News

Amazon is touting its Prime program again this holiday season, reminding members that they can order gifts as late as midnight EST Sunday, Dec. 22, and still get free delivery before Christmas.

The online retailer is leveraging the shorter shopping period this year, which is one week shorter than last year’s, to drive sales by emphasizing the convenience that online shopping can afford — a surefire way to draw shoppers who want to avoid the imminent crowds this weekend.

UPS expects to accommodate more than 78 million online tracking requests on Tuesday, December 17 thanks in part to new mobile capabilities that offer shoppers unprecedented supply chain visibility.

3M wowed investors on Tuesday by sharing aggressive organic growth plans, doubling a share repurchase program, raising the prospect of billion dollar acquisitions and increasing its dividend by 35%.

The $30 billion company offered the details during a meeting with investors to update a five-year growth plan that extends through 2017. The plan envisions 9% to 11% growth in earnings per share, 4% to 6% organic revenue growth and approximately a 20% return on invested capital.

Toys “R” Us is resorting a familiar tactic and keeping its doors open from 6 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 through 9 p.m. Christmas Eve to drive last-minute holiday shoppers into its stores.

All Toys “R” Us stores nationwide are advertising around-the-clock savings and deals during the final 87 hours of Christmas shopping, along with daily deliveries through Christmas Eve. Only full-service stores in Paramus, N.J., and Puerto Rico, will not be open 24 hours a day.

New York -- The majority of American shoppers think that holiday discounts advertised by retailers are faked, according to a survey conducted by British marketing consultant David Rawlings.

Rawlings’ Google survey, "Before-Christmas sales — Do you believe the discounts are genuine?," queried 1,500 American Internet users, and found that more than 70% of those polled answered "no" to that question.

Walnut Creek, Calif. – Most retailers have yet to adapt their supply chains to the emerging omni-channel retail model. According to a new report from RSR Research, “Supply Chain Execution 2014: Making Omni-channel Profitable,” although most retail supply chains are only designed to fulfill the store channel, store is the third-most-common channel slated for retailer investment in the next three years (67%), with online/e-commerce (82%) and mobile commerce (70%) ahead.

Merchant Warehouse, a leading provider of payment technologies and merchant account services, has appointed Christopher Wuhrer as SVP, strategic initiatives and product marketing.

With more than 18 years of experience in payments, e-commerce and mobile technology, Wuhrer will be responsible for driving the product vision, direction and go-to market strategies for the company's product and service offerings.

By Graeme McVie, VP, LoyaltyOne, [email protected]

Statistics tell the story: the U.S. population is getting older at a dramatic rate. The Department of Health & Human Service’s Administration on Aging estimates that nearly 55 million people – nearly one-in-six – will be age 65 or older by 2020, compared with 40 million in 2010.