Back-to-School: Reports reveal what’s hot, what’s not and consumer trends

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

Consumer shopping reports reveal some new trends and why consumer activity will be down a bit compared to a year ago.

Rite Aid decides to support Apple Pay, Android Pay

August 11, 2015

The pharmacy chain is the latest MCX member to to announce support for NFC-based mobile payment systems.

Beyond engagement: Top must-haves to drive customer experience forward

The customer experience doesn’t start and stop at a brand destination. It continues on social channels, where you have no control on what’s shared.

US productivity slowly creeps up

August 11, 2015

Yet economic gurus aren't jumping for joy, as a slow rebound may mean higher inflation down the road.

Business confidence headed upward but slow to grow

August 11, 2015

Business report is not hugely optimistic, but there are comforting trends ahead.

Create eye-catching produce displays with new curved serpentine shelves

Create eye-catching produce displays with FFR’s new curved Direct Hook-In Serpentine Shelves.

Apple taking a bigger bite of watch market than many expected

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

The electronics device innovator's Watch was predicted to have some impact on the traditional timepiece-making market, but the actual bite may surprise most…

Amazon preps Illinois center for retail-distribution needs

August 10, 2015

Amazon is getting ready to open the doors of a 500,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Joliet, Illinois.

Alibaba steps up retail brick-and-mortar strategy with $4.6B buy-in

August 10, 2015

Alibaba is expanding its retail reach in one large move at one large cost.

Macy, Bloomies expand same-day delivery markets

August 7, 2015

Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s delivering same-day delivery to nine more market locations.

Lowe's goes small in the Big Apple, new store format designed for city dwellers

August 7, 2015

Lowe's is going small and tapping interactive technology to make its first New York city store as customer friendly and engaging as possible.

Anti-fraud chip technology not top of mind for business owners

August 7, 2015

New report reveals just about one third of business owners are ready for EMV cards.

There's still time to hit CONNECT 2015: An industry event not to miss

August 6, 2015

Don't miss an opportunity to hear from experts, retail and restaurant leaders on everything from mobile payment to technology innovation.

Compass Group adopts Five Freedoms for animal welfare

August 6, 2015

Compass Group joins Wal-Mart and General Mills in embracing Five Freedom’s procurement practices.

Visa tests new mobile wallet service in India

August 6, 2015

Starting in September, mVisa will be available to 20,000 merchants in the greater Bangalore region.

Target drops shipping fee to push back-to-school online traffic

August 6, 2015

Shoppers buying school supplies at Target.com will get all items sent free with no minimum purchase requirement for next nine days.

Mobile POS market expected to increase 400 pct. by 2019

by Will Hernandez — Editor, NetWorld Media Group

If you're overwhelmed by the amount of choices in the current mobile point-of-sale market, prepare to feel that way for the next four years because this sector…

Walmart taps mobile app to drive deeper online back-to-school sales

August 6, 2015

The upcoming weekend is viewed as the kick-off for annual school shopping, so the retailer is rolling up on rollbacks.

Report: Shopping apps keep shoppers in store longer, more engaged

August 6, 2015

Deploying a store brand app is paying off for a majority of retailers. Nordstrom, though, isn’t feeling much love from app users.

Tesla Model X seat tweak adjusts sales, vehicle delivery strategy

August 6, 2015

Ensuring a smooth ride for those enjoying the electric SUV back middle seat doesn’t come without some bumps.