TECHNOLOGY

Arts and craft giant partners with social media platform on home decor
Michaels and Pinterest are merging crafts and digital promotions to get artisans’ creative juices flowing. The two companies are teaming up to sell a kit that can inspire newbies or the most experienced crafter to create one of the most trending projects on Pinterest. The co-branded Make It Kits were developed using Pinterest insights and trends, along with Michaels’ product expertise and e-commerce capabilities, according to Michaels.
Appear Here taps into ongoing trend for pop-up stores, temporary leases
Think of it as an Airbnb for temporary spaces. Appear Here, a British-based online marketplace for short-term retail space, has launched in the United States, with its initial expansion starting in New York City.

Study: U.S. companies still waiting on an innovation ROI

Global companies agree that innovation is critical to survival but not enough projects are successfully driving growth and increasing revenue. Specifically, two-thirds (66%) of global organizations said innovation is crucial to their longevity, but only 28% are seeing returns on their investments (ROI), according to “Innovation Matters,” a report from PA Consulting Group. The report tapped 821 senior executives across C-level, senior VP, board and director level positions.
Study: Native ads outpace traditional marketing efforts

Native advertising is significantly spurring in-store traffic — at a more cost-efficient rate — compared to traditional display advertising.
French children’s clothing brand in U.S. debut

Orchestra is entering the United States, both online and off. The 23-year-old French children’s and maternity fashion brand has launched its first English language website. The retailer will make its U.S. brick-and-mortar debut, opening newborn/children's clothing store at King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia, Pa.
Online giant granted patent to create on-demand clothing

Amazon’s newest win could expand its foothold in the private-label apparel category. The online giant won a patent on Tuesday, April 18, for an on-demand apparel manufacturing system. The solution includes a textile printer, textile cutter, and a computing device that will work in concert to design apparel once customers place an order.
Study: Shopping habits differ across generations of shoppers

There is clearly a “generation gap” when it comes to how — and where — different customer segments choose to shop. This was according to a recent study from Dealspotr, a crowdsourcing platform for savings. The firm launched an online survey among respondents across age groups, including Generation Z (20 and under), Millennial (21 to 35), Generation X (36 to 52), and Baby Boomers (53 and above), and monitored their visits to fashion-related areas across the Dealspotr website.
Walmart in milestone opening

Walmart hit the century mark in terms of training academies. The retailer on Monday celebrated the grand opening of its 100th U.S. training academy, in Frontage, Edmond. The academies were first introduced in 2016 and have expanded to 40 states.
Specialty chain integrates omnichannel processes

To the key to omnichannel success is having access to synchronized, and up-to-date business information. Mattress Firm is partnering with Visionet Systems to create a centralized information repository that integrates all business information across retail channels in near real-time — a move that will improve operational efficiency enterprise-wide.
Report: Snapchat geofilter tracks offline purchases

A messaging app launched a new lens that could help drive shoppers through retailers’ doors. Snapchat’s Snap to Store product is a geofilter that retailers can sponsor. When Snapchatters use the retailer-specific overlay on their snaps and share it in their story, Snap analyzes who sees those branded snaps and tracks whether users — or their followers — visit the store, according to New York Business Journal.