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First Edition

Crocs uses data to improve production innovation

Developing new products comes with great risk. Brands might invest millions of dollars and years in development only to find a product doesn’t meet customer needs or expectations, while retailers could order inventory only to have it languish on shelves.

Wholly modern

Launched in March 2015, luxury shoe brand M.Gemi sources its handmade footwear from family-owned workshops in Italy. The commitment to quality footwear brought to market at unprecedented speed and price points (about half the price of comparable brands) sets M.Gemi apart in the luxury brand marketplace.

NeWants finds success through gamified affiliate program

Finding a way for customers to enjoy shopping at online or physical locations and getting them to refer their friends are among the biggest challenges that retailers face. Online marketplace NeWants.com has found a way to make shopping fun for its lifestyle products and gadgets while implementing an affiliate program to encourage shoppers to make referrals.

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.

You’ve proven your retail concept is reproducible.

Now, can your network keep up? The first few stores were actually fun. Several hundred is a whole different animal. That’s why, as stores and devices multiply, leading retailers rely on SageNet to connect, manage and protect the enterprise.

To learn more, download our Guide to Managed Network Services.

Balancing the benefits and pitfalls of buy online, pick up in store

Retailers feel comfortable with the defenses they have deployed in online transactions, so extending online selling options to include picking up merchandise at a store doesn’t seem to be associated with much risk of increased fraud activities.

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.

Trends

A holistic approach for those facing cancer

Walgreens is expanding its “Feel More Like You” initiative to more than 400 locations nationwide. The move makes Walgreens “the first U.S. pharmacy, health and beauty retailer to integrate personalized oncology clinical care from pharmacists with beauty support services from specially trained beauty consultants,” according to the company.

Strengthening the workforce backbone with AI

Kronos Inc. and IBM Watson are collaborating to help improve “the engagement, performance, career development and retention of hourly workers and simplify the complex task of managing this important segment of the global workforce.”

NRF News

How Wayfair makes logistics seamless

Wayfair Director of Supply Chain Engineering Dustin Bennett helps get products from suppliers to customers in the most efficient manner. That means creating new processes, implementing new technologies and building teams with new skills. He sits down with the Retail Gets Real podcast team to talk about all things logistics.

Survey: Physical and digital retail continue to merge

NRF’s annual “State of Retailing Online” study conducted by Forrester shows retailers are diversifying their investments online and offline to meet consumers where they shop. Among other findings, the report says retailers are investing in omnichannel fulfillment services, personalization tactics and mobile marketing.

Unify physical in-store data with digital customer data

Are you looking for ways to take personalization to the next level? The Arm retail solution can help you capture customers’ in-store, item-level shopping behavior, and unify that physical shopping data with their digital journey. This holistic view provides the foundation for delivering personalized experiences across digital and physical properties.

Learn how to make your shopper's experience personal!

5 women making a major impact in retail

The retail industry is full of intelligent, confident women taking on big challenges, creating opportunities and pushing boundaries. In celebration of Women’s History Month, here’s a look at just a few of the many remarkable women in retail making a significant impact on the industry.

Retail Deals

Symphony RetailAI, a leading global provider of artificial intelligence-enabled decision platforms, has named Kevin Sterneckert as chief marketing officer.

PureFormulas, an online health supplement store in the United States, has selected Linc Global to deliver a customer care automation solution that leverages the latest in artificial intelligence and offers shoppers automated assistance via digital conversation channels.

Grocery Outlet Bargain Market has earned a Gold-Level GreenChill Certification after installing the Honeywell Solstice N40 refrigerant to improve efficiency and reduce its environmental impact at its Los Angeles location.

Paytronix Systems Inc., an advanced digital guest experience platform, and Zenreach, creator of the Walk-Through Rate^TM that connects online marketing with in-store results, have collaborated to help their client, Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, gain a better understanding of its guests in order to offer them more targeted and highly personalized experiences.

Cut TCO by 15% on barcode devices

Retailers have relied on rugged handheld devices for over 30 years to boost efficiency and productivity. All along, devices have suffered from failures due to charging contacts that get dirty, corrode, or break. Wireless charging prevents device failure, drastically reducing TCO. An enterprise can easily reduce TCO by 15% or more deploying wireless charging devices.

Download the White Paper

Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company and home of BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, has announced the launch of its Community Bag with a Giving Tag Program. The reusable bag program empowers customers to make a difference in the communities they live and work in while helping the environment.

Christy Sports LLC, a specialty retailer and service provider in the western United States, has acquired Leisure Living Inc., a specialty outdoor furniture retail operator based in Salt Lake City. The acquisition closed on March 11, 2019.

To celebrate the 30th year of partnership between basketball legend Michael Jordan and underwear brand Hanes, the company has included a pack of Michael Jordan trading cards in more than 800,000 specially marked packs of Hanes men's underwear. Ten lucky consumers will find a rare autograph card with Jordan's signature in their packs.