ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
Jan 2022
Jan 20
7-Eleven Launches Delivery Subscription
Like an Amazon Prime Program for Slurpees. Get the details.
Jan 20
Sneak Peek: First Amazon Style Store Opening in 2022
What would a high-tech apparel store look like? Amazon is answering that question.
Jan 19
Schnucks Invests in Workforce With Retail Tech Rollout
Schnuck Markets recently underwent a company-wide implementation to support is employees and managers. Hear how the rollout went and what was learned along the way.
Jan 19
Hy-Vee to Improve the Sound of Its Customer Experience
Learn how supermarket chain Hy-Vee is making a change to what shoppers hear while in its grocery stores.
Jan 19
Best of NRF 2022: Top 10 Takeaways
Every year readers check in with RIS to see what retail news, trends and sessions were vital to the industry and to catch up on what they might have overlooked. The following are all the top takeaways from The Big Show 2022.
Jan 14
Top Preferred Grocery Retailers 2022
Amazon Fresh vaulted past 55 other retailers to land in the fifth spot this year. Learn which retailers took the top spots and key findings from this annual ranking.
Jan 13
Gap Launches Gamified NFT Experience
Gap has launched its first collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), built on a “more energy-efficient” blockchain. Get the details.
Jan 12
Some Walmart InHome Customers Can Order Smart Boxes for Contactless Delivery
As Walmart expands its InHome delivery service to 30 million U.S. households, Walmart InHome customers will get an outdoor order delivery option as well. Learn more.
Jan 12
REI Building Distribution Center that Prioritizes the Employee Experience
REI's new DC will proactively address the employee experience, community engagement and environmental impact. Learn how.
Jan 12
13 Best Retail Employers to Work for 2022
Even in the face of challenges and resignations, some retailers are still gathering great reviews from their valued employees. Discover the best American places to work in retail according to the employees themselves.
Jan 10
Walgreens Executives Say Shrink Is About 50% Higher Than 2020
The drugstore retailer is absorbing a 52% increase in shrink, Walgreens Boots Alliance CFO James Kehoe said. Hear why it’s a growing problem.
Jan 07
Best Buy Launches In-House Media Company
Learn how Best Buy is tapping its “deep relationships” for a new in-house media company and how the move will help it diversify the industry and create equitable opportunities.
Jan 07
Supply Chain Issues Cost Bed Bath & Beyond $100M in Sales
Bed Bath & Beyond suffered a disappointing quarter in the face of supply chain "stresses." Learn how the retailer is actively working toward alleviating these issues and its plans for one area where it’s shining.
Jan 06
Securing E-Commerce: What Retailers Need to Know to Prevent Fraud
How can retailers continue to successfully offer e-commerce options to customers without exposing themselves to fraudsters?
Jan 05
Fully Autonomous Delivery Robots Roam CVG Airport
Ottobots, a fleet of fully autonomous delivery robots, launched last month at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and officially at CES this week. Learn more.
Jan 05
Walmart Expanding InHome Delivery to Reach 30M U.S. Homes This Year
Delivering orders inside customers’ homes tops Walmart’s to do list for 2022 – and it means the retailer is creating a new full-time position for retail workers.
Jan 04
How Location-Based Marketing Can Help Retailers Through Covid
Traditional methods of in-person transactions, store browsing and entertainment are still not what they used to be. So how does location-based marketing play into a frictionless future?
Jan 04
Imperfect Foods Appoints CEO
The sustainable online grocer taps a BuildDirect and Amazon alum as its new leader.
Dec 2021
Dec 30
4 Ways to Sell Seasonal Inventory After the Season Ends
What happens now that seasonal items once stuck at factories or in ports have finally reached retailers, after the holidays have come and gone? These four tips will help keep outdated inventory from becoming stagnant.
Dec 28
Retail Technology Trends That Will Shape 2022
With the pandemic continuing to shape the connected world, the next year will be about crafting shopping experiences that celebrate customers’ unique preferences while championing collaboration.
Dec 23
Customer Returns Can Lead to Return Customers
Here are three tips for developing return processes and policies that keep customers happy, streamline workflows, and optimize inventory.
Dec 22
Best Practices for Effective In-Store Communication
Efficient in-store communication is essential for retail success. With current labor shortages threatening in-store efficiencies, every staff member is critically important to the customer experience.
Dec 22
Behind the Art and Science of Shoe Carnival’s Marketing Strategy
Retailers face a complex brand marketing challenge: Not only do they have to tell their own branding stories to increasingly digitally driven customers, but they need to promote their vendors' branding stories as well.
Dec 21
First Look: Würth Opens First 24/7 Store in Canada
Look inside a new 24/7 self-checkout store concept in Canada that gives customers the flexibility to shop around the clock.
Dec 21
Rite Aid Closing 63 Retail Stores
Rite Aid has identified an “initial” 63 stores for closure as it continues to invest in its omni-pharmacy strategy. Get the details.
Dec 20
Chico’s Taps Walmart to Launch 2-Hour Delivery
Online orders from Chico's, White House Black Market and Soma can now be delivered to homes in as little as two hours. Learn how.
Dec 20
Chipotle Doubles Down on Digital-Only Restaurant
Chipotle is opening another digital-only restaurant concept later this month, ushering in a new look for drive-thru.
Dec 20
How Retailers can Prepare for the Next Roaring ‘20s
The long-term outlook for consumer spending suggests we are entering a pleasure-focused, modern iteration of the Roaring ‘20s. As retailers compete to provide first-rate experiences, they need to understand what consumers really want.
