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First Edition
Welcome to 2020 … well, almost. For a very long time, 2020 seemed to be in some mythical Orwellian future. Not anymore. As we step into the third decade of the 21st century, there are a few things we can anticipate with confidence. The next 12 months will be characterized by uncertainty, driven by the upcoming presidential election and the ambiguity that hangs heavy in the air.
In April of 1991, a good friend invited Susan Reda to write a freelance piece. She has no recollection of what she wrote about, but for the next 28 years, she continued to file stories for STORES Magazine; with this issue’s cover story, she has filed her final story for STORES — as of December 31, NRF will sunset the brand. “I’ve always read that both career and life are considered a journey,” she writes. “As the journey continues, I look ahead with clear eyes and a full heart.”
Interactive 3D and augmented reality are rapidly moving from the “wow” of possibility to the brilliance of usefulness. Consider, for example, being able to view a couch from all angles on a mobile device — no app required — then virtually dropping it into a living room to see how it fits. It’s now possible through a partnership between Crate and Barrel sister brand CB2 and tech innovator Vertebrae.
Every page on the Body Glide website shows a familiar blue-and-white wheelchair logo, similar to those used to designate handicapped parking or handicapped-accessible facilities ranging from doorways to restrooms. The icon is meant to alert users that the Body Glide website is equipped with software intended to make it accessible to customers with disabilities, particularly the blind and visually impaired.
In the physical world, there were — and still are — multiple ways thieves and fraudsters could plague retailers. Adding digital sales channels increases the complexity of challenges for loss prevention and asset protection personnel. Though no one knows what next year has in store, here are some thoughts experts provided to STORES as to some major cybersecurity concerns facing retailers in 2020.
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
StickerYou: The Store, billed as the “world’s largest sticker store,” has opened its doors in Toronto, and is set to continue expanding throughout 2020. All told, it’s aiming for a hands-on experience that will stay with visitors, including a sticker museum, sticker art exhibition and custom sticker-creation center for on-the-spot projects.
NRF News
What can the retail industry expect next year? STORES Editor Susan Reda joins the Retail Gets Real podcast to dig into this month’s cover story and go behind the insights and trends shaping the future of retail. Read the article and listen to the podcast.
Retailers give back to the communities they serve throughout the year, but during the holidays people are moved by the spirit of the season to give more. Many retailers funnel that spirit into programs that make a difference. Read examples of how retailers from Abercrombie & Fitch to Wendy’s are giving back with the help of their customers this season.
Retail Deals
Returnly, the post-purchase payments company that enables frictionless returns, has announced the availability of Instant Gift Exchange for Shopify Plus to enhance the holiday shopping experience for both online retailers and their customers.
Global tech company AutoStore is set to transform the retail industry with its robotic cube storage system that accommodates the increasing demands on retailers to change and stock inventory at speed and deliver goods to consumers within same-day or several hour time frames.
Blueport Commerce, a provider of omnichannel solutions for retailers, has announced that furniture retailer Wolf Furniture will be next to join its roster of top American furniture retailers.
While terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, private equity firm ClearLight Partners has invested in Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, a franchisor of premium ice cream scoop shops.
This holiday season, OrnamentShop.com, a leading retailer of hand-personalized ornaments, will undergo new ownership under Trinket Shop LLC, a company focused on personalized holiday gifts and home décor.
Alloy, the modern demand platform for consumer goods brands, has announced that Valvoline, a leading worldwide supplier of premium-branded lubricants and automotive services, is implementing Alloy’s enterprise supply chain solution.
Mars Wrigley, the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolate, chewing gum, mints and fruity confections, is partnering with Standard Cognition to help retailers evolve into a new world of autonomous checkout by integrating seamless technology and impulse category sales. |
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