News

Ahold USA gives vendors the scoop
Sharing detailed data with vendors is an idea that has been around since the 1990s, and is gaining new life at Ahold USA Inc.

Ahold, parent company of supermarkets Giant Landover, Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Carlisle, and online grocery Peapod, has partnered with Retail Solutions Inc. (RSI) to introduce shared enterprise business processes with vendors. Ahold USA has leveraged RSI’s data platform and collaboration tools to better align its business goals and daily priorities with its vendor partners.
Vineyard Vines to open NYC flagship as part of ongoing retail expansion
A brand best known for its whimsical neckties and smiling pink whale logo is opening a flagship in the Big Apple.

Vineyard Vines will open a 6,000-sq.-st. store in Grand Central Station. The company is also slated to open stores at Somerset Collection, Troy, Michigan, in early May, at Hyde Park in Tampa, Florida, in August, and at Stanford Town Center in mid-March and The Village of Corte Madera in mid-June (with the latter two locations in California).

Majority of former CVS Health cigarette buyers applaud no-sell decision

CVS Health's decision to stop selling cigarettes is having its intended impact - 52% of those consumers who used to buy their cigarettes from CVS say it is now harder to buy cigarettes altogether, according to a survey commissioned by V2, a manufacturer of electronic cigarette and vaporizer products.
MasterCard puts ‘selfie pay’ into production

Following a successful pilot of authenticating mobile transactions with facial photos and fingerprint biometrics in 2015, MasterCard is bringing the new technology mainstream.

Dubbed “selfie pay” and initially tested with employees of First Tech Federal Union in summer and fall 2015, the solution is delivered via a special MasterCard app that lets customers take a photo each time they make an online purchase. They are required to blink during the photo to prove it is being taken live.
O2, London and Manchester

Digital exploration and the customer experience are at the heart of two new concept stores from wireless carrier O2.

The stores were designed to revolutionize the look and feel of a traditional mobile phone shop and provide a destination for people to not just buy a phone, but to learn about the latest technology.
Petco appeals to new pet parents with omnichannel campaign

Petco is launching an omnichannel campaign in support of a new program designed to appeal to its target market: pet parents.

Petco's new and free Welcome to the Family Program supports all new pet parents, complete with a companion care pack, information on proper pet care and 24/7 support. The program helps pet parents as they expand their brood and embark on new adventures with the newest addition to their family.
MasterCard, Visa bring payment to the consumer

MasterCard and Visa are both intent on letting customers pay anyway, anyhow anywhere they choose.

Both of the major financial services providers are releasing new Internet of Things (IoT)- and mobile-enabled payment solutions that will allow consumers to shop from an increasing number of locations, using a variety of touchpoints, with greater security.
Wayfair to hire 450 for Texas service center

Wayfair is opening a new customer service center in Texas as it scales operations to service its rapidly growing customer base.

“Wayfair’s steadfast commitment to exceptional customer service has helped fuel the incredible growth of our business as more people discover a new and better way to shop for home furnishings,” said James Savarese, COO, Wayfair. “We look forward to expanding our operations to the Bryan-College Station area as we welcome new talent to our world-class customer service team.”
Tips to get your customers from browse to ‘buy’

One in three consumers has changed brands because of the information they found while shopping online, according to research from Google.

That means that great product content can make or break your brand’s online presence. Unfortunately, many brands struggle with how to make sure that their product content is accurate and meets not only shoppers’, but retailers’, needs, as it is hard to do both well.
Samsung’s massive new flagship does not sell product

South Korean electronics giant Samsung on Monday opened what it calls a “consumer technology playground” in the trendy Meatpacking District of Manhattan.

Named for its address, 837 Washington Street, the 55,000-sq.-ft. Samsung 837 is packed with eye-popping features, from a three-story array of televisions made up of 96 Samsung 55-inch TVs to a truly futuristic, fully-immersive virtual reality experience. There is also a café, art gallery and theater.