News

Nordstrom moves point-of-sale to the cloud
As the retail experience becomes increasingly digitally-influenced, retailers need a flexible point-of-sale (POS) system that can deliver a consistent brand experience at store level. Nordstrom is taking steps to make this happen through a partnership with Infor to run POS in the cloud. Having a POS system in the cloud will give Nordstrom the tools to be more accurate and consistent across multiple locations, attend to customers more quickly, and better manage and track information, according to Infor.
Sunglass retailer ups the ante on digital commerce
As it prepares to enter “a high-growth period” for its online business, Solstice Sunglasses needed a solution that could support this endeavor and future expansion plans. Solstice, a retailer with 105 store locations throughout the U.S, strives to offer the same level of service to both online and in-store customers looking for luxury, designer and sport sunglasses. To achieve this goal, the company selected the ncommerce platform, an end-to-end digital commerce platform from Newgistics.

Bakery-café chain looks to double its store count

La Madeleine, the country French-inspired bakery-café, is turning to a new growth strategy that includes selling its corporate owned stores to fast track its expansion.
Amazon putting Alexa inside iPhones

Amazon is making it a lot easier for customers to speak with its voice assistant. The online giant on Thursday started integrating Alex into its main shopping app on the iPhone, with a full rollout expected by the end of next week. Users will be able to ask Alexa for help with shopping, and also to stream books from their Kindle library, play media and request information such as news, weather or sports scores.
Study: Retailers need to empower their workforces, realign skills to succeed

The increasingly digital customer is impacting the evolution of new, distinct store formats. As stores transition to new concepts by 2020 and beyond, so will the roles of store associates, according to new research from Avanade and EKN Research. Avanade surveyed 161 global retail executives across various retail segments to understand the driving factors of digital and workforce transformation in the industry.
Toy Kingdom, South Korea

Toy Kingdom, a specialty toy store concept from Shinsegae, the largest retailer in South Korea, boasts a store environment that is larger than life and highly experiential.
Tiffany shines on demand from Asia

A strong performance in Asia helped Tiffany & Co. beat fourth quarter expectations even as sales as its U.S. stores sagged. The luxury jeweler reported net income of $157.8 million, or $1.26 per share, for the quarter ended Jan. 31, compared with $163.2 million, or $1.28 per share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted for asset impairment costs, per-share earnings were $1.45, beating the per-share earnings of $1.37 that industry analysts had expected.
Apple opening three new stores in March

Apple will be busy on March 25. The company will open three new stores on that day, including a flagship at Brickell City Center, a new mixed-use development in downtown Miami. It will be Apple’s fifth location in the Miami area. The new Miami store will have 13-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, and a forum space with an oversized video display, according to TechCrunch.
Burrito chain adds New Jersey location

New Jersey’s answer to Chipotle has signed a lease for another location in that state. Bubbako’s Burritos, a made-to-order chain that got its start in the popular Jersey shore town of Point Pleasant, has signed a lease for a 1,900-sq.-ft. restaurant at Aldrich Plaza in Howell. Other tenants there include Bed, Bath & Beyond, Retro Fitness, and Boston Market.
Arts and crafts retailer uses Wi-Fi to target in-store shoppers

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores thinks it has found a way to make each mobile shopper’s store visit unique. The crafting retailer is targeting mobile shoppers that “opt-in” to use its new in-store Wi-Fi network with unique coupons, according to Ad Age.