News

By Derek Bonney, [email protected]

Technology has shifted everything, especially the retail experience. Not only has it changed how we locate, evaluate and purchase products or services, it has created a treasure trove of data for both retailers and marketers. So let’s examine something I call the “Retail Shift.”

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot announced it is launching one-hour, in-store pickup for items purchased on its website. There is no shipping fee for the new pickup service.

“The holiday season is in full swing, and this is another way to enhance the shopping experience for Office Depot customers regardless of whether they choose to do so in-store or online,” said Mike Kirschner, SVP e-commerce for Office Depot. “We are proud to be the first office supply chain to offer this free one-hour pickup service for our customers.”

It looks likes India’s rules against foreign direct investment in the retail sector will no longer be an impediment to Walmart’s expansion in the world’s second most populous country.

More than 500 suppliers and service companies were on hand recently to hear what Walmart chief marketing officer Stephen Quinn had to say at an event organized by the Bentonville Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce.

Tesco and Walmart’s Asda division are intense competitors in the U.K. and that was supposed to be the case in the U.S. when Tesco arrived in 2007 with its Fresh & Easy format.

Online holiday sales continue to set new sales records, according to digital measurement firm comScore, and Walmart is presumably sharing in that growth given its site typically ranks second only to Amazon in terms of traffic.

Walmart is occupying the familiar role of corporate villain again this week as new details emerge regarding a fire that killed 112 people at a Bangladesh apparel factory used by one of the retailer’s suppliers.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Retired Publix president and director emeritus Mark C. Hollis has passed away at that age of 78.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. and ATLANTA — The Coca-Cola Company is joining forces with HSN, a multichannel retailer, which will allow both parties to tap into each other’s customer base and expand their online reach.

Total U.S. Shopper Traffic in Retail Stores and Malls for November 2012

Shopper traffic in November increased as Black Friday weekend sales promotions — and the Veterans Day holiday earlier in the month — drew shoppers into retail stores.

As a result, the month saw an 18 percent increase in retail foot traffic compared to October. November 2012 continued a trend of year-over-year improvements with a 6 percent increase in retail foot traffic when compared to the same month last year.