News

By Jill Puler, [email protected]

For retailers, brands and marketers, the millennials have created quite the conundrum. This segment makes up a large part of the consuming world — around 95 million consumers in the U.S. alone. And with $1.7 billion in spending muscle to flex, their influence is only going to increase as the years roll by. By 2030, they will outnumber the vaunted baby boomers by more than 20 million.

New York -- A report released Monday at Retail’s BIG Show in New York City by Shop.org and Forrester Research found that as shoppers become increasingly connected, online retailers in 2013 will get back to basics, focusing on strategies and tactics to improve the customer experience and increase web conversion and loyalty across all devices.

New York -- MID Retail Inc. announced Monday that discount fashion retailer Loehmann’s has selected its Advanced Merchandise Planning and Advanced Allocation software to forecast store-level demand, accurately generate buying plans, and intelligently manage the flow of merchandise to retail stores.

New York -- The National Retail Federation's 102nd Annual Convention & Expo, also referred to as Retail's BIG Show, opened on Sunday, with more than 27,000 attendees from more than 70 countries around the globe. The event, taking place at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, runs through Jan. 15.

RACINE, Wis. — SC Johnson, a leader in sustainability, has received the Renewable Energy Customer-Generator of the Year award from Renew Wisconsin.

Renew Wisconsin is an independent nonprofit organization that leads and represents businesses, organizations and individuals who want cleaner, renewable energy in the state. It recognized SC Johnon for its achievements in using renewable energy in its global manufacturing operations.

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. — Intel, Samsung and Microsoft were among the six recipients recognized with a 2013 Eggie Award for Partners of the Year.

Presented by Newegg, a leading consumer electronics e-retailer, the Eggies are awarded to vendor partners and customers who have made outstanding contributions and supported Newegg’s growth efforts.

Strength in the computing, mobile phone and appliance categories enabled Best Buy to report flat same store sales during the holidays and temporarily silence the voice of those who had prematurely written the company’s obituary.

The head of Walmart’s Chilean operation will assume responsibility for all of Latin America following the retirement of current president and CEO Eduardo Solorzano.

ST. LOUIS — New brands Budweiser Black Crown and Beck’s Sapphire will make their national television debut with 30-second ad spots which will air during Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, February 3 on CBS, Anheuser-Busch announced.

ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. — Lowe’s is teaming up with American Water Heaters to offer homeowners the ability to remotely control their water heaters from their smart phones or tablets.

Iris is Lowe's exclusive smart home solution allows homeowners to monitor and control virtually everything in the home, including Energy Smart electric water heaters, which will feature Iris-compatible control modules. Homeowners can use the controls to set water temperatures and select operating modes, including the "Vacation" mode.