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First Edition

Exclusive NRF data shows how shoppers respond to and interact with in-store technology

Creative use of technology in retail can inspire, excite and differentiate a brand. Even so, according to a new study from the National Retail Federation, the most thrilling applications are those that simply make the shopping journey easier. NRF’s Summer 2019 Consumer View report explores how investment in technology is paying off, and in many ways has made “significant strides in transforming the retail experience.”

Disrupted ... again

In a perfect world, everything is steady; you know what to expect from day to day. But who lives in a perfect world? Exactly. No one. In the retail industry, we’ve become comfortable with disruption. Companies we once thought would dominate have taken it on the chin, while newcomers with ideas initially considered to be a bit “out there” are now being embraced by the masses.

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.

Experience the Future of Print

OKI Connected Print offers a dynamic approach to extending printed materials into engaging consumer experiences, linking consumers through their smartphone to rich digital content. The possibilities are endless with OKI Connected Print. Create personal and engaging shopping experiences, print and display signage, and grow your business conveniently all in-store.

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Trends

Cereal killers

When spending $50 for a box of cereal, it better come dent-free. That’s what happened when rapper Travis Scott designed a special version of Reese’s Puffs featuring his alter ego La Flame holding a spoon with a few cacti in the background. (Cactus Jack is yet another Scott alter ego.)

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.

NRF News

What’s in True Value’s innovation toolbox

Hardware wholesaler True Value Company has been in business for almost 70 years and today it serves more than 4,500 independent retail stores. On this episode of NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast, Divisional Vice President for Marketing Strategy Sue Smolenski talks about how the hardware company is future proofing by moving toward hyper-local, highly customized marketing.

Behind the scenes: How engineers power retail

“There’s so much more to retail than finalizing the transaction with the customer,” says Michelle Stash, director of engineering, quality assurance, inventory control, safety and strategic planning at L.L.Bean. See how engineers like Stash put tools and strategies in place so orders are processed quickly and smoothly at L.L.Bean's order fulfillment center and learn more about engineering careers in retail.

U.S. economic growth remains respectable

The U.S. economy remains on a positive trend in the first half of 2019. Real GDP was up 2.1 percent in the second quarter, employment increased by an average 227,000 jobs a month for the first seven months, and retail sales on a three-month moving average posted a year-over-year gain of 5.2 percent. Nonetheless, the risk of more trade tensions seems to be rising, consumers are in the crosshairs and there does not seem to be an end in sight for the trade war.

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.

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Retail Deals

Carl’s Jr. is expanding its partnership with Beyond Meat to launch the Beyond Famous Star with Cheese in Canada, the brand’s first expansion of the product into an international market building on the success of the burger in the United States.

MuleSoft, provider of the leading platform for building application networks, has announced that Decathlon, the world’s largest sporting retailer, is using MuleSoft’s Anypoint Platform to deliver connected customer experiences and broaden its reach to new regional markets.

Gap Inc. has announced that, following the completion of the planned spin-off of Old Navy, the new public company, currently referred to as NewCo, will retain the Gap Inc. name.

Your Stores Deserve Champions!

With a mobile-first user experience, Capango eliminates the need for resumes by capturing data points about the Seeker—such as location, availability, interests, and skill sets—in just a few taps. By automatically matching Seekers with jobs based on tags selected when creating a job posting, Capango helps employers get one step closer to finding the perfect hire.

Find the Right Hires!

Lakeshore, the nation's premier developer and retailer of innovative educational toys for kids, is bringing its first pop-up shopping experience to Mall of America for the 2019 holiday season, allowing shoppers to explore unique children's gifts and immerse themselves in free, hands-on activity stations that encourage kids to play, discover and learn.

Otimo Retail, a Montreal-based private investment firm focused on retail technology, has acquired XCCommerce to empower retailers with unified commerce tools.

Mercato, the online grocery ecommerce platform for independently owned grocery and specialty food stores, is partnering with DoorDash, the largest and fastest-growing on-demand destination for door-to-door delivery in more than 4,000 cities in the United States and Canada.