TECHNOLOGY

The University of Washington is teaming up with Costco, UPS, Nordstrom and other stakeholders on a new project that aims to improve the way consumers receive their goods.

The SCTL Center Urban Freight Lab says it will be working to improve the management of both public and private operations of urban goods delivery systems. Urban Freight Lab members plan to engage in strategic applied research projects at the SCTL Center, and help identify priority problems for future research.

Founding members of the SCTL Center Urban Freight Lab include:

With its recent acquisition of Jet.com, a commitment to growing its online grocery business with a convenient grocery pick-up option and an extensive investment against delivering a seamless digital shopping experience, Walmart is once again flipping the script on what it means to compete for America's shopping dollar.   The company's investment in grocery pick-up services represents the cover of that new script - and Walmart is expanding that service to 600 stores this year and 500 stores next year.  

While digital disruption continues to stymie a good part of the industry, Sam’s Club is using the concept to its advantage.   The company’s VP of omnichannel member communication and innovation, Darshan Gad, and executive VP of operations Don Frieson, teamed up at the “Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit” event last week in Rogers, Ark., to discuss how the chain is using disruption to drive innovation.  

Many retailers could be forgiven for thinking that their biggest challenge – satisfying the changing expectations of a digital-savvy and fickle customer base – just keeps on getting harder.  

Hhgregg Inc. is the latest retailer to give its store employees off for Thanksgiving Day.   The appliances and consumer electronics retailer announced it will close its 220 stores on the holiday, and reopen them at 7 a.m. on Black Friday.  To date, approximately 42 national retailers and the nation’s largest mall have announced they will not be open on turkey day (see list at end of story.)  

Amazon’s Seattle-based drive-up grocery store may be making headlines, but that’s not its only grocery-related change.    Amazon Prime members in select cities are now entitled to a delivery fee discount for AmazonFresh, the pure play retailer’s online grocery service. The program, which was $299 per year, is now $14.99 per month for Prime members in available markets. This fee is in addition to Amazon’s $99 annual Prime membership fee, according to the company’s website.  

Watch out, 7-Eleven and other c-store retailers. Amazon is thinking about entering your turf.   Having opened bookstores and with a planned entry into the drive-up grocery store space under construction in Seattle, the Internet giant is now considering opening convenience stores,  reported the Wall Street Journal.   The c-stores, with an internal code name of “Project Como,” would be available only to AmazonFresh subscribers, according to the report.  

At a time when loyalty programs are becoming ubiquitous, Lowes Foods’ new service is breaking the mold.    The grocery chain is launching a promotional reward campaign in 75 stores across North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. For every $10 spent at Lowes Foods stores, customers will receive one stamp — either traditional or virtual — at checkout, good toward VIVO kitchen knives, knife blocks and cutting boards. The promotion runs until February 26, 2017.