News

The quest for innovation in the retail industry often requires unconventional partnerships, as Williams Sonoma has proven with its new Harvard smoker.

The retailer tasked one of Harvard University's engineering classes to come up with a better way to barbecue and smoke meats. In the end, a team of students invented a smoker that can eliminate hot spots and keep a constant and precise low temperature both in the smoker and the meat itself. The retailer is now is in the process of developing and producing the unit, which could retail for under $1,000. 

Minneapolis – Target Corp. is getting some social media heat about the message on a controversial T-shirt it is selling, and says no offense was ever intended. According to the Associated Press, in a written statement Target said the black women’s shirt with the word “Trophy” written across the front in bold lettering is not meant to demean women.

Apple CEO Tim Cook says the Apple Watch is off to “a great start,” although the company did decline to provide specific sales figures for the watch in its third quarter report on Tuesday.

Madrid, Spain – Spanish retail chains including department store retailer El Corte Ingles and supermarket retailer BonPreu are leveraging a new smartphone-based payment solution. The retailers are deploying the digital payment network from Dinube, which uses tokenization, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and biometric fingerprint security to replace card-based payments.

The Home Depot Inc. is spending about $1.6 billion in an acquisition squarely aimed at better meeting the needs of its professional customers.

New York – Even as retail marketing strategies shift in the new digital era, tried-and-true discounts still remain a crucial promotional device. According to new data from marketing personalization provider Sailthru, 97% of retailers use discounting as a pricing strategy.

In a classic case of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” Neiman Marcus is deepening its relationship with an organization that could be viewed as a competitor.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. – Dollar General is taking a decidedly modern approach to the age-old tradition of back-to-school shopping. The retailer is offering its Fast Way to Save digital coupon program through Aug. 15.

To enroll or upload these coupons, customers may login to their electronic DG Digital Coupon account either through Dollar General’s website or through the DG mobile app