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It’s important to look beyond the traditional hard metrics of ROI to determine the bottom line value of an IT solution. Here are five key areas CFOs need to consider when evaluating technology:

1. Sales growth: There are many types of applications that can drive increased sales, but some of the most common are solutions that optimize pricing, including markdowns. Determining the ideal price for maximizing sales without cutting profits at a store level is too complex for merchants to do on their own.

The South has an abundance of entertainment developments popping up, possibly more than anywhere else in the country, thanks to its climate and land availability. The milder climate enables developers to incorporate more outdoor elements like amphitheaters, children’s play areas, trail systems and concepts such as Topgolf, as well as experiences like free yoga or movies being displayed in gathering spaces.

Today, when it comes to adding new members to your board of directors, creating a balance between industry experience and innovation is extraordinarily important. Filling board seats with industry veterans and compliance experts may feel comfortable in the short term, but to adapt to today’s savvy and demanding consumer, companies must be more forward thinking.

We’ve all witnessed the recent evolution of the C-suite — companies bringing in new, young talent, often from other industries, to modernize a brand, enhance the store experience or to leverage technology.

Amazon Books is headed to Hudson Yards, the massive redevelopment underway on New York’s west side, according to a report in the New York Post.   The online retailer debuted its bricks-and-mortar retail format last November, at University Village in Seattle, and is set to open a second location, in San Diego, this summer. A third location, at Washington Square Mall, in Tigard, Oregon, is expected to open this fall. The Hudson Yards location would be Amazon’s East Coast beachhead.  

Chain Store Age spoke with Vikas Aron, director of product management for Manhattan Associates, about how the store has become a vital point in the modern supply chain.

How does having an accurate view of store-level inventory enable effective omnichannel fulfillment?

More and more retailers are leveraging their physical locations as fulfillment centers, with store associates acting not only as sales clerks but also as fulfillment specialists. The advantages of handling fulfillment from the store are many.

There is substantial funding available to reduce the cost of upgrading existing lighting systems, but it takes some preparation. Here are some tips:

Dyson, the consumer electronics brand best known for it pricey vacuum cleaners, has opened a store in the heart of London’s main shopping district.   The sleek, futuristic-looking store, on Oxford Street, is designed to allow shoppers to see and test Dyson’s complete line of vacuum cleaners, fans, heaters, humidifiers and other products, with some 65 items on display. It also has 64 different dust/dirt samples and four floor surfaces available on which customers can to test vacuum cleaners.   

The J.C. Penney Co Inc. is reportedly developing a new IT facility in a popular overseas location.