News

Office Depot exec joins Dollarama board
Canadian discounter Dollarama has turned to an Office Depot executive to guide the company through expansion plans in 2015.

The company announced that Elisa D. Garcia has been appointed as an independent director and member of the nominating and governance committee of the corporation. Garcia's appointment expands the company’s board of directors to 10 directors, seven of whom are independent.
Retail CIOs’ dual mandate: security and omnichannel
With high-profile data breaches and the growing need to deliver a unified and differentiated customer experience, retail CIOs agree that security and digital innovation must be the top priorities for 2015.

According to a new report from the National Retail Federation and Forrester Research, managing data security is the most urgent focus area for retail CIOs, with 97% of surveyed business leaders placing it at the top of their 2015 priority lists.

ShoeBuy finds better fit with new site

The brand rennaissance of apparel e-retailer ShoeBuy is complete: The company has relaunched its e-commerce site after taking cues from customer feedback and consumer research.

The 15-year old retailer founded in Boston aims to deliver a more intuitive website, a refreshed rewards program and a commitment to building an engaging shopping experience. New features added to the ShoeBuy shopping experience include a virtual fitting tool, expert insights and blogs, customer reviews, and online customer service chat.
Hy-Vee does demos with Interactions

Leading regional supermarket operator Hy-Vee is expanding its relationship with Interactions to provide experiential marketing services.

Interactions says it will engage shoppers through experiential marketing events in 50 store locations in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri, with plans to expand to more than 145 stores throughout the year. In addition to planned event services, Interactions will also collaborate with Hy-Vee to develop additional experiential marketing activities, such as new store openings, community events and Hy-Vee branded programs.
Kenneth Cole names former Macy's exec as CEO

Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. has appointed an apparel industry veteran as CEO.

Marc Schneider will assume responsibility for the company's retail, outlet, e-commerce, international, licensing and wholesale businesses. He takes over from founder Kenneth Cole, who has served as interim CEO since February 2011.
Rite Aid wants shoppers to be its innovators

Rite Aid is hoping to unleash a torrent of new product innovation by tapping into the minds of the shoppers who walk store aisles wondering, "Wouldn't it be nice if they had ..."

The retailer has announced the launch of its first-ever Innovation Challenge, a nationwide search for original product ideas that will improve the health and well-being of Rite Aid customers.
McMillon talks big changes at Walmart

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon talks about changes at Walmart.
Samsung to acquire digital wallet platform—and Apple Pay competitor— LoopPay

Mountain View, Calif. -- Samsung Electronics Co. is making a major commitment to mobile payments with its agreement to acquire U.S. startup LoopPay, a mobile wallet solutions provider that turns existing magnetic stripe readers into contactless receivers. The acquisition will put Samsung up against mobile payment services, including Apple Pay and Pay Pal. According to various reports, Samsung plans to integrate LoopPay's technology in one of its upcoming flagship phones.
Nordstrom, Trader Joe’s tops in customer satisfaction; overall index declines

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Customer satisfaction with retail is down for the first time in four years. According to a report by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), all brick-and-mortar retail categories show weakening or flat customer satisfaction for the fourth quarter of 2014. Internet retail satisfaction, however, is up from the same quarter in 2013.
DirectBuy gets into the sweepstakes game

Merrillville, Ind. - Homeowners looking to upgrade their backyard in time for summer can now enter membership-based buying club DirectBuy’s “Backyard Dream-Over” sweepstakes for a chance to win outdoor furniture, appliances, and more. DirectBuy is utilizing gamification techniques by letting consumers play a game on mobile phone, PC or tablet for a chance to win up to 600 sweepstakes entries while learning about DirectBuy.
Why Higher Rates from USPS are Actually Good for Retailers

By Jim Haller, NPI

The words “raising rates” are enough to elicit a face-in-palms reaction from any online retailer – especially when it comes to small parcel shipping. Yet, a different reaction may be in order as the United States Postal Service announces its intent to raise rates later this year.
Study: Mobile shopping growing three times rate of overall online commerce

San Jose, Calif. - Mobile commerce is growing at nearly three times the rate of overall e-commerce. According to a new study from PayPal and Ipsos, from 2013-2016, the multi-country average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for mobile commerce is projected at 42%, compared to 13% for overall e-commerce (including mobile commerce).