Stores Weekly

First Edition

As Amazon introduces more chat-enabled products, what's the future of voice technology in retail?

Amazon’s march to embed Alexa into every home continues. Earlier this fall, the company announced a wave of chat-enabled products that not only enhance what chat can do, but also bring together several features.

Visit https://stores.org/2018/12/10/now-hear-this/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Dec%20&utm_content=Voice%20Tech to view the full article online.

Texas restaurant chain Mama Fu's tries a cash-back loyalty program to increase its customer base

Randy Murphy, CEO and president of Mama Fu's Asian House, needed to get a handle on his company's stagnant loyalty program. He turned to Ryan Wuerch, founder and CEO of Dosh, who proposed the idea of an app-based cash-back program.

Visit https://stores.org/2018/12/10/show-them-the-money/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Dec%20&utm_content=MamaFus to view the full article online.

High-end designer merchandise for rent helps create a stylish community

Although services exist to allow people to rent high-end apparel and accessories from other fashionistas in their area, a website now allows it on a national level. Chicago-based DesignerShare first launched in 2017 and relaunched a few months ago as a peer-to-peer platform to allow people to rent fashion items that may cost more than $1,000 purchased new — at rates typically between $50 and $150 per week.

Visit https://stores.org/2018/12/10/reinvention-through-recommerce/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Dec%20&utm_content=Recommerce to view the full article online.

Hy-Vee brings a new level of health and fitness to grocery

Consumers are growing more conscious about the food choices they make and are seeking greater access to more healthy items. Many grocers are expanding their organic and natural offerings to serve the growing market, including Midwestern grocer Hy-Vee, which introduced a new concept this summer that puts healthy foods, amenities and a fitness center all in one location.

Visit https://stores.org/2018/12/11/where-convenience-meets-health/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Dec%20&utm_content=Hyvee to view the full article online.

EMV is here to stay — but has it helped?

The din from the drum of the EMV mandate is not what it was three years ago. But the reverberations over compelling retailers to adopt costly new point-of-sale technology in order to accept new chip-based credit and debit cards — and the debate over whether doing so has reduced fraud — continue to ripple through the industry.

Visit https://stores.org/2018/12/11/emv-is-here-to-stay-but-has-it-helped/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Dec%20&utm_content=EMV to view the full article online.

New York designer gives bridal the ecommerce treatment

Buying a veil online can be challenging in its own right — how long will it be on a tall frame, will the color match the gown well enough? — but Jaclyn Jordan, founder of Jaclyn Jordan New York, says the Wix ecommerce system she uses has built-in tools like a messaging platform that make the process quick, reliable and simple.

Visit https://stores.org/2018/12/11/are-consumers-ready-to-buy-wedding-gowns-online/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Dec%20&utm_content=bridal to view the full article online.

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.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/nrf-nwl/articles/index.asp?aid=536415&issueID=56577 to view the full article online.

Trends

Natural deodorant, cleaning up the market

We’ve come a long way from never letting them see you sweat. Myro puts the focus front and center on deodorant, offering premium scents like bergamot/lavender/vetiver; a subscription-based model; recyclable and refillable packaging; and a formula made with 99 percent natural ingredients and no aluminum, parabens, phthalates, triclosan or other potentially troublesome ingredients.

Visit https://stores.org/2018/12/12/natural-deodorant-cleaning-up-the-market/ to view the full article online.

Any way you slice it, it’s a permanent reminder

Domino’s Pizza had significantly more diehard fans in Russia than it realized. The company announced a promotion in which anyone who tattooed its logo on their body would receive free pizza for life. The promotion was supposed to last for two months, but response was so swift that it was shut down within days.

Visit https://stores.org/2018/12/12/any-way-you-slice-it-its-a-permanent-reminder/ to view the full article online.

Thrift = unique

Some folks shop at thrift stores all the year through — so why not the holidays, too? National Thrift Shop Day was held in the summer, but the sixth annual Thrift Shopping Survey by Savers offered insight that is as fresh as ever. Start with the stat that 83 million tons of unnecessary apparel waste is thrown away each year.

Visit https://stores.org/2018/12/12/thrift-unique/ to view the full article online.

Small purchases, big decisions

Debit, cash or credit? Apparently, it still depends on the amount. A study by CreditCards.com showed that 45 percent of Americans still prefer paying cash for purchases under $10; 30 percent choose debit for that amount, and 23 percent choose credit. Credit cards tend to come out when the cost is $25 or higher.

Visit https://stores.org/2018/12/12/small-purchases-big-decisions/ to view the full article online.

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.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/nrf-nwl/articles/index.asp?aid=536416&issueID=56577 to view the full article online.

NRF News

How Neiman Marcus innovates to adapt

From the Memory Mirror to the Snap Find Shop, Neiman Marcus Innovation Lab founder and Director Scott Emmons has helped the 109-year-old luxury retailer choose the type of technology and systems necessary to stay on the cutting edge of retail. On the latest episode of NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast, Emmons offers tips on how retailers can begin powering innovation efforts in their organizations and what he believes retail will look like in the future.

Visit https://nrf.com/blog/how-neiman-marcus-innovates-adapt?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=Retail%20Gets%20Real&utm_content=Ep%2091%20Scott%20Emmons to view the full article online.

NRF Innovation Lab alumni: Where are they now?

Since its inception in 2017, the Innovation Lab at NRF’s annual convention has featured more than 75 technologies that have changed shopping. With NRF 2019: Retail’s Big Show just weeks away, here’s a look at where past Innovation Lab exhibitors are now.

Visit https://nrf.com/blog/nrf-innovation-lab-alumni-where-are-they-now?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=NRF2019&utm_content=Innovation%20lab%20alumni%20blog to view the full article online.

The future of retail includes tech, diversity

The inaugural NRF Foundation Student Program debuted five years ago and it has grown tremendously since then – more than 1,000 college students are projected to attend in 2019. NRF Foundation President Ellen Davis says students and educators can expect more technology-focused sessions, the largest retail hiring event for college students, important conversations on diversity and inclusion and connections with an amazing lineup of brands.

Visit https://nrffoundation.org/blog/nrf-foundation-student-program-brings-retail-tech-store-experiences-and-diversity-forefront?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=NRF%20Foundation&utm_content=Student%20Program to view the full article online.

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