Polarizing political stances, inappropriate behavior and/or statements, safety issues, perceived deception — numerous brands have inspired the kind of strong emotions in consumers that no one wants to experience. As Millennials continue to grow in influence, the landscape of boycotts and their impact on purchasing behavior may shift.

Last year, Michigan-based ABC Warehouse got two big local jobs: The chain of appliance and electronics stores was selected as the main supplier of video screens for Little Caesars Arena, a new 20,000-seat home for Detroit’s Pistons and Red Wings; that was followed by a request for more than 500 screens for Detroit’s Ford Field before the Lions’ season opener in August.

Global service food company Golden State Foods is among several retailers and suppliers who have recently joined with IBM to bring greater transparency to global food procurement. They’re relying on the blockchain platform to directly connect the industry’s key players with a shared view of products’ transaction history.

NRF is proud to provide our members with the online Retail Buying Guide to search for trusted vendors, products and services in the retail industry. Our guide is a user-friendly forum designed to bring suppliers and purchasers together. You can search by keyword, location, company name or category. Available whenever you need it, the Retail Buying Guide makes it easy to locate products and professional services geared to the retail industry. Click here to visit the online Retail Buying Guide! To advertise, please contact Sarah Allen for more information.

7-Eleven, home to the famed Slurpee and the Big Gulp, is now the site for a completely different type of pick-me-up: Simply Me Beauty, available exclusively at 7-Eleven stores, is a daily makeup essentials line.

7-Eleven has also become the latest place consumers can add funds to their Amazon.com balance. Aimed at those who don’t have a credit card or prefer to shop with cash, Amazon Cash allows customers to present their personalized Amazon bar code to the cashier, along with the money they wish to add to their account.

The digital edition of STORES includes must-read pieces, including the articles featured here. Read the current issue and browse the archives for issues you may have missed.

In this episode of NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast, Kidbox CEO Miki Berardelli discusses how the children’s clothing service thrives on a technology-first approach and dedication to charitable giving.

Retail, restaurant and law enforcement professionals get a free EXPO Hall Pass at NRF PROTECT 2018. The exhibit hall features more than 35,000 square feet of innovation technology, over 200 loss prevention solution providers and much more.

The annual “The State of Retailing Online” study conducted by NRF and Forrester examines the impact of ecommerce. This year’s results demonstrate that the line between the digital and physical worlds is blurring as the retail landscape continues to evolve.

Synuma, a provider of advanced project management software solutions for multi-unit development, announced a strategic partnership with Captain D’s, the nation’s leading fast-casual seafood restaurant with 533 restaurants in 21 states, and Newk’s Eatery, the fast-casual restaurant known for its culinary-driven menu with more than 115 locations in 15 states. With this partnership, both franchised brands are utilizing Synuma’s proprietary technology to synchronize and manage their development process from beginning to end.

Centric Software announced a new partnership with Auchan Retail. The retail distribution giant selected Centric Software’s product lifecycle management solution to improve collaboration between multi-category product development teams for textiles, consumer electronics and household appliances, school/toys/office, home and décor and outdoor pursuits

VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, and ICON Health & Fitness Inc., a world leader in home, commercial and connected fitness, announced that they have signed a definitive purchase agreement for the Altra footwear brand. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Walmart announced plans to expand its popular online grocery delivery option to more than 40 percent of U.S. households by the end of the year. The service, now available in six markets, will grow to serve more than 100 metro areas across the country.

Athletic retailer The Finish Line Inc. will harness the excitement surrounding the men’s college basketball tournament with its popular bracket challenge featuring a partnership with Chicago Bulls point guard Zach LaVine. This year’s Finish Line Bracket Challenge will be the ultimate basketball experience for consumers, with winning participants walking away with unique prizes including the keys to LaVine’s BMW i8 and a shopping experience with the athlete.

Quintiq, a Dassault Systèmes company and global leader in supply chain planning and optimization, has been selected to further optimize Jumbo Supermarkten’s supply chain. The fastest growing supermarket chain in the Netherlands, Jumbo is on a mission to provide outstanding service and products at the lowest prices, exceeding customer expectations every day.

PTC announced that technical athletic apparel company Lululemon has upgraded to the latest version of PTC FlexPLM retail software. The upgrade delivers greater functionality and an improved user experience and enables further process efficiencies.