TECHNOLOGY

The coffee chain is taking mobile ordering to a new level.   Through a partnership with mapping and navigation app Waze, Dunkin’ Donuts is launching its new “Order Ahead” program — a move that not only streamlines the mobile ordering process, but helps guests get to their destination faster.  

The online giant is bolstering its fleet of warehouses in the Lone Star State.   Amazon’s newest fulfillment center will be in Katy, Texas — its 10th in the state. The 1 million sq ft. facility will employ 1,000 associates who will pick, pack and ship larger-sized customer items, such as music equipment, sports gear and electronics.  

The pizza chain is getting ready to introduce the newest member of its delivery team.   Through its partnership with Starship Technologies, Domino’s will begin using wheeled robots to deliver pizza in Hamburg, Germany. The first deliveries could begin in the next two months, according to ReCode.   

Kroger Co. wants to give its employees a voice — and now they have one.   Eager to highlight the accomplishments, milestones, and personal connections made by its associates, Kroger Co. introduced Krogersteries.com, a website dedicated to its employees’ contributions, and the impact they make on the company.   

Even Amazon has technical difficulties.    The online giant is delaying the public opening of its cashier-less convenience store, Amazon Go, due to technical complications, according to MarketWatch.   

Three very different retailers earned the top score in a survey of customer experience.   Ace Hardware, BJ's Wholesale Club, and QVC deliver the best customer experience in the retail industry, according to the 2017 Temkin Experience Ratings, an annual customer experience ranking of companies based on a survey of 10,000 U.S. consumers.   

Electronic shelf labels are poised to gain momentum.   That’s according to a new report by ABI Research, which said that several big-box retail deployments of the technology will trigger a domino effect in market growth over the next two years. The company predicted that the electronic shelf label (ESL) market will grow tenfold by 2022, hitting more than $4 billion in global revenues.