News

Tech Guest Viewpoint: POS - Point of Weakness: Five Security Steps
Retailers and hospitality enterprises have a weak point unique to their business – the point of sale (POS) device. Despite significant investment in security, it’s still too easy for cybercriminals to access corporate networks via POS.

POS devices handle most of the payment card transactions around the world for retailers, restaurants, hotels, grocers, and gas stations. Because these systems are highly interconnected and accessed by numerous employees and other devices, they remain a highly lucrative target for organized cybercrime.
Fossil brings promotions to life on Instagram
When it comes to reaching today’s consumers, Richardson, Texas-based vertical specialty apparel/accessories retailer Fossil Group Inc. is not living in the past.

“We are focusing on image creation for our social promotions,” said Jencey Keeton, marketing manager, digital branding and global marketing for Fossil, during an interview with Chain Store Age. “Images are now the way consumers are speaking. To be relevant, social platforms must include images.”

NBA teams with Fanatics for brick-and-mortar score

The core capabilities of the National Basketball Association (NBA) do not include fulfilling purchases made at its New York flagship store. According to Re/code, the NBA is partnering with online specialty athletic retailer Fanatics to provide tablet-based “endless aisle” fulfillment to its store via the Fanatics warehouse. [Re/code]
Bed Bath & Beyond gives investors lump of coal

The holiday season got off to a horrible start at Bed Bath & Beyond and things went downhill from there, judging from the industry leader's uncharacteristic and concerning profit warning.
Brands to Watch in 2016

Which brands will break new ground, fall from grace, or overcome obstacles in 2016? Here’s my list of brands to watch in 2016. Since I couldn’t narrow the list to a handful as I’ve done in past years, I decided to expand the list to 26, one for each letter of the alphabet.

So here’s a brand-builder’s almanac for the coming year:
Unlocking the analytics code with AI

Retailers and suppliers have a new ally in their efforts to unlock actionable insights from the proliferation of data thanks to what Enhanced Retail Solutions contends is groundbreaking new functionality in its Intelligent Retail Platform.
Online out-of-stocks remain high as holidays approach

Customers searching for last-minute holiday gifts on the Internet may come up empty-handed.

According to data from the Adobe Digital Index, on Monday, Dec. 21, the overall out-of-stock rate for e-commerce sites was 14%. This ties the online out-of-stock rate for Cyber Monday (Nov. 30) and means that more in one in 10 items displayed on retailers’ e-commerce sites was unavailable for customers who attempted to make a purchase.
Election year manuevers and their impact on retailers

With 2016 upon us, many employers find themselves nervously awaiting what election-year politics might bring to their doorsteps. Retailers and restaurant operators, more than ever, have been thrust front and center into the political landscape, with labor issues at the top of candidate's agendas as well as the subject of numerous ballot issues at the state and local level. As a result, the business models and labor practices of entry-level employers are being evaluated by the public in much the same way the candidates are.
Bed Bath & Beyond issues worrisome warning

The holiday season got off to a horrible start at Bed Bath & Beyond and things went downhill from there, judging from the industry leader’s uncharacteristic and concerning profit warning.

The company badly missed its third quarter sales and profit forecast for a period that included most of Thanksgiving weekend, and said its same-store sales for the fourth quarter were likely to increase 1%.
Retailer aims to make a difference in teens' lives

Teen retailer rue21 is collaborating with a youth nonprofit to make a positive impact on the lives of its customers.

The company announced it is partnering with Together We Rise, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming the way youth navigate through the foster care system in America. The collaboration is a new addition to rue21’s philanthropy initiative, rueGIVESback.