Dec 20
Target Aims at Last-Minute Holiday Shoppers
Target is taking aim at last-minute holiday shoppers offering online fulfillment right down to the wire.
Dec 17
Lowe's to Convert to New Delivery Model
Lowe’s is taking a critical step in the modernization and transformation of its supply chain. Get the details of its 2022 plans and beyond.
Dec 16
The “Relational Economy” is Here: Why Emotional Customer Connections are the Foundation
Given all the disruptions that have occurred in retail shopping, humanizing the shopping experience for your customers and building face-to-face relationships is an important bounce-back tool. Learn why.
Dec 15
Walmart Opening Fulfillment Center Summer 2022
Walmart makes its second fulfillment center opening announcement this month. Learn where it will be and what positions the mega retailer is looking to fill.
Dec 15
Enhance Customer Targeting and Predictability in a Dynamic World of Retail
Retailers can no longer afford to treat in-store and online as separate business units. Instead, businesses need to break down those silos so that the two sides act as a single unit with unified goals.
Dec 15
Target and REVOLT Co-create Series to Invest in Startups that Advance the Black Community
Target's investment includes $500,000 in startup funding and mentorship for founders.
Dec 14
Understanding Your Customers: How AI and Market Knowledge Improve Retail Demand Forecasting
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, retail supply chain executives came to the painful realization that traditional forecasting models based on historical sales data were insufficient in predicting sales and demand.
Dec 13
Lululemon Breaks E-Commerce Records
Athletic apparel retailer lululemon athletica broke its own e-commerce records in the five days spanning Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. Learn how the retailer did and what it's investing in looking ahead.
Dec 09
Walmart Seeks Sustainability Action From Suppliers With Supply Chain Finance Program
Learn how Walmart has taken a new step in its global supply chain sustainability goals, encouraging its small and midsize suppliers to take climate action with resources and incentives.
Dec 09
3 Ways RFID Technology Will Help Retailers
The retail sector today has the opportunities to create a safer, reliable and more convenient experience for its customers. Here we dive into the three practical benefits of RFID.
Dec 09
After 6 Years as CTO, Gerri Martin-Flickinger to Leave Starbucks
Gerri Martin-Flickinger announced on her LinkedIn page that she’s leaving the coffee retailer after six years as Starbucks’ executive vice president and chief technology officer.
Dec 09
Nike, CVS, Walmart, and More Move to Lessen Algorithmic Bias from Workforce Decisions
More than a dozen leading employers adopting criteria to mitigate data and algorithmic bias in human resources and workforce decisions. Learn what this means for artificial intelligence and the retail industry.
Dec 07
1 Change You Can Make Right Now To Boost Holiday Shopping
New study reveals how sound and music influences people’s shopping behaviors. Learn how to do holiday music right to get people in the purchasing mood.
Dec 07
Wayfair to Open Brick-and-Mortar Stores in 2022
Wayfair is planning to open physical stores, kicking off in 2022. Get the details.
Dec 07
Getting AR Shopping Right: 3 Things to Do Today
Shoppable augmented reality experiences are designed to directly address the most consistent reasons shoppers leave a store or abandon a cart without making a purchase – convenience and confidence. But only if they work.
Dec 07
Top Holiday Shopping Trends to Watch
Even with the roll out of vaccines, COVID-19 variants could impact customers’ shopping decisions yet again this year.
Here are four key shopping trends retailers anticipate this holiday season.
Dec 06
Walmart To Participate in WIC Online Ordering Pilot
Online shopping has the potential to enhance the WIC shopping experience. Learn how Walmart will help move the technology along.
Dec 06
Ulta Beauty Delivers Record Sales and Earnings
Beauty is booming and Ulta expects to spend $80 million on supply chain and IT in fiscal 2021. Learn how the retailer is putting technology to use and what it expects for the holiday season.
Dec 06
Shoe Carnival’s Deb Hannah Going Content-First At CGSM 2021
While selling products is often the No. 1 priority for companies, being a successful sales and marketing executive in today’s retail landscape requires a content-centric strategy and a keen ability to tell compelling stories.
Dec 03
CVS Health to Accelerate Digital Transformation Through Microsoft Collaboration
Learn how CVS will collaborate to bring customers personalized health experiences and equip employees with new tools to better serve customers.
Dec 03
Dollar General Opening 1K pOpshelf Stores
Dollar General has big expansion plans for its next few years. Discover what the retailer has planned, including global expansion.
Dec 02
Carter’s Conquers Omnichannel With RFID, POS Projects
Discover how children’s apparel company Carter’s Inc. is emerging from the pandemic a stronger, more profitable, omnichannel enterprise, armed with new point of sale (POS) and RFID capabilities.
Dec 02
Build-A-Bear Reports Inventory Up, Record-Setting Profit
Despite supply chain challenges that have impacted the toy industry, specialty retailer Build-A-Bear Workshop said it’s prepared for the holiday season. Learn why.
Dec 01
Toys"R"Us Opening Global Flagship This December
The Giraffe is coming back in a big way this holiday season. Get the details.
Dec 01
Tips for Using Instagram For Retail
If used properly, Instagram can be a powerful way to build your brand, grow a following, and ultimately your sales. Learn these tips to succeed.
Dec 01
President Biden Meets With Retailers About Holiday Shopping
President Biden met with leading retail executives from Walmart, Kroger, Best Buy, CVS Health and more to discuss their outlook for the holiday shopping season.