TECHNOLOGY

Two retail chief executives to star in season premiere of ‘Undercover Boss’
Popular CBS reality show “Undercover Boss” will kick off its upcoming season with back-to-back one-hour episodes on Dec. 21 featuring two CEOs of national retailers. The show’s first hour will feature Sharon Price John, president and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, who will learn how building bears and other furry animals isn't all fun and games. For a video preview, click here.
C-store chain improves fresh offerings through machine learning, IoT
Love’s Travel Stops is known for its fresh restaurant offerings, so ensuring food quality throughout the supply chain is paramount. By adding a food temperature monitoring and task logging system from Digi International, the convenience store chain is simplifying employee tasks, and ensuring public health compliance.

Study: Shopper average holiday spending beats 2015

The final shopping days of the holiday season are in full swing, and it is driving harried shoppers to open their wallets even wider. The average spend per gift is up 37% over last year, and men are spending roughly 20% more than women on average, according to new data from Loop Commerce, which evaluated purchases made through its network of top retailers including Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Coach, among others..
Best Buy Corp. extends commitment to teen tech training

More of the nation’s underserved teens will have access to free technology tools and training thanks to Best Buy. The chain plans to add nine new Best Buy Teen Tech Centers to its year-round support network in 2017. The announcement was made Tuesday, at the opening of Best Buy’s newest Teen Tech Center, in Denver, Colorado.
Nordstrom takes e-gifting to the next level this holiday season

Nordstrom is making it even easier for its online customers to pick out the perfect holiday gift. Through its partnership with CashStar, the department store chain now features Product eGifting, a platform that enables customers to visit Nordstrom.com, select a gift and send it, along with a personal message, via email. Shoppers select a product and enter the recipient’s email to send the e-gift. Recipients receive an email that contains a personal message and gift description.
Six disruptive digital trends for 2017

Retailers will engage new channels, “geek up” their stores, and use technology to refine inventory management and anticipate customer desires in 2017. That’s according to Software AG, which released a list of six disruptive digital trends retailers must address in 2017. Here’s a recap:
Report: Big increase in holiday offers — and related costs

Retailers continue to launch digital deals this holiday season to snag new customers — but these efforts come at a price. Retailers’ promotional offers are eclipsing 2015 efforts. Customer orders using a promotion are up 34% versus 2015, and up 52% over the holiday season (Nov. 1-Dec. 5) versus 2015 in North America.
Fitch Ratings: U.S. retail sales to grow 3% to 4% in 2017

Retailers and restaurants in the United States won’t get any relief in 2017 in the battle to win customers. That’s according to Fitch Ratings' Outlook report, which says that retailers will continue to face a competitive environment in 2017 as they navigate changing customer preferences.
Publix comes out on top again

A Florida-based supermarket company tops J.D. Power’s 2016 U.S. Pharmacy Study. Publix Pharmacy, the in-store pharmacy at Publix Super Markets, came out on top in the J.D. Power report, a customer satisfaction benchmark study that provides pharmacy-specific performance comparisons among brick-and-mortar pharmacies.
Sales and Coupons Remain Most Successful Tactic in Driving Holiday Shoppers to the Store

Holiday 2016 is proving to be both an opportunity and a challenge for retailers, as they’re faced with catering to the behaviors and preferences of multiple generations of shoppers. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Generation Z (children ages 10-17) consumers have a significant and growing influence on household spending. And as a result, new trends are emerging this holiday season, including the record mobile app purchases we saw on Black Friday/Thanksgiving weekend.