News

Over the last decade, U.S. airport in-terminal dining and retail programs have begun a transformation. As passengers’ time spent within terminals has increased, the demand for enhanced airport in-terminal experiences has equally increased. In turn, the state and local governments that own and operate all commercial service U.S. airports have shifted their retail and dining programs from generic offerings with minimal services to programs with a wide variety of specialty retail and dining brands, innovative technology and upscale amenities to respond to the new consumer expectations.

Amazon’s new “Wish List” deal with Twitter continues the evolution of Twitter from a channel for passive promotion to a channel for interactive customer engagement. By allowing consumers to directly add items they see in tweets to their Amazon Wish Lists without leaving Twitter, the arrangement both turns Twitter into an active platform for peer-to-peer, unpaid marketing and also helps keep Twitter users on Twitter for longer periods of time by extending its functionality.

Louisville – Convenience chain Thorntons Inc. has implemented the Paytronix Loyalty Platform to support its new Refreshing Rewards customer loyalty program across 174 locations. Leveraging the Paytronix loyalty engine enabled the c-store chain to quickly test a variety of elements in a secure, market-focused pilot program and then rapidly roll out the program to all its stores.

Matthews, N.C. – Family Dollar Stores Inc. launches its “Ad Match Promise” program on Sept. 30. When presented with a local competitor’s printed advertisement, Family Dollar stores will match the competitor’s price.

Newgistics, a leading provider of end-to-end e-commerce solutions for top retailers and brands, is making it easier for U.S. retailers to access the largest markets overseas — including the U.K., Europe, Asia, Australia, Russia, China and South America — by expanding its parcel delivery and return services and reducing the costs of cross-border delivery.

Key features of Newgistics’ international solution include:
Delivery to 34 key global markets with plans for future expansion
Full end-to-end tracking

Lakewood, Colo. -- Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, whose banners include Einstein Bros., Bagels, Noah's New York Bagels, and Manhattan Bagel brands, has agreed to be acquired by JAB Holding Company for approximately $374 million.

The agreement, unanimously approved by Einstein Noah Restaurant Group’s directors, represents a premium of approximately 47% over Einstein Noah’s 30-day average trading price.

HoneyBaked is wasting no time in preparing for the holiday season by adding more than 10,000 part-time employees to its current workforce — a 600% total increase in its workforce across 400 stores nationwide.

Plug and Play brings together retailers and start-ups who offer specific technology and expertise that can relieve merchants’ pain points. Customer Disruption highlights one of those start-ups in each issue with a brief Q&A. This issue, the spotlight is on George Ruan, CEO of Honey.

What does Honey do?