TECHNOLOGY

PetSmart in pet relief effort
PetSmart is reaching out to help pets stranded by the Louisiana floods The chain and its charitable nonprofit arm, PetSmart Charities, are coming to the aid of hundreds of animals left homeless by the Louisiana floods, which is being called the worst natural disaster to hit the United States since Hurricane Sandy.
J.C. Penney focused on omnichannel
Omnichannel initiatives are crucial to J.C. Penney’s newly-unveiled plan to drive profit and accelerate growth. In a presentation at its 2016 analyst meeting, Penney said it is seeking to boost its e-commerce and omnichannel experience, starting with a newly redesigned app that enables customers to locate items, apply coupons and access their JCPenney Rewards more easily.

First Data report: Back-to-school spending starting to heat up

Back to school sales appear to be rebounding this year after experiencing sluggish growth over the past three years (2013-2015). That’s according to First Data’s Back-to-school SpendTrend report, which is based on aggregate same store sales activity in the First Data point-of-sale network. Some of the most significant findings include:
How to Reap the Benefits of Global E-Commerce this Holiday Season
J.C. Penney announces major initiatives; sees half a billion in profit by 2017

J.C. Penney keeps getting more bullish. The retailer on Thursday outlined an array of new initiatives as part of a three-plan to drive profit and accelerate growth. The company also detailed financial goals, and said it expects to reach nearly half a billion dollars in profit by 2019.
Publix invites customers to its first-ever blog

Publix Super Markets is expanding its online outreach by launching the company’s first blog for engaging with customers. The blog, called Publix Checkout, was created with the customer in mind, the company says. Blog posts will range in topic from recipes, community initiatives and sustainability ideas to holiday entertaining, health and wellness and more. Visitors to the blog can comment on posts or share them on social media sites.
Avoid These Seven Deadly Sins of Customer Experience

When it comes to providing customer service, companies often have only one chance to get it right. The reality is that even just one negative experience can be all it takes for a customer to take their business elsewhere.
Early holiday survey finds retailers bullish

Although it’s only August and the pendulum has plenty of time to swing in the other direction, retailers are feeling optimistic about the upcoming holiday season. That’s according to a report by Fung Global Retail & Technology and First Insight, in which more than 60% of those surveyed said they believe that holiday sales will increase compared to last year, and about 25% expect sales to increase 5% to 10%.
Report: Back-to-school spending to jump 33%

Shoppers are opening their pocketbooks for back-to-school spending this year. Parents expect to spend an average of $1,642 on back-to-school expenses this year, up significantly from $1,239 in 2015, according to the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker report. Parents are expected to spend more on musical instruments this ($267 vs. $194 in 2015), along with mobile devices ($172 vs. $125 in 2015).
Retail sales stall in July

Consumers cooled their spending in July. Retail sales were flat in July, in line with a revised 0.8% gain in June, according to figures released Friday by the Commerce Department. The report ended three straight months of monthly gains. Sales in July rose 2.3% from a year ago. Excluding automobiles and parts sales, sales fell 0.3% in July — the weakest reading since January, after a 0.9% gain in the prior month.