Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 28, 2021

In May 2020, McKinsey issued a report stating while the COVID-19 pandemic was shaking up small businesses across the board, it was disproportionately affecting minority-owned small businesses. Reasons cited were that the country’s 1.1 million minority-owned small businesses often face underlying challenges, making it tougher for them to run and scale successfully, plus they are likelier to work in industries most distressed by the global crisis.

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Retail Wire

DECEMBER 28, 2021

If the experiences of West Virginia residents Elizabeth and Shawna Fordyce are representative, many shoppers who traditionally wait for post-Christmas sales to do their real holiday shopping are feeling frustrated this year, finding instead empty shelves where they expected to see some of the best deals of the year.

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Shopping 130

Nvidia

DECEMBER 28, 2021

What better way to look back at NVIDIA’s top five videos of 2021 than to hop into the cockpit of a virtual plane flying over Taipei. That was how NVIDIA’s Jeff Fisher and Manuvir Das invited viewers into their COMPUTEX keynote on May 31. Their aircraft sailed over the city’s green hills and banked around its tallest skyscraper, Taipei 101, on the wings of Microsoft Flight Sim running on an NVIDIA RTX 3080 GPU.

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Retail Wire

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Outgoing NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio has mandated that all private employers in the city confirm that their on-site workers have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The regulations, said to be among the most stringent in the world, will effectively extend the requirements beyond public sector employees and those working in restaurants, gyms and indoor entertainment venues to retail stores, large and small.

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ATS 130

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Adopting MACH technology means more than implementing new platforms. This type of digital change affects your organization at every level and requires a thoughtful approach to navigate challenges that crop up. The Get MACH Ready report, co-authored by MACH Alliance member Scott Canney in collaboration with Orium, commercetools, and Contentstack, will provide you with strategies to prepare your organization for a digital transformation.

Management

Retail Times

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Melon Fashion Group (the "Group"), one of the leading Russian fashion retail companies developing ZARINA, befree, LOVE REPUBLIC, and sela brands, announces the expansion of its online presence in the international market with the launch of sales under the befree brand on the world's largest e-commerce platform Amazon. This decision reflects the company's strategic priorities and is a consistent step to increase the online presence and to internationalize Melon Fashion Group's brands.

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Fashion Marketing 98

Retail Wire

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Three former SpaceX engineers — Beson Tsai, Brian Langone and James Wahawisan — are the founders of Stellar pizza, a startup that developed a robotic pizza assembly machine that, along with an oven, fits in the back of a truck. It takes the hands-off system five minutes to form the dough and apply the pizza toppings, customized by order. When running at full tilt, the system can roll out a fresh pizza every 45 seconds.

ATS 100

ATS 100

Retail Wire

DECEMBER 28, 2021

The Food and Drug Administration has given its first-ever Modified Risk Tobacco Products designation to VLN King and VLN Menthol brand cigarettes, manufactured by 22nd Century Group. The company grows genetically modified tobacco plants that contain greatly reduced levels of nicotine yet purports to burn and taste like regular tobacco. “We know that three out of four adult smokers want to quit and the data on these products show they can help addicted adult smokers transition away from highly ad

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Retail Times

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Alibaba Group Holding Limited’s logistics arm Cainiao Network Technology Co., Ltd is stepping up hiring activity not just in China but across Europe to improve fulfilment and operation efficiency in the region. Alibaba, which is strengthening cross-border trade, has listed around 400 jobs related to its logistics arm Cainiao Network in December 2021*, finds GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

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Fulfillment 81

Retail Wire

DECEMBER 28, 2021

California’s new Senate Bill 1383 will be rolled out gradually across the state by locale, but ultimately the law requires that residents and businesses dispose of their organic waste in separate receptacles so that it can be collected and composted for reuse. Further, by 2025, the bill sets an objective, primarily with supermarkets in mind, of recovering 20 percent of still-edible food to be diverted to food banks instead of land fills.

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Supermarket 100

Independent Retailer

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Retail is undergoing an unprecedented transition. Ecommerce has been on the rise, and then COVID-19 happened, rocking the industry to its core as stores around the world closed and online sales skyrocketed. Amid all of these changes, sustainability has moved up the agenda for retailers and shoppers alike. Eco-Friendly Desires Increase Despite Pandemic.

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Advertising Consumer Marketing ATS 78

Speaker: David Azoulay, Marc Stracuzza, Román Tejada, and Guest Speaker Sucharita Kodali

Imagine a retail landscape where every interaction is personalized, every decision informed, and every opportunity maximized 🤔✨ Join us for an exploratory journey into the heart of AI-driven retail innovation. We’ll unveil the transformative potential of AI and data analytics in shaping the future of omnichannel personalization and e-commerce.

Customer Experience

Retail Wire

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Kathryn Minshew, co-founder and CEO of career website The Muse, prefers the term “Great Reshuffling” to describe the mass resignations that have caused great consternation in the job market throughout the pandemic era. Ms. Mishew sees the beginning of the new year as a time when many workers reevaluate their life/work trajectories and, therefore, sees a new wave of dropouts from the workforce.

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Marketing 100

Rangeme

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Community is rooted in everything Dr. Zonram Liao does. As an Asian-American “parachute kid” in Southern California, his parents had to return to their home country of Taiwan to find work when he turned fifteen, leaving Dr. Liao to be raised by his community. The camaraderie of his neighbors inspired him and stayed with him as he eventually left for college in the Caribbean to become a veterinarian.

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ATS Location Consumer Promotions 72

Retail Wire

DECEMBER 28, 2021

If you add the five stores Apple was forced to close due to bad weather conditions in Washington state, nearly 10 percent of the company’s U.S. stores were not operating as of yesterday. Apple says many of the affected stores are allowing for same-day order pickup or delivery.

