News

Lowe’s extends omnichannel to Mexico
Lowe’s may operate only eight stores in Mexico but that’s enough for the company to get a jump on executing an omnichannel strategy.
Wolverine names Divol to board
Leading footwear manufacturer Wolverine Worldwide added an executive with an ideal background for a data insecure world to its board of directors.

Dollar General maintains opening price point leadership in Kantar study

Boston -- Dollar General maintains its overall opening price point leadership position in Kantar Retail’s fourth annual opening price point (OPP) study. For the third consecutive year, Dollar General‘s overall basket was the least expensive, edging out Walmart supercenter’s basket by 2.5%, representing a widening of the gap between the two in the 2013 study.
Alco Stores files Chapter 11, to sell or liquidate

Coppell, Texas -- Alco Stores Inc. on Sunday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with plans to liquidate or sell the business. The 113-year-old retailer and its subsidiary, Alco Holdings Ltd Liability Co., filed voluntary petitions for relief in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division. It listed assets of $221.7 million and debt of $161.6 million.
Saving water equals sales at Home Depot

Water conservation is big business for the nation’s largest home improvement retailer who earned accolades from the Environmental Protection Agency for selling nearly 13 million WaterSense devices.

The EPA named Home Depot a 2014 WaterSense Partner of the year for selling nearly 13 million WaterSense labeled products which helped customers save an estimated 42.5 billion gallons of water and more than $358 million in water related utility costs. The retailer said the water saved is enough to supply 291,000 U.S. homes for a full year.
Junction Solutions implements Microsoft Dynamics for sports retailer Fanzz

Denver -- Junction Solutions announced today that it completed the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 at 122 stores of Fanzz, a leading sports apparel and team gear retailer.
REI optimizes app experience

Outdoor enthusiasts have been given a host of new capabilities on REI’s newest mobile app – including the ability to check snow conditions at popular ski destinations.
ALCO Store files for bankruptcy

Regional discounter ALCO Stores succumbed to market pressures and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The operator of 198 stores in 23 states was founded in 1901 and sought to serve small underserved markets with a broad range of value priced merchandise.
Top 10 Predictions for IT for 2015 and beyond

New York -- Smart machines, mobile and digital business transformation all weigh heavily in tech research giant Gartner’s top 10 predictions for IT organizations and users in 2015 and beyond. Here is an overview of Gartner's top 10 trends:
Lowe’s taps Speed Commerce for customized e-commerce solution

Dallas -- Speed Commerce, a leading provider of omni-channel e-commerce services, has launched a customized e-commerce solution for Lowe's Companies to support its operations in Mexico.