TECHNOLOGY

Study: Three companies had 84% of shoppers spend with them in 2016
Some of the biggest names in retailing and foodservice used experiences to encourage a high percentage buyers to visit at least once last year. Specifically, Walmart, McDonald’s and Target had more than five out of six U.S. consumers shopping with them in 2016, according to “The Checkout Penetration Index,” from The NPD Group’s Checkout Tracking.
Yelp is launching delivery by robots
A social media player is getting in on the robot delivery game. Through a partnership between Yelp and robot delivery startup Marble, customers in San Francisco’s Mission and Potrero Hill neighborhoods will soon receive their Yelp Eat 24 deliveries via rovers, according to ReCode. When a customer places an order, they may receive a notification with the chance to opt-in for a robot delivery.

Sportswear retailer looks to grow with new platform

J.McLaughlin is in a growth phase. Armed with a new cloud-based retail platform, the chain can more efficiently execute its plan. The Brooklyn, New York-based retailer is a specialty apparel chain that operates 115 stores and an e-commerce site. In November 2015, private equity investment firm Brentwood Associates acquired a majority stake in J.McLaughlin, and in July 2016, former Ralph Lauren executive Mary Ellen Coyne came aboard as CEO.
Beauty powerhouse adds high-tech tool to its stores

Ulta Beauty chain is adding a new “consultant” to its in-store team. Through its partnership with hair color brand Madison Reed, Ulta is deploying a color-recognition chatbot (called Madi) that gives consultations similar to those customers receive from a professional colorist in a hair salon. Described by Madison Reed as the industry’s first-ever color-recognition chatbot, Madi combines artificial intelligence and selfies to engage in-store shoppers.
Teens’ favorite apparel brand is…

Athletic brands rule when it comes to teen preferences for apparel and footwear. That’s according to Piper Jaffrey’s 33rd semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens research survey which details teen spending trends and brand preferences. Nike ranked as the top brand with teens, with a 31% share, up from 21% last year. Another athletic brand, Adidas, however, is the fastest growing brand in the survey across footwear & apparel.
(R)Tech: Navigating Retail’s Path of Disruption

The retail industry is going through an innovation revolution, driven by game-changing technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and advanced analytics.
Study: Retailers need to get in shape to meet demand for fast fashion

The hottest fashion trend today is speed—and retailers need to be in the fast lane to remain competitive. That’s according to new research from Kurt Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy, which finds that speed and agility are the top priorities for every retailer competing in fast fashion.
End of an era at coffee giant

It’s a new day at Starbucks Corp. Kevin Johnson officially took over as CEO of Starbucks on Monday, April 3. Outgoing CEO Howard Schultz continues on at the company as executive chairman, and will focus on the development of Starbucks’ new formats, Reserve Roasteries and Starbucks Reserve, and the company’s social impact initiatives.
Sales surge to continue for convenience stores

Convenience stores are poised for another strong quarter. A combination of low gas prices, strong consumer confidence and warmer weather is expected to continue the year’s already strong sales at convenience stores into the second quarter of 2017, according to the results of a survey of c-store owners conducted by NACS. A full 80% of convenience retailers expect in-store sales to increase this summer compared to last year, and 57% expect their fuel sales to increase compared to last summer.
Study: Retailers aware of disruption, but fall short in taking action

Retail executives know their industry is going though fundamental and massive change, but that doesn’t mean they are taking action to deal with it.