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Interior build-outs in the retail sector can be some of the most expensive construction projects, with cost per unit area far exceeding that of an exterior build. They are also often more logistically complex. For example, the coordination of all the different trades and the delivery of materials, fixtures and products can be challenging, but it is key to ensuring quality, containing costs and avoiding delays.

In the two months since the Department of Labor announced its proposed new overtime standards, much has been written about what it may mean for employers big and small.

When it comes to keeping supply chain and logistics operations as efficient as possible, retailers are getting smart. Using centralized cloud platforms and business intelligence solutions, merchants can achieve real-time inventory awareness and supply chain operational data that improves overall front- and back-end performance. Here are three examples:

Today’s consumer is driven by an “I want it now” mentality, yet retailers are still not prepared to deliver. Reducing the time it takes an order to arrive at a customer’s home is every retailer’s objective, but while quicker fulfillment makes customers happy, it comes at a cost.

Chain Store Age recently spoke with Jason Miller, chief commerce strategist of Akamai Technologies, about how mobile technology can serve as a key component of omnichannel customer engagement strategies.

These are challenging times for the nation’s chief information officers — and speed is of the essence.

An annual survey of global CIOs found that digital innovation is actively causing disruption to business models, requiring IT leaders to move quickly to deliver new infrastructures, platforms and applications to meet customers’ fast-changing needs. An overwhelming two-thirds of all CIOs believe digital disruption is now a very significant change to business, according to the “Harvey Nash CIO Survey 2015,” done in association with KPMG.

One of the best ways retailers can make both their financial data and store systems more secure is to reduce potential vulnerability by removing financial data from the store.

“Take any credit card data out of your store systems,” advised Perry Kramer, VP and practice lead for Boston Retail Partners. “Most retailers don’t know what’s on their systems or their risk profile. You need a good inventory. Some data you might keep.”

The October deadline for retailers to accept EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa)-compliant, chip-based payment cards or face increased fraud liability has placed payment card security in the industry headlines. While important, securing card-based payments at the store is one small facet of the huge undertaking retailers face in protecting their entire network.

October will be over in a flash, and with it, all eyes will be on the holiday season, which is measured from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31.

The 2015 retail calendar has several distinctions, as we saw Memorial Day fall on the earliest possible date and Labor Day on the latest possible date. This holiday season, there are 28 days between Thanksgiving (not counting the actual day) and Christmas, which is an average amount for the period separating the two holidays.

Experiential retail is alive and well at PGA Tour Superstore.

The company, which has the distinction of being the PGA Tour’s exclusive off-course/off-airport retail partner, has built a business dedicated to providing golf enthusiasts of all levels access to the same technology and expertise that card-carrying Tour pros enjoy. Stores are staffed with teaching professionals and have multiple state-of-the-art swing simulators, practice hitting bays and large putting greens. There is also an in-house club-making and repair facility.