TECHNOLOGY

With its epic product launches, Nike’s digital channels can get unprecedented levels of interest and demand. And crashes are unacceptable.   The athletic goods giant is on pace to hit $50 billion in revenue by 2020, a goal that Nike expects to hit with the support of its digital strategy, according to Mike Wittig, VP infrastructure, Nike.   

An online start-up has turned to a traditional retailer to help grown its brand.    Target Corp. has entered into a partnership with Casper, an online brand credited with disrupting the mattress category. Target will start selling the brand’s mattresses and other products, including a few exclusive items, beginning on June 18.    

E-commerce or brick-and-mortar retail environments continue to merge, and retailers are in the hot seat to optimize the customer experience.   As a result, the need to adopt innovative technologies to engage shoppers has never been stronger. This was according to the “2017 Customer Experience/Unified Commerce Benchmark Survey” from Boston Retail Partners.   

Automation may be mission-critical to operational longevity in the retail industry, but it could be creating a significant pool of “stranded workers.”   Six million to 7.5 million retail jobs likely will be automated out of existence in the coming years, leaving a large portion of the retail workforce at risk of becoming “stranded workers.” Retail cashiers are at highest risk for automation technologies, and women hold 73% of these positions.  

German discount grocer Lidl is set to shake up the competition with prices that promise to turn up the heat on its U.S. competitors, who are already engaged in a price war.    Lidl on Wednesday revealed the locations of the first 20 stores it will open this summer in the United States, starting on June 15. (See end of story for listing). The stores — in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia — are the first of up to 100 locations the grocer plans to open across the East Coast by next summer.    

More hungry customers can now get their Big Macs, fries, beverages and desserts delivered right to their door.   As of Wednesday, May 17, McDonald’s is expanding its delivery service to customers in Los Angeles, Chicago, Columbus and Phoenix. Through its partnership with UberEats, the company’s “McDelivery” program now encompasses up to 1,000 restaurants in the United States.  

This year, consumer spending for Mother's Day was on pace to reach a record high.   According to the National Retail Federation's annual study, shoppers were set to spend $23.6 billion, spending an average of $186 per mom. And everything from flowers, gift cards and clothing to jewelry, personal services and consumer electronics were on shopping lists.   But did all that shopping land the perfect gift?  

Apple wants to give its shoppers more reasons to visit its stores than to make a purchase or visit the Genius Bar.