A couple of years ago, customer intercepts, exit interviews and store data from DSW showed that the footwear and accessories retailer was indeed delivering on its famed breadth of assortment. But the other shoe was about to drop: Along with the positives came a more challenging revelation that was “a bit of a shock.”

With all the opportunities facing retail these days, it is easy to understand why some executives may not fully realize how much money their operations may be losing due to return fraud, one of the least dramatic and less obvious ways that fraud is committed in retail.

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Self-care is all the rage — even in apps. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reports that in the first quarter of 2018, the top 10 self-care apps in the nation earned $15 million in revenue in the U.S. and $27 million worldwide. That worldwide figure is up about 170 percent from the year prior — no doubt helping somebody feel better.

In terms of drifting off among the clouds, mattress company Casper is one of a growing number of organizations working to improve the travel experience. The company has teamed with American Airlines to offer new in-flight sleeping products including a mattress pad, PJs, slippers, lumbar pillow, standard pillow, duvet and day blanket for first class, business class and premium economy on certain flights.

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.

Stacey Shulman has nearly 30 years of experience in retail, and is now Intel’s chief innovation officer for the retail solutions division. On NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast this week, Shulman discusses artificial intelligence, autonomous retail technology, increasing urbanism and more macro trends that are driving the future of retail.

As students prepared to head back to class this month, families had completed just over half their shopping for school and college supplies, according to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. Consumers had completed 51 percent of shopping for K-12 school supplies and 52 percent for college supplies, the survey found.

Digitally savvy companies are using content to drive commerce both online and in-store: It authentically shapes their brand message, powers compelling storytelling and keeps customers coming back for helpful insights. Retailers can learn from brands like PopSugar, Dylan’s Candy Bar and Shoes of NYC at NRF’s Shop.org conference this September in Las Vegas.

Kohl’s announced a strategic partnership with Authentic Brands Group, owner of Nine West, to include the iconic lifestyle brand into its powerful brand portfolio. In addition to Nine West footwear, handbags and outerwear, Kohl’s will debut a new women’s apparel collection.

Forever 21, one of the largest, most recognized independent fashion retailers in the world, is moving beyond text-based online search to offer shoppers AI-powered visual search and navigation developed by Donde Search.

Best Buy Co. Inc., a leading technology products and services provider, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire GreatCall Inc. for $800 million in cash. GreatCall is a leading provider of connected health and personal emergency response services to the aging population, with more than 900,000 paying subscribers.

T3, the Austin-based innovation agency, has been selected by Le Pain Quotidien to assist with the bakery restaurant’s global digital transformation efforts, including its website, online ordering and loyalty program. A major focus is to deliver a seamless experience for guests as they order from Le Pain Quotidien stores around the world by redesigning the brand’s digital ordering systems.

Wayfair Inc., one of the world’s largest online destinations for the home, announced that its e-design platform, Design Services, is now available to shoppers on Wayfair.com. Starting at $79 for a one-room project and available on desktop and mobile, Design Services connects interior designers with Wayfair customers who are looking for a convenient and affordable design solution as they shop for their homes.

DataCandy, a North American leader in gift card and loyalty solutions for retailers, restaurants and petroleum companies, has expanded its relationship and entered into a long-term agreement with MTY Tiki Ming Enterprises Inc., to expand MTY’s gift card and loyalty programs south of the border, into the United States.

Nebraska Book Holdings Inc. and Follett Higher Education Group announced a strategic sourcing partnership to expand access, efficiency and savings to institutions involved in wholesale course materials sourcing and selling.

BeautyPlus and DKNY recently entered into a partnership for a digital marketing campaign to promote DKNY’s new fragrance, DKNY Stories. The campaign launched on August 17 in Singapore. Other major APAC markets included in the campaign include Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Each market will implement an in-app campaign for two weeks, with the entire campaign lasting until the end of 2018.

Walmart Inc. and Flipkart Group announced the closing of the agreements for Walmart to become the largest shareholder in the Flipkart Group.