News

New printing techniques, sizes allow for greater options.

Whether it’s a high-end specialty store or a big-box discounter, flooring can go a long way toward setting the right mood — and making shoppers feel comfortable. “It’s naturally innate in us to look down at the ground,” said Nathan Lee Colkitt, CEO, Colkitt&Co., an architectural firm with offices in San Diego and New York City. “If we get the lay of the land, we feel safer and more comfortable.”

Top trends include increased use of alternative energy sources and daylighting

Green building is on the rise, with half of all new U.S. retail and hotel projects expected to be green by 2015, according to recent surveys. The boom is credited to a number of factors, including higher energy efficiency standards, a move toward greater transparency, decreased operating costs, increased sustainability awareness and a more responsible use of building resources. 

Bristol Farms boosts efficiency by reducing delivery frequency

Bristol Farms has been outsourcing logistics management since 1996. The upscale specialty grocery store operator initiated logistics outsourcing to aid growth. But the retailer has since used it to improve delivery efficiency. 

Mini catalogs help offset increased costs of mailing, without sacrificing circulation

In the largest price increase since 2007, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is proposing a rate hike of 5.9%, a move that has catalog mailers scrambling to assess the impact of such an increase and also evaluating less expensive alternatives. The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has up to 90 days to rule on the proposal, with the price increase going into effect as early as Jan. 27, 2014.

Jim Riesenbach, CEO of indoor location analytics solutions provider iInside, recently had a conversation with Chain Store Age about the numerous advantages both retailers and consumers can obtain from precise understanding and analysis of how customers move and shop inside the store.

How can both retailers and consumers benefit from targeted, accurate indoor location metrics?

Sunglass Hut, LensCrafters optimize endless aisle with caching solution

Providing in-store customers with enhanced online “endless aisle” access to products can boost sales and customer service. But if the wait for endless aisle connectivity takes too long, its effectiveness is impacted.

Smart Furniture uses 3-D tools to personalize online furniture-shopping process

The furniture industry is often seen as old-fashioned and perhaps a bit stodgy. But that isn’t stopping Smart Furniture from applying leading-edge technology to provide a highly personalized online means of browsing, selecting, purchasing and even designing furniture.

Hointer converges mobile and in-store shopping

Hointer Inc., a Seattle-based denimwear retailer, may be new (the first store opened in April 2012) and small (two branded stores in Seattle plus a pop-up inside a Levi’s store in New York City), but its goal is impressively large.

In August, women’s specialty apparel retailer Coldwater Creek, which operates 402 stores in 47 states, announced it had landed Deborah Cavanagh as its new chief marketing officer. She is charged with leading the multichannel brand’s marketing and creative services. One of Cavanagh’s first orders of business? To re-engage the Coldwater Creek core customer, as well as connect with new ones.

It’s 2020, and our shopper is ready to relax after a busy and productive Saturday. She started off the day at Kohl’s, where she tried on several cocktail dresses a store associate had texted her about earlier. The associate knew from past purchases that our shopper favored animal prints and a-line cuts.