Amazon heading back to school in Illinois

July 13, 2016

Amazon is teaming up with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to open Amazon@Illinois, a staffed pick-up location in the Illini Union Bookstore on…

The Incredible Hulk christens first Brownells retail location

July 1, 2016

Brownells, which sells "all-things firearms," has opened its first retail location in Grinnell, Iowa. Local names in attendance for the grand opening included…

Better customer experience now on Subway's strategy menu

June 10, 2016

In a big step toward transforming the guest experience, Subway is creating a new internal division, called Digital, and launching a multi-year and…

Australia is Ikea's next test ground in online shopping strategy

June 10, 2016

Ikea's omnichannel strategy is expanding to Australia, its latest focal point for providing consumers an online shopping channel.

Omnichannel retailer aims to give beauty industry a complete makeover

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

Birchbox is much more than an new beauty retailer. It's striving to define a new realm in customer experience and an innovative omnichannel strategy.

Mother's Day should prove lucrative for clothing retailers, eateries

April 25, 2016

A new study reveals clothing will be a popular choice for Mother's Day shoppers, as well as a special meal, and spending is expected to be up six percent this…

Home renovation design experience goes high tech at Lowe's

Lucky Lowe's shoppers in Seattle will be using Microsoft HoloLens for kitchen design efforts.

New Hickory Farms CEO boasts retail legacy

March 23, 2016

Holiday food gift retailer Hickory Farms has named a new CEO and president with a long legacy in retail leadership roles.

Starbucks loyalty change brews anger, filters out value of experience

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

The shift in how members of My Starbucks Rewards earn stars may be a test of its customer loyalty, but with the program's expanding mobile payment and other…

Data insight key ingredient to Hershey’s sweet retail experience success

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

Information, and analyzing data, is a prime reason why Hershey is succeeding in a very competitive retail industry.

Manhattan Toys 'R' Us closes doors as new year arrives

December 31, 2015

One of New York City’s Times Square retail icons closed its doors this week, with children and adults alike not feeling very jolly about the prospect of never…

Small craft brewery demand spurs hop production upward

December 21, 2015

Increasing demand from the craft brewing retail segment is driving U.S. hop production upward.

Survey: Local shopping centers big draw for last-minute holiday purchases

December 11, 2015

With just two weeks til the big holiday, a new report reveals retail consumers will be hitting local shopping centers to finish last-minute gift-buying and…

Abercrombie & Fitch enjoys healthy profit, smaller sales dip for quarter

November 23, 2015

Clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch got an early holiday gift with its latest earnings report.

Retail infusion taking flight at SFO airport concourse

November 17, 2015

The customer experience will be very different for airport travelers taking flight from United Airlines T3 concourse thanks to more dining, retail and…

Urban Outfitters moves into food service with Pizzeria Vetri acquisition

November 17, 2015

Consumer demand for casual dining a big reason for retailer's move into pizza market.

Marriott buying Starwood hotel chain for $12.2B

November 16, 2015

Merger of two powerhouse brands will be beneficial for consumers, operators and shareholders, according to Marriott chief.

Navigating the crossover: Fast casualization of the restaurant industry

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

Switching into fast casual dining requires more than getting food to the table quicker. It demands new strategies from menu decisions to customer experience…

L.L. Bean goes outside to bring in new CEO

November 6, 2015

For the first time in its history outdoor retailer L.L. Bean is hiring an 'outsider' as its new president and CEO.

No retail store in Google’s future, at least not just yet

November 5, 2015

Search titan puts flagship retail strategy on hold though it has already leased a $6 million space.