TECHNOLOGY

Men’s specialty retailer streamlines financial transaction auditing
As retailers expand the breadth of their omnichannel operations, they need better visibility into their financial data. This is not an easy task for retailers like Tailored Brands, whose expansive retail portfolio includes Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Joseph Abboud, Moores Clothing for Men and K&G Fashion Superstore. The company also operates a global corporate apparel and workwear group consisting of Twin Hill in the U.S. and Dimensions, Alexandra and Yaffy in the U.K.
Report: AmazonGo to sell spirits
Amazon’s new convenience store may not have cashiers, but a new product category will require someone to check shopper IDs. Along with its sandwiches, salads and snacks, Amazon plans to sell beer and wine from its AmazonGo store in Seattle, Recode said.

Commentary: Implications for Grocery Retailers as Lidl Launches Stateside

While Lidl has made clear its plans to expand to the U.S., many grocery retailers may not have expected it to make its stateside debut quite so soon. Recent reports that the chain will open its first stores on U.S. soil this summer, ahead of schedule, mean that the pressure is on for domestic grocery chains to determine how to react to their latest challenger.
Wellness retailer’s new loyalty program gets personal

GNC Holdings plans to drive customer engagement by rewarding individual customers with targeted incentives.
Resort-wear brand goes omnichannel

The Tori Richard brand is a staple in Hawaii, but it’s taking steps to expand sales across the continental United States. A company founded as a women's wear brand 60 years ago in Honolulu, has since become an internationally recognized men's and women's resort wear brand available in its 17 stores and approximately 2,500 wholesale accounts, including in Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. This breadth contributes to sales that span across the main-land U.S., Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.
Amazon ups the ante on the free shipping race

Amazon has again raised the stakes in the home shipping war. Almost a year after raising its free shipping minimum for non-Prime customers from $35 to $50, Amazon subtly announced on its website that it is once again honoring free shipping on orders of $35.
2017 Breakout Retailer Award Winners Announced

Chain Store Age is proud to announce the 2017 Breakout Retailer Award winners. In its second year, the award honors emerging retail/restaurant concepts that are innovative in their segment and show strong potential for growth.
Survey: These retailers top customer service expectations

Exceptional customer service is key to driving long-term customer loyalty — and once again, B&H Photo Video, The Home Depot and Zappos are blazing the path. For the second year in a row, these three heavy hitters topped the 20th Annual Mystery Shopping Study. The report from Astound Commerce recognized retailers who excel in customer service through an assessment of “must-have” website features and behavior based on engagement with available touchpoints.
Wireless provider rewards customers with free fuel

T-Mobile’s digital loyalty program just got more valuable. The company’s “T-Mobile Tuesdays” app delivers free gifts and dis-counts to its users each week. Through its partnership with Excentus, the wireless provider now features a 25-cent-per-gallon “Fuel Rewards” discount code within its weekly rewards rotation.
Google Home helps users ‘go shopping’

Google Home is giving Amazon’s Echo a run for its (shopping) money. On Thursday, Google announced that shoppers can use Google Home to order everyday basics from Google Express retailers, including Costco, Whole Foods Market, Walgreens, PetSmart, Bed Bath & Beyond and others, reported GeekWire.