News

Google expands Express assortment
Google is testing a new range of products for its Google Express online delivery service.

Google is now offering fresh grocery items, such as milk and bread, for delivery through Google Express in the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets. The company is partnering with local outlets of retailers including Costco, Whole Foods and Smart & Final in San Francisco and Costco, Whole Foods and Vincente Foods in Los Angeles to fulfill orders, which can include alcohol and frozen items.
Retail CFOs feeling less bullish
Market uncertainty around the world is taking a toll on retail CFOs confidence in the future.

That’s according to a new BDO U.S.A. survey in which retail CFOs predict a 3.4% increase in total sales for 2016. It’s the second consecutive year that the total store sales projection has dipped since the spike to 5.1% in 2014.

In addition, a notable decline in the number of CFOs expecting consumer confidence to increase this year was also revealed, which dropped nearly 50% year over year.

Walmart delivers uneven growth amid ongoing profit pressures

Photo: Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Exclusive: Instacart exec talks online delivery with CSA

Chain Store Age recently spoke with Vishwa Chandra, VP of retail accounts for Instacart, to get a better sense of the current and future state of online delivery.

What is driving growing consumer interest in online delivery?
Survey: Online groceries are habit-forming

Although not many consumers are currently shopping for groceries online, those who do are likely to be repeat customers.

According to “The 2016 Online Grocery Shopper,” a survey of more than 500 U.S. online consumers from Toronto-based grocery technology provider Unata, 8% of consumers bought groceries via Internet in 2015.

However, 93% of those shoppers said they are “likely” or “very likely” to buy groceries online in 2016.
Trendspotting: Custom Facades and Architectural Metalwork as Signs

To further differentiate commercial space the trend among architects, restaurateurs, retailers, and developers has been towards sign packages that seamlessly marry the building facade and family of signs.
Online frauds soars as botnets attack

The surge in fraudulent e-commerce transactions which was predicted in the wake of U.S. EMV compliance may already be happening.

According to the new Online Fraud Index from payment platform provider Pymnts.com and security technology vendor Forster, fraud attacks on U.S. online retailers rose 163% during the first three quarters of 2015. Interestingly, this large increase in online fraud preceded the Oct. 1, 2015 EMV mandate, although many retailers had already begun or even completed EMV compliance efforts during that time.
Walmart delivers uneven growth amid profit pressures

A modest increase in fourth quarter same store sales at Walmart’s U.S. stores marked a sixth consecutive period of growth and helped the company exceed analysts’ profit targets, but a reduced 2016 sales outlook caught some investors by surprise.
Clayton Lane retail portion mixed-use project under new ownership

Denver -- OliverMcMillan in partnership with Invesco Real Estate has purchased the retail portion of Clayton Lane, a mixed-use center located in Denver. The retail project consists of more than 182,000 sq. ft. of retail in six buildings with underground parking.

The property sits in the heart of Denver’s Cherry Creek North and is anchored by Crate & Barrel and Whole Foods Market. Feature retailers include Orvis, HW Home, North, White House | Black Market, Bose and more.
What social platform is eyeing e-commerce?

The list of social media networks offering or planning to offer retail functionality reportedly just got longer. According to Re/Code, Joanna Coles, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan and a board member of the Snapchat social network, publicly stated that Snapchat intends to offer e-commerce. The announcement came during a presentation Coles made at the Re/Code Code/Media conference in Dana Point, California, on Feb. 17. [Re/Code]