News

Academy plans a happy Thanksgiving
Academy Sports and Outdoors' 186 locations won’t be open Thanksgiving Day, but the retailer does have other operational and promotional strategies planned including a 5 a.m.Black Friday opening.

The $4 billion retailer said it was continuing its longstanding practice of not opening on Thanksgiving Day. Instead, leading up to Thanksgiving Academy plans to provide customers access to shop its Black Friday deals early through three major sales events – Early Access, Black Friday Starts Now, and Black Friday.
KFC Franchisee Achieves Winning POS touch

Kentucky Fried Chicken franchisee Weaver Enterprises Ltd. is using Toshiba SurePOS 500 POS hardware and software, including touchscreen terminals, to meet corporate software standards and improve the checkout experience. Working with business partner Tolt Solutions, Weaver selected Toshiba’s SurePOS 500 and SureMark printer as the core of the new POS solution.

Using the Toshiba SurePOS 500’s spill-resistant, infrared touchscreen terminal and running Compris POS software, Weaver has increased employee productivity and reduced customer wait time.

Fresh food joins Overstock offering

The farmers market has gone digital at Overstock.com where the discount online retailer has launched home delivery of locally sourced product.

Overstock.com launched the new Farmers Market section of its site to offer home delivery of seasonal, healthy food, grown and produced in close proximity to shoppers, according to the company.
Smoothie King ‘Smooths’ Operations with Tablet-Based POS

In a move to streamline operations at its 700-plus locations, Smoothie King Franchises Inc. is rolling out Revel Systems’ iPad POS solution across its entire store network. The company said it selected the Revel platform for its scalability, speed and user-friendly technology.
Tech Guest Viewpoint: How to Drive Grocery Sales in a Consumer World

By Kent Smith, Galleria RTS Well-stocked shelves and falling sales is a dilemma faced by many retailers today. New technology advancements such as mobile discount apps are the latest threat to grocery retail sales. Many people simply complete their grocery shopping from the convenience of their own home.
GMDC taps new president

Patrick Spear has joined GMDC as president to fill a role previously held by the organization’s long-time CEO Dave McConnell. Spear brings 25-plus years of experience in the consumer and office products industry to GMDC’s senior management team.
Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Takes Root in the Midwest

A new specialty grocer — Fresh Thyme Farmers Market — has big plans for the Midwest. With industry veteran Chris Sherrell at the helm (and an investment interest from Meijer Inc.), the start-up emphasizes natural and organic foods and produce, much of it locally sourced, at value prices in a convenient neighborhood-store format.
The Evolution of the POS
American Beagle returns

American Eagle Oufitters has turned an April Fool’s joke into a business opportunity by launching its first-ever clothing line for “dogs and their owners,” American Beagle Outfitters, for a limited-edition Holiday 2014 release.
Facilities Management Trends

Downsized facilities management departments. Projects that reduce maintenance and operating costs. Store refreshes as opposed to costly remodels. Mandy Rennehan of Freshco Retail Maintenance spoke with Chain Store Age about how changes in retail facilities management are impacting retailers.

What trends are you seeing with regard to store retrofits and remodels?