TECHNOLOGY

Lowe’s partners with San Francisco start-up to sell tech devices
Lowe’s Companies is partnering with an unusual and very tech-savvy retailer to sell “smart” home devices. The home improvement retailer has teamed up with San-Francisco-based b8ta to launch an in-store shop concept dedicated to demystifying and simplifying the purchase of smart home devices Called “SmartSpot powered by b8ta,” the new concept is currently in place in three Lowe’s stores in California (Livermore, Burbank and Aliso Viejo).
There’s no place likes stores for the holidays
Want to get in the holiday spirit? Visit a store. The overwhelming majority (75%) of Americans believe shopping in a store is one of the best ways to get in the holiday spirit, while 58% say that online shopping takes some of the fun out of holiday shopping, according to new research by Citi Retail Services.

The least busy day of the holiday shopping season will be…

Most experts agree that the busiest day of this year’s holiday shopping season is likely to be Saturday, Dec. 17. But what about shoppers who want to avoid the crowds? According to RetailNext Inc., Tuesday, Nov. 29 will afford the widest berths in malls and stores.
A.T. Kearney: Economic resilience spikes holiday spending

Forty percent of U.S. consumers plan to spend more this year than during the 2015 holiday shopping season, driven by better job prospects and an improving economy. That’s one of the findings of the A.T. Kearney 2016 Holiday Shopping Survey, which was conducted online from Oct. 24 – Oct. 25, 2016.
Study: Return options, loyalty perks, security boost shopper satisfaction

Easy returns, exclusive loyalty perks and secure transaction processes top customer wish lists this holiday season.
Sears to host a ‘members only’ holiday sale

Sears’ loyal shoppers will have the chance to preview holiday sales at an exclusive shopping event.
Beacons’ Next Step: Bringing ‘Online’ to the Real World, Getting Personal

In 2013, to much hype and social media fanfare, Apple introduced the iBeacon into their iOS with release 4.0. Then everything went quiet, mostly because very few applications for the technology exist, and not enough developers understood the unlimited potential of the technology.
Singles Day: Alibaba reports record sales, but growth slows

The 24-hour Chinese shopping mega-event known as Singles Day brought in record numbers for the country’s e-commerce giant, Alibaba. But it appears that the growth rate is decelerating. Alibaba Group Holding Limited reported that the total amount of goods and services sold by vendors (known as gross merchandise volume) over its e-commerce sites rose 24% to a record $17.8 billion this year. Last year, by contrast, sales on Alibaba platforms increased 60%.
Starbucks goes for safety in numbers with its annual holiday cup

Starbucks Corp. stirred up a controversy last year when people complained that its all-red holiday cups were too plain. It’s unlikely there will be any complaints this go around. This year, for the first time ever, Starbucks has 13 different holiday cups, all of them red but each with its own distinct design. And in another twist, the designs were created by customers.
More big retailers announce Thanksgiving/Black Friday plans

Four of the nation’s largest retail chains remain committed to opening their doors on Thanksgiving. Target Corp. announced it will open its stores at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, and Best Buy said it plans to open at 5 p.m. Walmart will start its Black Friday event at 6 p.m. on Turkey Day (most Walmart locations are open 24 hours).