TECHNOLOGY

PetSmart’s holiday gift: Free same-day deliveries
As the online shopping window is closing for traditional home delivery, PetSmart is offering free same-day shipments until Dec. 24. The service is available in 17 metro areas across the nation, including Boston, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, San Jose, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York City, Yonkers and Northern New Jersey. Overall, the same-day deliveries will cover nearly 2,500 ZIP codes.
7-Eleven completes first month of drone deliveries
7-Eleven has completed 77 autonomous drone deliveries to customer homes in the United States. Through its collaboration with Flirtey, a service that supports commercial drone deliveries to customer homes in the United States, the convenience store chain conducted regular weekend deliveries to mobile shoppers during November. A dozen select shoppers used a custom app to place orders, which were fulfilled from a dedicated 7-Eleven store, the company said.

Shake Shack app goes national

The ordering app that Shake Shack has been testing in key urban markets like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles is now rolling out nationally. Users pick their food items and extras on the app, pre-pay, designate a pick-up time from a selection of 15-minute increments, then retrieve their orders at a pick-up window. A list of past transactions allows them to re-order favorites.
GNC closing all stores — for one day — for major revamp

GNC Holdings is changing its pricing structure and marketing, and adding tech enhancements to its store environment as it looks to replace what it described as “an old broken model.” The company announced that all corporate stores will close on Dec. 28 and reopen on Dec. 29, when GNC will offer customers a “dramatically improved experience with the launch of One New GNC.”
Starbucks taps “Simpsons” writers for animated series

http://embed.wistia.com/deliveries/7ad5f292105fd929c54377f967a03b1ac4a10047/my-file.mp4

Starbucks has launched its first-ever animated web series — with the help of some veteran comedy writers.
Super Saturday could attract more shoppers than Thanksgiving weekend

The biggest shopping day of the year is approaching, and shoppers are ready — almost 156 million, to be exact. On Saturday, Dec. 17, 66% of Americans – an estimated 155.7 million people –plan to or are considering taking advantage of Super Saturday sales to complete their holiday gift list, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The survey, which asked 6,890 consumers about their holiday shopping plans, was conducted Dec. 1 - 7.
Five top trends for grocery stores in 2017

More digital connections and a speedier checkout process rank among the top trends for grocery shopping in 2017. That’s according to John Karolefski, supermarket analyst and purveyor of GroceryStories.com, who also predicts a more diverse produce department, increased availability of meal kits, and better access to product information. "The top trends for 2017 will result in improved loyalty to stores and more informed shoppers," said Karolefski.
Union for air pilots warns about last-minute Amazon holiday deliveries

The union that represents cargo pilots who fly Amazon goods has launched online ads that warn staffing problems could lead to delayed deliveries. The ads, set to run on Facebook and Google, link to a site called “Can Amazon Deliver?” that outlines alleged staffing issues at two cargo airlines from which Amazon leases planes, reported ReCode.
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.