News

Listen Up
Facebook and Twitter don’t have the power to move mountains (not yet anyway), but one thing is certain: Retailers are not only listening to the conversations going on out there about their brands, but, increasingly and when it makes brand-sense, acting on them. At least the smart ones are.

Consider Topshop. The global fashion retailer came under fire for using ultra-thin mannequins in its stores.
Macy's asks consumers to give back while shopping
Macy’s is appealing to customers with a favorite cause by asking shoppers to participate in the retailer's marquee charity event.

The retailer will hold its annual “Shop For A Cause” event, a unique, one-day-only shopping event created to support local charities’ fundraising efforts, on Aug. 29. Since 2006, the program has helped raise tens of millions of dollars for thousands of charities across the country.

Appriss acquires The Retail Equation

Louisville, Ky. -- Appriss Inc., a provider of data, risk assessment and analytic solutions for government, health information and consumer industries, has acquired The Retail Equation, Irvine, California, a provider of predictive analytics for retail businesses. The Retail Equation will become the retail division of Appriss and will operate as a separate company within the Appriss corporate structure.
Holiday Planning

For consumers, “holiday planning” means creating shopping lists and perhaps deciding whether to invite your annoying uncle to the family festivities. For retailers, holiday planning means organizing and optimizing the entire enterprise to adequately handle a sustained period of increased consumer demand.
Miami Home Centers joins the True Value family

The newest addition to the True Value Company cooperative is a 60-year-old hardware chain based in South Florida.
Teens eschewing logos, looking for deals

New York -- As if retailers didn’t have enough to worry about, teens are shopping more like their parents.

Click here for the story.
Getting Smart About Product Information

When a retailer includes the word “brain” right in its name, a certain level of operational intelligence is expected.
Curbside pickup gets even more hands-free

Store pickup at Target, Best Buy and other major retailers is getting a boost from a whole new innovation from tech startup Curbside.

The company, which has partnered with these retailers to provide a curbside pickup app for its customers, has unveiled its first ever Curbside Pickup Pod at the Glendale Galleria mall in Southern California.
Overtime Pay to Get Overhaul

Proposed changes to overtime exemptions could make store managers eligible

The Department of Labor’s long-awaited proposed revisions to the “white collar” overtime exemptions are finally here — at least, in part. On June 30, 2015, the DOL unveiled its proposed revisions to the required salary levels for many of the “white collar” exemptions to the FLSA’s overtime requirements.
Walmart pledges $25M on Katrina anniversary

As the 10th anniversary of Hurrican Katrina approaches, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are making a commitment to disaster relief efforts.