Barnes & Noble layoff in the works

February 15, 2018

The holiday season didn't prove to be a boon for beleaguered bookseller Barnes & Noble, and the retailer is laying off workers.

Walmart tech lab buys VR startup

February 15, 2018

Walmart's technology innovation lab, called Store No 8, is buying a virtual reality startup to develop VR products for the omnichannel retailer's website and…

Amazon gearing up to be the next FedEX, UPS, claims report

February 14, 2018

Amazon is prepping a "Shipping with Amazon" service in direct competition with FedEX and UPS, according to the New York Post, citing a Wall Street Journal…

Williams-Sonoma hires ex-Macy's tech leader as CTO

February 14, 2018

Yasir Anwar, former CTO at Macy's, is taking on the same role at Williams-Sonoma.

Walmart Store No 8 incubator advances VR strategy

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Walmart is fulfilling a big part of its one-year-old technology incubation strategy by buying a virtual reality startup. As a leader notes, it's just the start…

Valentine's Day shoppers heading into stores for gifts

February 13, 2018

A Citi Retail Services survey reveals nearly half, 48 percent, of consumers seeking to buy a Valentine's Day gift will walk into a store.

NRF: Big retail sales ahead this year

February 13, 2018

The National Retail Federation expects retail sales will jump between 3.8 percent and 4.4 percent in 2018, compared to 2017, and that the online sales increase…

Consumer chatbot adoption facing some hurdles

February 13, 2018

While artificial intelligence and chatbots are clearly proving useful for retailers when it comes to improved customer enagement and experience, consumers are…

CVS Health latest to boost pay, programs thanks to federal tax reform

February 12, 2018

CVS Health will boost hourly pay from $9 to $11 an hour, keep health premiums at current cost and initiate a new parental leave program — all funded due to the…

Gap shuttering NYC Banana Republic headquarters

February 12, 2018

Gap Inc. is closing its New York City headquarters for its Banana Republic brand and moving the design, HR, operations and communications divisions to Gap's…

Retail 2020: A sneak peek at the future of retail workforce management

Jennifer Johnson, director, retail and hospitality practice group, Kronos Inc., takes a look at what the retail experience could look like in 2020 and how…

IntuiLab nabs $3.7M in funding

February 12, 2018

IntuiLab, the company behind IntuiFace, the software platform for creating touch-first digital signage without writing code, has closed $3.7 million in Series…

CES serves up a gold mine of self-serve retail innovation

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Many of the exhibits in the High Tech Retailing Marketplace and elsewhere on the CES show floor featured self-service technology designed to enable retailers…

Rent the Runway taps kiosks, scanners to boost in-store digital experience

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Consumer fashion rental company is pumping up its retail customer experience with the help of Aila Technologies.

Survey: Data, top tier buy-in are key to successful customer experience

February 9, 2018

Retailers aiming to shore up the customer experience, and return on investment with CX technology, need to focus on getting executive support and ensuring…

MAPCO appoints Charles Adams as CEO

February 9, 2018

MAPCO, which operates 350 convenience stores in the southeast region of the U.S., has hired Charles Adams as its new CEO.

Apparel sales on a comeback, claim industry watchers

February 9, 2018

The robust holiday sales season at the end of 2017 is likely spurring what some are calling a comeback for the retail apparel sector.

Insights from NRF's Big Show: Key retail tech trends to watch for in 2018

Matt Sebek, vice president of digital, World Wide Technology Asynchrony Labs, pinpoints the big trends coming into play for customer experience from NRF's Big…

Consumers love online search but are still buying in stores

February 8, 2018

A new research report reveals seven in 10 consumers are searching online for products but are heading into a brick-and-mortar retailer to make the purchase.

Amazon launching Whole Foods Market delivery service

February 8, 2018

Amazon Prime members living near a Whole Foods Market will be able to tap free 2-hour delivery as long as they're buying $35 in goods from the supermarket…