Stores Weekly - September 5, 2019

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.”

Visit https://stores.org/2019/09/02/make-it-simple-and-seamless/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Sept%20&utm_content=Seamless to view the full article online.

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.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/09/03/disrupted-again/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Sept%20&utm_content=Editors%20Note 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=578603&issueID=64470 to view the full article online.

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.)

Visit https://stores.org/2019/09/04/cereal-killers/ 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=578604&issueID=64470 to view the full article online.

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.

Visit https://nrf.com/blog/how-true-value-hardware-continues-innovate?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=Retail%20Gets%20Real&utm_content=Ep%20134%20True%20Value to view the full article online.

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.

Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMTOtuVa4mo&feature=youtu.be to view the full article online.

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.

Visit https://nrf.com/research/monthly-economic-review-september-2019?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=MER&utm_content=September%202019 to view the full article online.

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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