Sat.Jan 22, 2022 - Fri.Jan 28, 2022

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White paper: Joy of Shopping

Retail Focus

Following the oppression of isolation brought on by the pandemic, shopping-for-leisure in physical stores begins to replenish our essential need for real-time experiences and face-to-face interaction. The joy of shopping in bricks-and-mortar stores retains its pre-covid social value, but the key to on-going success is the industry understanding that customer needs have changed irrevocably, and they need to continue to adapt to meet them. female buyer pays with bank card in tea shop.

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Thinking Outside the Mall: Using Exterior Spaces to Draw Shoppers In

Retail TouchPoints

I used to live near the Palisades Mall in Nyack, N.Y. For those not familiar, it’s an enormous structure, and like most auto-centric suburban shopping centers, it’s surrounded by acres of parking spaces. But nothing much happens on its outside , except for signage big and bright enough to be seen by speeding cars on the interstate highway it abuts. Making more creative, engaging use of all this essentially wasted outside space will be one of the key elements of successfully future-proofed malls,

Outdoor 328
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Australia Post delivers 52 million parcels over Christmas period

Inside Retail

Australia Post managed to deliver 52 million parcels through December last year despite high parcel volumes all through October and November. In one of the busiest periods of the year, Australia Post managed to move 556 tonnes of parcels, which is 13 per cent higher compared to the previous year, and used 25 dedicated freight carriers transporting cargo across the country.

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Customer touchpoints in retail: Impress and engage

Tokinomo

The pandemic has affected the way people shop. Also, 75% of the 33,000 customers mentioned that they changed the brands they shop due to Covid. This pandemic has hit customer loyalty because more and more people moved to online shopping and discovered various other brands.

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Is Your Business AI-Ready? Find Out with Orium’s Maturity Model

Generative AI is poised to redefine B2B, but scaling AI success in this space isn’t without obstacles. From fragmented data sources and complex buyer journeys to operational inefficiencies, the road to AI-powered growth can be challenging. To achieve a competitive edge, understanding your organization’s AI-readiness is essential. Orium's Data & AI Maturity Model provides a quick, actionable way to assess your starting point.

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Hermès reopens its store in Pacific Place Mall, revealing a unique, spacious design and reaffirming its history with Hong Kong

Retail Focus

Hermès has reopened the doors of the newly renovated store in Pacific Place mall, Hong Kong. A cherished location for the house since it opened in 1991. Spanning 325m2, the new, contemporary vision for this store portrays the unique dynamic between Hong Kong’s urban landscape and its verdant natural surroundings. Awash with light and recast in a warm, welcoming colour palette, the new store boasts a spacious layout where one can discover the sixteen métiers of the house and the spirit of savoir-

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Petco to Set up Shop-in-Shops at Lowe’s

Retail TouchPoints

Lowe’s and Petco are piloting a new store-in-store program that will bring a selection of Petco’s pet products and services to the home improvement retailer. The first Lowe’s + Petco store-in-store will open at Lowe’s Alamo Ranch, Texas location in early February, with plans to expand to 14 additional Lowe’s locations in Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina by the end of March 2022.

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More Trending

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Kroger and Meijer offering free N95 masks to customers

Retail Wire

Customers at Kroger and Meijer stores in Michigan can pick up free N95 masks while supplies last. “Wearing a mask and getting vaccinated continue to be the top defense tools in our nation’s fight against COVID-19,” said Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger’s chief medical officer. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free non-surgical N95 masks and make an appointment today to get vaccinated or boosted.”.

ATS 189
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Atria Watford welcomes Victoria’s Secret and expanded NEXT store

Retail Focus

Atria Watford, owned by property company SGS, has announced the opening of a new, expanded NEXT store, as well as the addition of Victoria’s Secret. The news follows a string of other leasing deals announced over recent months. The centre’s existing NEXT store will move from its current unit, covering 32,386 sq ft, to a new one, creating one large store spread over three floors, combining its home, beauty and fashion offerings.

