News

Online giant blending offline and online grocery — and it's not Amazon
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has stepped up its efforts to combine physical retail with online in the supermarket space.
Pizza giant launches aggressive hiring spree
Pizza Hut is making big moves to improve the accuracy and reliability of its delivery experience. The subsidiary of Yum! Brands plans to hire nearly 3,000 new drivers a month through the end of the year. The hiring effort, which will include full and part-time positions, will add approximately 14,000 new drivers across its delivery fleet, according to the company.

Women's fitness concept closing up shop

Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. is shutting down its women's fashion/fitness store format. Dick's is closing its two existing Chelsea Collective stores on August 6. Dick's launched the brand in 2015, but it never expanded it in any signficiant way.
Survey: Fast response times critical to customer experience and brand loyalty

Retailers who frustrate consumers risk brand abandonment. Almost half of North American and European consumers surveyed by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council say they will abandon a brand if they continuously encounter a poor, impersonal or frustrating customer experience across channels of engagement. The study was undertaken in partnership with SAP Hybris.
Off-price giant details new store concept

The TJX Companies will debut a new, off-price home store concept in August. HomeSense will open its initial U.S. location on August 17, in Framingham, Mass. Three additional stores are planned by the end of 2017, with locations in East Hanover, N.J., Ocean Township, N.J., and Westwood, Mass.
Study: The most sought-after roles to transform operations are…

Businesses are eager to better serve their clients, but most lack the skills, processes and technology needed to leverage data effectively. In fact, 61% of U.S. companies agree that inaccurate data is undermining their ability to provide an excellent customer experience, according to “Investing in Digital Transformation: The Year’s Most Sought-After Data Roles,” a report from Experian Data Quality.
Regulatory Wrap-Up: Where state and national policy impact retail

Wages
Amazon sets sights on new retail segment

Amazon has found a way to further expand its foothold in the grocery industry. The online giant has submitted a trademark application that will enable it to enter the meal kits business. The move will directly rival meal kit provider Blue Apron, according to CNBC.
Troubled jewelry store giant taps 25-year P&G vet as new CEO

Signet Jewelers, which is battling a gender-discrimination class-action case, has named its first-ever female CEO. Signet announced that CEO Mark Light has retired due to "health reaons." He will be succeeded by beauty and health veteran Virginia "Gina" C. Drosos, who has served as an independent director of the company’s board since 2012, effective August 1, 2017.
How to Make a Next-Generation Store a Right Now Store

Over the next three years, outdoor lifestyle apparel retailer Toad&Co. plans to open 20 new brick and mortar stores. With news of store closings by powerhouse brands likely swirling around in your head, you may be tempted to make sure you read that number correctly. It’s been dizzying for sure. So why would an apparel retailer be looking to expand its brick and mortar footprint in this environment?