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LS Retail

DECEMBER 28, 2021

©iStock/pressureUA “I built my business on social media; it’s where my fans go first to look for what’s next from Kylie Cosmetics,” say Kylie Jenner. For college students who want to try their hand at launching a business, they have a ready-made customer base and marketing platform at their fingertips. Social media platforms – Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok – recognize that potential and have been rolling out commerce tools.

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Marketing ATS 61

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Understanding the intricate world of Point-of-Sale (POS) technology is a common challenge for tech buyers. When it comes to defining the functions of Point-of-Sale systems, the communications have yet to be standardized–—until now. Forrester’s new report, Demystifying The Technical Functions of POS Solutions, breaks through the noise and provides business leaders with the information and tools they need to evaluate the features of POS systems.

Point of Sale

Retail Wire

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Investors were apparently impressed with a KeyBanc analyst report showing that the Oculus app had suddenly jumped to top ranking in the entertainment category in Apple’s app store, indicating that the VR headset owned by Meta (Facebook) was a popular holiday gift — perhaps further indicating that Meta’s marketing for The Metaverse made an impact with consumers.

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Consumer Marketing 100

Hyken

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Calming Upset Customers. How Leaders, Managers, and Staff Can Stay Effective During Unpleasant Conversations. Shep Hyken interviews Rebecca Morgan, an international speaker, management consultant, and bestselling author. She wrote the bestseller, Calming Upset Customers that sold more than 250,000 copies. They discuss what leaders and managers can do to help customer service staff manage upset customers and avoid issues in the future.

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Management Customer Experience 59

Mass Relators

DECEMBER 28, 2021

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee Inc. and its customers raised more than $219,000 this holiday season to support the Pinky Swear Foundation, a national charitable organization that supports children with cancer and their families. The annual Hy-Vee Pinky Swear Register Roundup, held from November 29 through December 12, gave the retailer’s customers the opportunity to donate at checkout by rounding up their purchase to the nearest dollar or by donating another amount.

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Checkout Marketing ATS 52

VMS

DECEMBER 28, 2021

A surge in early shopping got retailers off to a strong start this holiday season, spurring 8.5 percent year-over-year growth for the period between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse study. Notably, online sales jumped 11 percent compared to the same period last year. The study – which excluded automotive sales – measured in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment.

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Speaker: Jennifer Wright, Michael Scholz, Jasmin Guthmann, and Scott Canney

Digital transformation in retail is so much more than new technology. You need to get your whole organization, from entry-level workers to executives, on board with the new tech, new skills, and culture changes that digital transformation brings. Leading this mindset shift can be a daunting task… but that’s where this webinar comes in! Join our panel of experts as they guide you through the challenges of digital transformation, preparing you to avoid common mistakes and make the most of incredib

Management

Independent Retailer

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Easter is more than just a fun day to spend eating candy with the family, but it is also a significant revenue-driver for many retailers. According to results of the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics, consumers planned to spend an average of $180 on Easter in 2021, the highest figure on record.

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Wholesale Shipping Consumer Planning 52

VMS

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Apple (Cupertino, Calif.) has closed all 12 of its New York City retail stores to indoor shopping as cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus peak, reports Reuters. Shoppers can pick up their online orders at the stores, according to an Apple spokesperson. “We regularly monitor conditions, and we will adjust both our health measures and store services to support the wellbeing of customers and employees,” Apple wrote in a statement.

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Visual Merchandising Shopping ATS 52

Retail Times

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Starfish Kids (www.starfishkids.com) is a line of sustainably made, thoughtfully-crafted children’s clothes sizes 2-8 that are claimed to be as adorable as they are functional, with a superior fit, and super-soft feel – designed to bring more joy to your days.

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VMS

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Looking to expand beyond rubber clogs, Crocs (Broomfield, CO) has acquired casual footwear brand HeyDude for $2.5 billion. Crocs will pay for the deal with $2.05 billion in cash and $450 million in company shares. As part of the transaction, Rick Blackshaw was hired to join HeyDude as Executive Vice President and Brand President. The former President of Sperry, President of Keds and Vice President/General Manager of the Chuck Taylor division of Converse will join Crocs’ executive leadership team

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Visual Merchandising Management Marketing Apparel 52

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Did you know—74% of IT leaders are looking to improve their tech stack to offer better personalization? It’s impossible to ignore the importance of personalization, but it comes with challenges. How do you do it with a tight budget? What about customer privacy and the use of data? The Personalization Playbook is packed with research and insights from Orium, Talon.One, and Bloomreach and gives IT leaders answers to these tough questions, helping them shape 2024 strategies for personalization.

Retail Times

DECEMBER 28, 2021

The ongoing restrictions and supply chain disruptions due to Covid-19 policies across the world mean organisations are having to respond to change faster than ever. To thrive in such uncertain times, it’s essential for businesses to become more agile and to have the right technology to help them uncover the insights from their data to drive process efficiencies and enable innovation so they can thrive.

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Retail TouchPoints

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Retailers selling online have benefited from the ecommerce surge engendered by COVID-19, but as with anything else in this industry, they can’t afford to rest on their laurels — particularly as reopened physical stores up their game. Ideally, of course, omnichannel retailers will find ways to provide a seamless experience no matter what touch point a shopper uses or where they are in their purchase journey.

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Independent Retailer

DECEMBER 28, 2021

by Shannon Flynn. More retailers are utilizing SMS messaging to engage their customers and update them on everything from new arrivals to order statuses. Text messages are one of the most direct ways of contacting a target audience. . Recent research shows about 75 percent of consumers signed up for text messages from brands in the past twelve months.

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Consumer Promotions Marketing Shopping 80