Demand for self-checkout is growing from both retailers and consumers. As retailers adopt new payment and scanning technologies, though, the systems may be further opening the door to theft, creating more headaches for loss prevention departments.

Thanks to a generation of consumers raised on instant gratification, same-day delivery has become the new cost of entry, and companies without the technological wherewithal and storage capabilities to provide same-day delivery options at reasonable prices are at a disadvantage. That explains the rationale behind Darkstore.

Subscription meal kits have changed the definition of food shopping and home cooking over the past several years. Some observers, however, are challenging the long-term viability of the meal kit market as it is today, bringing up questions that will determine its survival.

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.

Apple Business Chat has rolled out for Lowe’s customers, allowing them to connect with customer service. During the chat, the Lowe’s representative can make personalized recommendations, share order status and schedule deliveries.

There’s just something so Velveteen Rabbit about Hasbro’s new recycling program. Once-loved toys that have been outgrown by their owners can find a new, useful life — this time as playground equipment or park benches.

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.

Millennials are getting older and becoming parents, but they shop differently than parents of other generations. NRF’s head of consumer research Katherine Cullen puts the latest NRF research findings on parental shopping habits to the test with a millennial mom and a Generation X dad on this week’s episode of NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast.

Online marketplaces are booming, with revenues expected to double in five years. Understandably, everyone wants a piece of the action. At NRF’s Shop.org conference in September, leaders from Forrester Research, Etsy and Macy’s will discuss the top strategies for merchants and brands.

True Value, one of the world’s leading hardlines wholesalers globally, selected JDA Software Inc. as its partner to systematically transform demand planning and replenishment across its multitude of distribution centers and customers.

Weis Markets, a leading food retailer operating more than 200 stores in North America, is using an Aruba Wi-Fi network to improve efficiencies, drive sales and deliver a better in-store mobile experience for its customers. Operationally, the new infrastructure allows Weis to improve purchasing and inventory processes; from a sales and service perspective, Weis is giving its customers reliable Wi-Fi access.

Boot Barn Holdings Inc. acquired certain assets of Drysdales Inc., a retailer with two stores in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

GUESS? Inc. has reached another major milestone in its partnership with Alibaba Group to bring artificial intelligence to the fashion world to provide customers with a more enriching shopping experience that combines online and offline shopping behaviors.

Caleres, a diverse portfolio of global footwear brands, has acquired a controlling interest in Blowfish Malibu, which has trailing 12-month revenue of approximately $27 million. The Blowfish Malibu footwear collection is curated to reflect the fresh, laid-back aesthetic that defines the California lifestyle and honors the spirit of youth.

Differential Brands Group Inc., a portfolio of global consumer brands comprised of Hudson Jeans, Robert Graham and SWIMS, announced that its Robert Graham subsidiary has signed a licensing agreement with Peerless Clothing International, Inc. to manufacture and distribute Robert Graham men’s and boys’ tailored clothing, suit separates and top coats.

L.L.Bean, Citi Retail Services and Mastercard announced a new co-brand credit card for L.L.Bean customers with an enhanced rewards structure and suite of benefits.