Super Bowl spending on the rise

Washington, D.C. – An estimated 184 million viewers will watch Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, Feb. 1. According to NRF’s Super Bowl Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, average viewer spending will reach a survey high of $77.88, up from $68.27 in 2013.

Total spending is expected to reach $14.3 billion. Young adults ages 18-24 plan on spending an average of $95.92; those ages 25-34 and 35-44, however, will spend slightly more at an average of $101.54 and $102.82, respectively.
Retailers favored in Patriots, Seahawks Super Bowl matchup

A big game bonanza is in store for retailers, with television viewership and entertainment related spending expected to hit record levels, according to a National Retail Federation survey.

According to NRF, average viewer spending will reach a survey high of $77.88, up from $68.27 last year, with fans planning to splurge on everything from game day food and new televisions to athletic wear and decorations. Total spending is expected to reach $14.3 billion.
Consumers’ favorite fashion retailer is…

Louisville, Colo. -- Nordstrom ranked as consumers’ favorite fashion retailer for the third consecutive year, followed by Kohl’s, T.J. Maxx, Macy’s and Dillard’s. That’s according to a study by Market Force Information, a provider of customer intelligence solutions.