ARTICLES BY HANNAH ASH

• Five Below To Raise Omni-Channel Visibility

  6/17/2014

  Five Below is looking to raise its visibility going forward, particularly, its omni-channel presence. Similar to Vera Bradley’s recent omni-channel movements, Five Below has announced key management changes. Last week, the retailer announced key management changes going forward that indicate a new direction for the teen and pre-teen based company.

• Target Responds Immediately To Check-Out Glitch

  6/17/2014

  Target Corp, which has suffered its fair share of omni-channel issues in the past 12 months, announced a recent check-up hiccup was nothing more than that. Shoppers had been experiencing significant delays at check-outs and an alarm amongst consumers that Target had been hacked again; word of the possible hack spread quickly on Sunday the 15th via customers turning to social media to share the possible security breach with their online networks.

• Starbucks To Offer Free College Tuition

  6/17/2014

  Starbucks, which has long held a reputation of treating its employees fairly, has announced it will be offering its employees two free years of online education in a partnership with Arizona State University.

• Apple Opens Its Legendarily Closed Gates

  6/12/2014

  Often accused of keeping brands developing for its platforms, apparently much can be gleaned about Apple’s future philosophy based on its willingness to work with two new app designers: Home Kit and HealthKit.

• Amazon Takes On Online Payment Processing

  6/12/2014

  Is there anything the retail giant won’t take on? In the push to win the retail wars, the path of Amazon can be compared to Alexander the Great, the prolific emperor who by the age of 30 created one of the world’s largest empires.

• True Fit: Big Data For Big Results

  6/11/2014

  Finding the right size for clothing has long been a problem for shoppers, so when it comes to buying clothing, brick-and-mortar stores retain a real advantage over online retailers.

• Bindo To Boost E-Commerce Sales For Small Brick-And-Mortars

  6/11/2014

  Legendary entrepreneur, best-selling author and wine connoisseur Gary Vaynerchuk, who used the power of social media — particularly YouTube — to transform his family’s liquor store into an empire, has a lot of capital and he’s not afraid of throwing it around. A look at some of Vaynerchuk’s recent investments show, to some extent, what the man credited as a marketing genius thinks about the future of e-commerce.

• Weatherproofed Retail? Costco’s Q1 Rises Despite Poor Weather

  6/2/2014

  Many of the nation’s leading retailers, including Walmart, posted less than spectacular results for the first quarter, citing bad weather. Stating that bad roads kept customers away was a logical explanation, especially as sales for delivery-based and online retailers such as Amazon improved.

• Lilly Pulitzer Launches Mobile POS For In-Store Sales

  6/2/2014

  Last month, retail and design chain Lilly Pulitzer announced a new addition to its eight elite ‘In The Pink Stores’. The In The Pink Stores are currently Pulitzer’s largest chain of signature stores in the United States: markets served include elite locales such as its flagship store on Boston’s high-end Newbury Street and the exclusive getaway island of Nantucket.

• Bonobos Welcomes Showrooming, Webrooming

  5/30/2014

  E-tailer Expands Guideshops Into Dallas Market.

• Walmart CEO: Physical Retail Is Here To Stay

  5/30/2014

  Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon recently spoke at the Code Conference and made something of a splash in doing so. McMillon credited Amazon with leading the world in innovations, stating, “Clearly, Amazon is teaching the world what’s possible.”

• Apple Acquires Beats: Sees Future In Music?

  5/30/2014

  For a Silicon Valley startup whose primary focus was on taking computers to homes across the country, Apple’s announcement today that it plans to acquire Beats marks a new direction and perhaps, new plans for the company’s future. Beats Electronics, currently headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, creates audio products and equipment.

• Walmart’s Customer Retention Strategy

  5/29/2014

  Chief Operating Officer of Walmart U.S. isn’t resting on the world’s leading retailer’s past accomplishments or current stature; Gisel Ruiz wants more. On May 22, 2014, Ruiz spoke at the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce Wall Street Breakfast, easily drawing the largest attended crowd.

• Topshop, Burton Adapt To Changing Customer Behavior

  5/29/2014

  Retailers Topshop and Burton have both partnered with Qubit's new Digital Experience Management Platform to elevate their e-commerce platform by making it fully responsive and dynamic. The platform works by processing crucial customer data in real time.

• Report Results Show Customer Service Above All Else

  5/29/2014

  As consumers’ comfort level with different sales channels increases, moreso than ever, shoppers and clients are also expecting seamless customer service (independent of the channel).