STORES’ annual report finds that “wants” and “needs” haven’t changed that much — mobile devices, unsurprisingly, rank high on the list of “must-haves” — though consumer sentiment was at a 15-year high in December.

On the heels of his dynamic keynote session at Retail’s BIG Show Student Program, ethnographer Simon Sinek spoke with STORES about how retailers can gain the loyalty of a multi-generational workforce.

Three years in the making, a camera surveillance system effectively covers Nebraska Furniture Mart’s 560,000-square-foot store near Dallas, resulting in a shrink rate of 0.168 percent. Key to the system’s success was involving suppliers including Milestone Systems and SEI from the beginning.

Whole Foods Market is the latest entry in the “produce butcher” field; the chain’s Bryant Park location in New York City will slice, dice, cut or julienne at customer request for $1 per pound. Mario Batali’s Eataly has offered this service for a few years as well, for free.

Manufacturers can get instant feedback on product promotions with a new merchandising platform from Shelfbucks that generates more than 20 million data points and observations from point-of-purchase displays throughout selling areas and stock rooms.

AppInstitute CEO Ian Naylor looked at top-ranked free shopping apps: Beyond Amazon, his list of outstanding apps included Etsy, ASOS and Lidl.

The digital edition of STORES’ April 2017 issue is now available! The magazine is packed with must-read pieces including the articles featured here.

The newest in-store experience from Lowe’s teaches DIY home improvement skills through immersive virtual and augmented reality simulation. NRF’s Susan Reda spoke with Kyle Nel, executive director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, to get the details on the new VR tool and how it’s disrupting traditional skills clinics.

Employment trends over the past decade show a decline in the number of teenagers in the workforce, and as teens ditch part-time jobs in favor of studying and extracurricular activities, the same trend can be seen in the retail industry. But NRF research shows that first jobs, especially for teens, are crucial for long-term career success.

Retail’s #1 loss prevention conference will be held in Washington, D.C., June 26-28. Experience 23 breakout sessions, four keynote speakers — including NFL great Peyton Manning — and 200+ Expo Hall exhibitors and network with 2,500 other LP professionals. Register now and save.

The Container Store has selected the Yottaa platform, a platform for accelerating e-commerce, to optimize performance and security for its e-commerce site.

New York & Company Inc. has partnered with actress Gabrielle Union to be the face of the Company’s 7th Avenue Design Studio beginning in April. She will launch her own namesake collection, exclusive to New York & Company, in August.

Avery Dennison has announced a global radio frequency identification partnership agreement with Target Corporation. This largest of its kind agreement is part of Target’s deployment of RFID technology to more than 1,600 stores to help maximize inventory availability and deliver an enhanced guest experience.

First Insight Inc., a technology company transforming how leading retailers make product investment and pricing decisions, announced a partnership agreement with international clothing retailer Desigual to provide consumer-driven predictive analytics. Through the partnership, First Insight will empower Desigual to make faster and more precise design decisions in some of its categories such as women’s, accessories, men’s, kids’ and shoes.

Forman Mills, a fast-growing off-price retailer, has selected Aptos Inc.’s Singular Commerce platform, a suite of retail technology solutions in the cloud. The retailer is poised to enter its next stage of growth and expansion in connection with a recent investment from New York-based Goode Partners LLC and is counting on Singular Commerce to support this vision.