TECHNOLOGY

Retailers hope to steal some Prime Day thunder
Amazon may be pulling out the stops to lure customers to participate in Prime Day, but competitors are taking steps to grab their own online sales. The online giant’s third annual Prime Day global shopping extravaganza officially kicked off on Monday, July 10, at 6 pm PST, and will run until the wee hours of morning on July 12. Eager to take advantage of early bird shoppers, Amazon began rolling out sneak previews — and sales opportunities — as early as last week.
Report: Online giant creating its own ‘Geek Squad’
Amazon’s newest service is looking to give Best Buy a run for its money. In a move designed to rival Best Buy’s Geek Squad installation and repair team, the online giant is quietly creating its own fleet of gadget experts, according to ReCode.

Accessories retailer readies for international expansion

With plans to triple its store portfolio in six years, Parfois needs to expertly anticipate demand and gain global visibility into its inventory. By partnering with Oracle, the accessories retailer is one step closer to scaling its operations. Parfois added the Oracle Retail Merchandise Operations Suite and the Oracle Retail Warehouse Management System — two solutions that will support the company’s high growth and international expansion plans.
Footwear retailer launches in-store pick-up

Famous Footwear wants to get merchandise into its shoppers’ hands faster. By rolling out an in-store pickup service chainwide, Famous Footwear’s online shoppers now have the option of picking up their orders in more than 1,000 locations. To encourage shoppers to try the service, the retailer is offering customers that shop between July 7 through July 11, a $5 discount off of one order containing an in-store pickup item.
Penney launching new loyalty program, app

J.C. Penney is enhancing customer benefits in its loyalty program. The retailer is debuting a revample program that allows Sephora customers to double-dip on rewards and also allows earned points to roll over from month to month, reported the Dallas News.
Office supplies giant makes big changes to loyalty program

Office Depot had one goal when updating its loyalty program: to make sure that every shopper is rewarded. The office supplies giant debuted its new loyalty program. Besides being free, the “Office Depot OfficeMax Rewards Everything” program is designed to save customers money, and deliver expanded benefits. The program evolved following a year-long pilot in several markets, a process that enabled the company to gather customer feedback needed to redesign the program.
Jet.com tries its hand at online sampling

Walmart’s e-commerce arm is shaking up its customer engagement efforts. Jet.com is adopting product sampling to forge stronger relationships with its online shoppers. Though a partnership with BrandShare, the online retailer will deliver 300,000 premium product samples and exclusive offers each month inside e-commerce packages. BrandShare is a long-time partner of Jet’s parent company, Walmart.
Sam’s Club testing new delivery programs

A warehouse club chain is making it easier for business customers to receive their online orders. Sam’s Club is testing a business delivery program in Dallas. Besides enabling business owners to place orders online, new services offer members a choice in how they receive merchandise.
Kroger is defending its turf

The nation's largest supermarket operator is suing the German discount grocer Lidl over trademark infringement. In a complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court in Virginia, Kroger claims that Lidl’s house brand, “Preferred Selection,” too closely resembles Kroger's own brand, “Private Selection.”
Quick-service giant delivers on-demand ice cream

Baskin-Robbins is making sure its customers get their ice cream fix exactly when they crave it. On July 6, the quick service company launched a service that enables customers in 22 cities to order ice cream online and have it delivered in under an hour. Through its partnership with DoorDash, Baskin-Robbins shoppers can order a variety of frozen treats — from pre-packed quarts to sundaes — either online or via the DoorDash mobile app. The app is available for Android and iOS devices.