News

A new survey has revealed some more glum news about shrink in the U.S. retail industry.

Kroger is in the process of installing "smart shelf technology" at one of its stores in Ohio, according to Cincinnati.com.

The grocery chain is completing the installation of 2,200 Edge shelves throughout the center of the supermarket, including most aisles with dry goods. Today the tech features price tagging beneath the respective items, but future applications could include providing on-demand nutritional info, Cincinnati.com reports.

Boston-based sporting goods retailer City Sports has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to liquidate at least a quarter of its stores.

According to the Wall Street Journal, City Sports said it has a deal with liquidators Tiger Capital Group to hold going-out-of-business sales at eight of the company’s 26 stores, which are scattered throughout the Northeast from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C.

Specialty athletic retailer The Finish Line Inc. is trying to reposition its brand with a new initiative that cuts across channels. Called “Epic Finish,” Finish Line says the repositioning goes beyond a typical marketing campaign.

Gasoline/convenience retailer Thorntons Inc. maximizes its customer “convenience” with 24-hour service at many locations. This requires the Louisville, Kentucky-based, 175-store chain to operate robust network security that can handle heavy transaction volume at all times.

“We needed a simple and effective whitelisting (file and application approval) product to prevent outbound Internet access except to desired places,” said David Caudill, VP of IT for Thorntons.

British retailer John Lewis has opened one of its largest department stores ever, in the just-opened Grand Central shopping center in Birmingham.

The four-level, 250,000-sq.-ft. department store has a strikingly contemporary design and features several new services and concepts, including a new fashion and lifestyle department, loved&found, and the first John Lewis-branded spa, &Beauty. There is also a market stall-styled food offering, The Place to Eat.

Retailers wondering who among their peers is an omnichannel leader have an answer.

The new Omnichannel Retail Index from the National Retail Federation and e-digital consultancy FitforCommerce identifies the top performers among 120 retailers in several key areas of omnichannel commerce. The areas include showing in-store product availability, multidevice/platform shopping experience, email and loyalty marketing programs, delivery to customer, and customer returns.

Retailers know the Internet of Things (IoT) is coming and will bring significant changes. But their preparedness for it is less certain.

The same freedom and flexibility that mobile devices bring to our everyday lives can also be leveraged in the retail environment. Most retailers are inherently aware of these benefits; yet many are still not sure of how or what to implement.

But this is no reason to delay or avoid deploying mobile technology. By adhering to a few basic principles, retailers can successfully integrate mobility into their daily operations, and reap significant benefits as a result.

Commit to Training First

GameStop has joined a growing list of retailers offering a new incentive for a vast segment of consumers to start thinking about holiday shopping: a comprehensive layaway program.

The company has joined Kmart, Walmart and other retailers in launching an enhanced layaway program in the past few weeks designed to help shoppers access the hottest gifts of the season.