Walmart partners with Japan e-commerce player Rakuten

January 29, 2018

Walmart is teaming up with Rakuten, Japan’s biggest ecommerce retailer, on an online grocery effort in Japan, according to an NPR report.

A CES lesson: Why more is not better — only better is better

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Chris Petersen explains why adding more technology does not mean consumers will come or buy.

Starbucks goes cashless at downtown Seattle store

January 26, 2018

Starbucks has gone cashless at one location in downtown Seattle as the coffee giant experiments with a growing trend among fast casual chains in the U.S.

CES 2018 reveals how retail is changing

by Jeff KAGAN — Wireless Analyst, Telecom Industry Analyst

Anyone attending CES 2018 this year couldn't but help notice the annual conference revealed one big truth, writes industry analyst Jeff Kagan. That big truth…

Amazon Go disrupts, re-invents, elevates the customer experience

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

Amazon's supermarket, which boasts a cashier-less checkout, is open to the masses after a year in beta with Seattle-based company employees. Industry pundits…

Retailers face a stark choice for 2018: Embrace empathy or lose customers

Oisin Lunny, chief evangelist for OpenMarket, offers up insight on why empathy must be a focal point for retailers as empathy is all about connecting with…

Amazon Prime membership gets more expensive for some

January 22, 2018

Amazon is increasing the cost of its monthly Prime subscription service, from $10.99 to $12.99, which represents an increase of 18 percent.

American Airlines going cashless at Miami airport

January 22, 2018

Travelers flying out of Miami International Airport on American Airlines won't be taking cash for checking bags and overweight bag fees.

Amazon Go store now open to the public

January 22, 2018

Amazon is opening its cashierless Amazon Go store to consumers in Seattle today, following a 14-month trial with company employees, according to The Seattle…

Clock is ticking for retailers still offering slow checkout experiences

Michael Jaszczyk, CEO at GK Software USA, explains that there is a silver lining for savvy retailers who have made the substantial investment in enterprisewide…

Walmart chief: Retail is about change, customer experience a team sport

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

Walmart CEO/President Doug McMillon says the top brick-and-mortar retailer can't afford to get comfortable as it has a lot of work to do and remains committed…

Banks now testing Visa biometric EMV card

January 18, 2018

Visa has initiated pilots with Mountain America Credit Union and Bank of Cyprus of a new EMV dual-interface payment card, making these the first commercial…

Why a one-size-fits-all retailer playlist isn't a good strategy

Danny Turner, global senior vice president of creative programming at Mood Media, offers up insight on how to make that playlist work well and the pitfalls…

Arizona hospital prescribes self-serve kiosk for prescriptions

January 18, 2018

A self-serve kiosk at Bayless Integrated Healthcare's Dobson Ranch in Mesa, Arizona, enables patients to receive prescriptions and over-the-counter medications…

Electronic parking kiosks in Pennsylvania draw complaints

January 17, 2018

The new electronic parking kiosks in New Hope, Pennsylvania are drawing complaints from businesses who say customers are confused about how to use them…

4 ways retailers can get a head start on the next holiday season

Michael Lazzaro, vice president of Clover Growth, First Data, offers up tips for small retailers to get a jump on next year's holiday season. It's not too…

How to drive customer engagement and thwart potential thieves

Brick and mortar retailers are engaging customers by offering greater hands-on interaction with products in-store but such greater customer interaction brings…

Aldi reaches out to vegan, vegetarian consumers

January 16, 2018

Aldi, a German-based grocery chain, is aiming to offer up a line of vegan and vegetarian items in U.S. stores under the brand name of Earth Grown, according to…

'Grocery on wheels' may be supermarket delivery game changer

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Self-driving vehicles that deliver fresh produce and allow consumers to place orders via an app and then physically pick their own produce could be the…

Theatro, Curbside partner on click and collect customer experience

January 15, 2018

Theatro is partnering with Curbside in a quest to improve the 'click and collect' customer experience when it comes to in-store pickup of online orders in the…