News

Having a view into store activities can mean many things, but in a very literal sense being able to see what’s happening in the store is crucial for security and risk management.

For Atlanta-based, 24-store specialty golf retailer PGA Tour Superstore, getting a better store-level view has meant starting to upgrade a legacy analog video management system (VMS) to a modern IP-based VMS.

Appliance manufacturer Whirlpool is launching a new partnership with IBM that is likely a sign of how the consumer product market will substantially change in the next few years.

Whirlpool is now combining connected home appliances with IBM Watson services, including cognitive analytics, to provide more personalized services to consumers.

Under Armour is undertaking an ambitious effort to provide extremely personalized health and fitness coaching, assisted by IBM.

Under Armour has entered a strategic partnership with IBM to create and provide data-backed health and fitness insights, powered by IBM Watson's cognitive computing technology. The partnership will combine Under Armour’s new UA Record personal fitness app with an IBM Watson Cognitive Coaching System.

Costco Wholesale Corporation on Wednesday reported net sales of $12.5 billion for the month of December, which includes the five weeks ended Jan. 3, 2016, an increase of 3%.

For the 18 weeks ended Jan. 3, 2016, the company reported net sales of $41.7 billion, an increase of 2%.

Comparable sales across Costco's U.S. network were up 3% across both time frames.

Photos: Sam Dushey before his appearance on “Undercover Boss,” (photo, left) and after he underwent his undercover transformation (photo, right). Via CBS.com

The numbers are in and one specific device clearly served as a major catalyst for increased e-commerce sales during the 2015 holiday season.

According to the MarketLive 2015 Holiday Flash Report, smartphone revenue during the just-completed holiday season (Nov. 23, 2015 – Jan. 3, 2016) increased 50%. Overall e-commerce revenue grew 8% during that period.

Mahopac, N.Y. -- Heidenberg Properties announced The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company has executed a lease to occupy 54,000 sq. ft. at Lake Plaza Shopping Center in Mahopac, New York.

The new Stop & Shop will be built from the ground up, replacing the existing 24,000 sq. ft. Key Food and the 7,800 sq. ft. CVS. This redevelopment will be more than 25,000 sq. ft. larger than the two existing stores, expanding Lake Plaza Shopping Center from 141,000 to over 166,000 sq. ft.

The Finish Line has promoted its president to CEO and plans to close a quarter of its stores as the retailer said supply chain problems hurt its third quarter performance.

The retailer announced that Sam Sato will succeed Glenn Lyon as CEO of The Finish Line, Inc., effective Feb. 28. Lyon will transition to the role of non-executive chairman of the board.

Consumers are changing the way they browse and shop for goods using mobile devices.

According to the State of Retailing Online 2016 study from Forrester Research, Shop.org and Bizrate Insights, growing use of smartphones by consumers, a shift in investments by technology companies and continued optimization strategies from retailers has landed smartphones on top as a driver of mobile sales and traffic for retail companies.

Leading department store operator Hudson’s Bay Company confirmed months of speculation and agreed to pay what appears to be a modest sum to acquire online luxury retailer Gilt Groupe.

Hudson’s Bay, which operates 470 department stores including Saks Fifth Avenue and the Off 5th discount format, said it agreed to pay $250 million for Gilt in a deal that will add $500 million to 2016, $40 million in adjusted operating profit by 2017 and countless synergies to leverage the combined companies’ infrastructure and customer databases.