Reebok wants to get back into the running game and is betting its ascendancy on the whims of experts rather than flashy media buys. For the market introduction of its new “Floatride Run” running shoe, the company relied on a campaign spearheaded by running aficionados to get the word out using emerging digital-age buzz — influencer marketing.

Ask a handful of executives what they consider the backbone of their business and you’re likely to receive as many answers as executives. But if you ask the decision-makers at Warby Parker, All Birds and Stitch Fix that same question, there’s a good chance they’ll launch into a discussion of Backbone, an all-in-one design collaboration system.

Two things are immediately obvious upon walking into any big sporting goods store. There’s a lot of stuff in there — and it’s very specific, and expensive, stuff. Dick's Sporting Goods has a longstanding relationship with Checkpoint Systems, takiing a unique approach to reduce shrinkage in these specialty items.

The ability to guide customers in a shopping center through their smartphones became possible for mall owners in 2012. Now, Stepinside is expanding the infrastructure to a growing number of major malls and  big retailers, all to increase customer convenience and gain greater customer insights.

Outdoor footwear and apparel retailer Timberland is the latest to join in the revolving store concept. A new specialty concept store — Timberland Tree Lab — will feature carefully selected product collections and brand stories that change every six weeks.

When House of Fraser planned a department store at Rushden Lakes Shopping Centre, a London-area outdoor mall near the Nene Wetlands, it only made sense to join the green theme. It’s the British department store’s first “green retail space” certified to Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method sustainable building standards. 

Forget man caves. In Shanghai, it’s a “man pod,” equipped with video games and designed to give men something to do while their women shop.

More than 174 million Americans shopped during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, beating NRF’s forecast of 164 million. Black Friday and Small Business Saturday were the two most popular days for in-store shopping, while Black Friday and Cyber Monday were the two most popular days for online shopping.

NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay joined Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Shay highlighted the benefits that small businesses would see under tax reform legislation, which is set for a vote later this week.

Gregg Renfrew launched Beautycounter in 2013 because of her passion to make high-performing and safe beauty products. In the latest episode of NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast, Renfrew discusses Beautycounter’s exponential growth, her mission of advocacy and education, and the importance of empowering women.

Qubit announced that ASICS Digital, an ASICS division responsible for the continued development of Runkeeper and other consumer-centric digital platforms, has partnered with Qubit to enhance its mobile web presence. Qubit Aura leverages the latest in artificial intelligence (AI) to create an app-like shopping experience for small screens.

AmericasMart Atlanta, the largest wholesale market center in the country, is using Aruba’s mobile-first solutions to deliver a better mobile experience and faster, more secure, mobile sales transactions. Using Aruba’s gigabit Wi-Fi, beacons and location services platform, AmericasMart has added critical, new capabilities to its mobile app, allowing buyers to easily navigate through the center and find what they need.

Vyze, a leader in cloud-based financing technology solutions for retailers, announced that Adorama, one of the world’s largest photography, video, audio, imaging and electronics retailers, has launched a private-label credit program on the Vyze platform.

UPS and Shopify Inc. are unveiling a platform integration that make UPS's premium services available to small businesses. Shopify’s hundreds of thousands of small U.S. businesses will now receive competitive, pre-negotiated domestic and international rates that save on list prices, along with a streamlined shipping and fulfillment solution.

Precima, a leading consulting and analytics firm, has signed a multiyear, enterprise-wide, agreement with Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s leading food and pharmacy retailer. Set to launch in 2018, the single access retail analytics portal will capture customer, marketing and merchandising insights for the company’s grocery and pharmacy divisions.

Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. and Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which ARG will acquire BWLD for $157 per share in cash, in a transaction valued at approximately $2.9 billion, including BWW’s net debt.

New York & Company, Inc., a specialty women’s apparel chain with 459 retail stores, has entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire certain assets of Fashion to Figure, a U.S. based retailer of trendy plus-size fashions, including intellectual property rights.

Mirakl, the leading marketplace platform provider, announced a partnership with Christian Lacroix to launch an innovative brand platform to sell menswear, women’s accessories and lifestyle collections on christian-lacroix.com. Christian Lacroix selected the Mirakl Marketplace Platform for its focus on operating innovative marketplaces.

Kay Jewelers introduced a first-to-market Snapchat World Lens for the jewelry category. The custom Snapchat face and World Lens is also the first lens experience on Snap to showcase several on-trend Kay jewelry styles. In partnership with Snap, Kay has created a fun and unique experience wherein users are prompted to try on several looks.

SAS Retail Services was selected as one of only five Preferred Service Providers (PSPs) by retail giant Walmart. The Preferred Service Program is part of the new Walmart Merchandising Service Program that will centralize work in nearly 5,000 Walmart stores. The focus will drive higher sales, lowering costs, increasing efficiencies and improving the customer experience for Walmart shoppers.

Provision Interactive Technologies, Inc., announced that it has signed an agreement with Coinstar, LLC to integrate Provision’s proprietary 3D holographic display and point-of-sale coupon platforms into Coinstar’s Exchange kiosks.