TECHNOLOGY

PayPal makes cash gift-gifting more personal — and stylish
PayPal tapped noted designer Jonathan Adler to personalize gift cards for the payment company’s person-to-person (P2P) payment service. Consumers who opt to use the service to give money to friends and family, can now choose from six exclusive yet customizable digital holiday and generic gifting cards — a move that personalizes their “gift of money,” and adds a chic touch to an often impersonal gift option.
Report: Retailers making physical stores more mobile
Physical stores aren’t going away — at least not those who are integrating mobile solutions into the store experience to keep up with today’s tech-savvy shoppers. Stores that have digitized their operations through mobility are exceeding customer expectations, according to the “The Future Store Manifesto — 2016 Scorecard,” from Boston Retail Partners, which finds that 78% of retailers plan to use mobile point-of-sale (POS) by 2018.

Domino’s loyalty members ‘profit’ from rewards program

Domino’s is rewarding loyalty members with a “piece of the pie” — literally. Starting Dec. 5 through Nov. 2017, all Domino’s Piece of the Pie Rewards members are eligible for a chance to win 10 free shares of Domino's stock, just for being enrolled in the program. Each month, 25 loyalty members will be randomly selected to win 10 shares of stock. They can keep the shares for their own stock portfolio or sell them at market price, the company said.
Amazon opens a self-driving styled convenience store — with no checkouts
This retail channel is in a high-growth mode

Beauty stores are hot — and shoppers around the globe can’t seem to get enough of them. With hundreds of new door openings during 2015-2016, boutique beauty stores remain on a high growth trajectory, according to an upcoming study from market intelligence and research firm Kline.
Faked Brand Social Media Profiles Send Massively Antisocial Holiday Message

One of many things that reaches a frenetic pace during the holiday season is social media activity, with brands ramping up promotions, suggestions and other communication to their followers. Aside from the fact that 23% of the world’s population — yes, 1.7 billion people — visit their Facebook profiles every month, the brands with the best social media presence are reaching upward of 40 million consumers.
Pinterest makes a play for retail customization

For any retailer that ever wanted to create a “mobile showcase” on Pinterest, now is your chance.
U.K. activewear retailer has big plans for the U.S. market

Move over Lululemon and Athletica, Sweaty Betty is moving onto your turf. The London-based retailer of stylish activewear for women opened its ninth U.S. store — and third location in the Los Angeles area — on Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood, reported The Los Angeles Times, with a location in San Francisco up next.
Change in weather bodes well for retail sales

Winter is coming — and not just to “Game of Thrones.” A blast of cold air will move from the West Coast and across North America next week (Dec. 5-11), fueling demand for outerwear, gloves, hats, sweaters, heaters, and blankets, according to weather analytics company Planalytics.
Amazon rolls out a truck for shipping data

It’s not a joke. Amazon Web Services has announced a new service, called AWS Snowmobile, designed to physically get all of the data stored in a company's massive data center into Amazon's cloud, Business Insider reported.