TECHNOLOGY

Retail sales stall in July
Consumers cooled their spending in July. Retail sales were flat in July, in line with a revised 0.8% gain in June, according to figures released Friday by the Commerce Department. The report ended three straight months of monthly gains. Sales in July rose 2.3% from a year ago. Excluding automobiles and parts sales, sales fell 0.3% in July — the weakest reading since January, after a 0.9% gain in the prior month.
A digital first for Lowes Foods
Lowes Foods is the first supermarket retailer to launch an integrated digital coupon solution. Lowes is using a solution developed by Unata, a provider of one-to-one digital solutions for grocers, and Inmar, a technology and analytics company, which integrates digital coupons directly into the grocer’s e-commerce and e-circular programs.

Wal-Mart buying Jet.com for $3 billion

Wal-Mart Stores announced it will acquire retail start-up — and would-be Amazon rival — Jet.com for approximately $3 billion in cash. Additionally, $300 million of Walmart shares will be paid over time as part of the transaction. The deal will go a long way to helping Walmart expand its e-commerce growth and customer reach, and also give it more firing power as it competes with Amazon. And Jet.com’s popularity with millennials will help the discounter attract a younger, higher-income customer.
Study: Five trends impacting retail sales

Instant delivery. Athleisure wear. Rented and used clothing. These are among the five trends identified by consumer financial services company Synchrony Financial as impacting both the retail and mobile payments space. Here’s a review of what Synchrony says consumers are especially interested in:
Report: Wal-Mart in talks to buy Amazon competitor, Jet.com

Wal-Mart Stores is in talks to buy start-up Jet.com, an online retailer that has styled itself as a challenger to Amazon, the Wall Street Journal reported. The acquisition would give a big boost to Wal-Mart’s digital efforts, as well as its efforts to compete with Amazon. At the company’s annual shareholders meetings in June, Wal-Mart CEO Doug said the discounter planned to become more aggressive in growing its online business.
Warehouse club readies for next phase of online growth

BJ’s Wholesale Club has selected CommerceHub’s unified platform to bolster its online assortment, fulfillment and delivery. “We’re committed to delivering uncompromising value to our Members, and CommerceHub is a strong partner,” said Jackie Cunningham, VP of e-commerce at BJ’s Wholesale Club, which operates 213 stores in 15 states.
Westfield, R/GA accelerator program seeks to redefine retail experience

A diverse mix of retail tech start-ups have been selected to participate in a program aimed at enhancing retail innovation.
Survey: Technology needs helping to drive back-to-school spending

Consumers’ increased confidence in their own financial situation bodes well for back-to-school spending. At least that’s according to Synchrony Financial’s Back-to-School survey, which found that clothing, shoes and electronics represent the majority of back-to-school spending for most families surveyed and more than a third expect to spend more in both categories this year. Longer supply lists and more technology needs are among the drivers of increased spending.
Beauty giant to launch branded credit-card program

Ulta Beauty is expanding its popular Ultamate Rewards loyalty program. The retailer is partnering with Alliance Data Systems Corp. Alliance will develop and manage the Ultamate Rewards Credit Card, which is designed to enhance the benefits of the chain’s loyalty program. Alliance will provide private-label and co-branded credit card services for Ulta, the largest beauty retailer in the United States, operating 886 stores nationwide.
The bright spot in the apparel industry is…

Consumers are putting their best foot forward when it comes to spending.