News

Survey: Consumers spend within means for holidays
New York – Consumers mostly spent within their means during the 2014 holiday season. Only one-in-six Americans spent more than expected this holiday season, according to a new Bankrate.com report.

This is consistent with readings in previous years. Millennials (Americans ages 18-29) were twice as likely as those ages 30-49 to have spent more during the holidays than intended. Overall, one-in-four Americans spent less than expected this holiday season.
Gap Inc. sours on Piperlime e-commerce project
At a time when omnichannel retailing is more important than ever for retailers, Gap Inc. is shutting down one of its digital brands.

Gap Inc. said it is dropping its Piperlime channel so the apparel maker and retailer can focus on fixing the problems plaguing the Gap and Banana Republic brands.

TechBytes: Three Ways Mobile Has Gone Mainstream in Retail

As recently as a year or two ago, “mobile retailing” was a major industry buzzword. Everyone was busy trying to figure out how to best “mobile-enable” their enterprise.
Cost Plus takes a shot at movie buffs

Cost Plus World Market is giving movie lovers until Feb. 21 to participate in an online contest that should help the Bed Bath & Beyond division build its email database.

The “Movie Lovers Sweepstakes” offers film buffs a chance to win one of four grand prize packages of free movies for a year (two tickets per week for 52 weeks) and a $1,000 World Market gift card by registering with their e-mail addresses and other personal information at worldmarketsweepstakes.com.
Study: Convenience stores grow 1% in 2014

Alexandria, Va. - The U.S. convenience store count increased to 152,794 stores as of Dec. 31, 2014. That marks a nearly 1% increase from the prior year, according to the 2015 NACS/Nielsen Convenience Industry Store Count.
A guide to the Internet of Things

With the Internet of Things (“IoT”) comes yet another technology-driven advancement that challenges businesses with promising opportunities and potentially vexing responsibilities. In particular, manufacturers and retailers who plan to sell (or are already selling) IoT devices increasingly face consumer questions about data security and privacy.
A new day for Retailing Today

Welcome to the new Retailing Today! We just relaunched our site and I wanted let you know about some of the changes, why we made them and what we didn’t change. Overall, our goal was to create a more reader-friendly site that presents our original content in a more compelling, visually engaging and accessible manner.
Emerging retailer scores golf channel deal

The PGA TOUR Superstore only operates 22 locations but it just signed a deal with the Golf Channel that should do wonders for brand awareness in a category that has proven challenging for mass market retailers.
Microsoft’s new HoloLens looks to up customer experience with holograms

Redmond, Wash. – As part of its Windows 10 OS announcement earlier this week, Microsoft Corp. revealed it will be releasing a new holographic computer system called HoloLens that may offer retailers some interesting new ways to deliver an enhanced, seamless customer experience. HoloLens features see-through, holographic, high-definition lenses and spatial sound so users can see and hear holograms in the physical world around them.
How to drive Millennials to brick-and-mortar

In recent years, the millennial generation surpassed baby boomers as the largest population of consumers in our country. This shift presents a number of opportunities for retailers to target and build loyalty with a new generation; however, the opportunity also comes with its challenges. One of the greatest of which, is identifying ways to keep brick and mortar locations relevant to a convenience-seeking and highly digital audience.