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Registration Is Live For The Retail Innovation Conference & Expo Event

Retail TouchPoints

Registration has officially opened for The Retail Innovation Conference & Expo (#RICE22), which will take place May 10-12, 2022 at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. The conference and expo, led by leading retail community and media company, Retail TouchPoints , will feature three tailored events that are designed to meet the needs of different business units and functions: Retail Innovation Summit (RIS), Internet Retailer (IRCE) and Design:Retail (DRCE).

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Myer reports strong sales growth despite Omicron outbreak

Inside Retail

A “particularly strong” run-up to Christmas saw department-store chain Myer achieve solid sales growth in the five months to January 1, despite the company losing 27 per cent of its brick-and-mortar store trading days due to Covid-related trading restrictions. . In a trading update released on the eve of the Australia Day public holiday, Myer reported sales growth of 12.3 per cent year on year, and a 17.1-per-cent boost in the two months to the end of December, which were not impacted by lockdow

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Less Stress, More Success: Accounting Best Practices & Processes for 2025

Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Amanda Adams, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

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Inflation will remain worldwide problem in 2022

Retail Wire

A Reuters survey of over 500 economists finds a consensus that inflationary pressures will remain in place throughout 2022, tamping down growth in the process. Nearly 40 percent of respondents identified inflation as the biggest risk to the global economy this year. Nearly 35 percent are concerned what role new coronavirus variants may have.

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Laings chooses St David’s for debut OMEGA showroom

Retail Focus

Landsec , part of The St David’s Partnership, owners of St David’s in Cardiff, has announced that award-winning luxury watch and jewellery retailer, Laings The Jewellers , is to open its debut mono-brand OMEGA showroom, at the destination. The 838 sq ft unit will be operated by Laings and presented as OMEGA, the brand it will exclusively stock. Set to open in Spring 2022, the showroom will complement Laings’ other recently launched store at St David’s, which underwent a £3 million investment las

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Walmart Puts Tactile Displays, Product Discovery at Forefront of New Signature Experience

Retail TouchPoints

Walmart has introduced a new signature experience at its incubator location in Springdale, Ark. called “Time Well Spent.” The updated store has new features aimed at amplifying the physical, human and digital design elements in stores, including new lighting, space enhancements and dynamic displays, all of which will be part of the second phase of Walmart’s store redesign project.

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Dusk sales drop as stores closed, but online growth cushions the blow

Inside Retail

Australian specialty retailer Dusk, has reported poor sales based on unaudited management accounts for the first half of the financial year. In a trading update, the company said sales fell 12 per cent to $80 million compared to $90.9 million in the first half of FY21 and $59.6 million in the first half of FY20. On the other hand, online sales were up 4.3 per cent contributing 9.3 per cent of total sales.

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NEWS: SML RFID Delivers 98% Inventory Accuracy to Gina Tricot

I’m getting in touch with the news that fashion retailer, Gina Trictot, has achieved 98% inventory accuracy thanks to its partnership with SML RFID. Please see the full press release below, including exclusive quotes.

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Kroger and Levi Strauss open e-comm fulfillment centers in Kentucky

Retail Wire

Kroger is opening a 50,000-square-foot spoke distribution center in Louisville, KY, to support its Ocado automated fulfillment center in Monroe, OH. Levi Strauss is building a 575,000-square-foot warehouse in Northern Kentucky that will open in 2023.

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UK’s first sustainable Green Street pilot scheme launched

Retail Focus

Bradford city centre has been chosen as the location for the UK’s first Green Street action research pilot that aims to help small and independent businesses go green. Led by successful Bradford retailer and businesswoman Victoria Robertshaw, with initial funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Green Street is supported by the Retail Sector Council (RSC), Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (with support from the European Regional Devel

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NRF: For Every $1B in Sales, Retailers Incur $166M in Returns

Retail TouchPoints

Approximately 16.6% of all U.S. retail sales in 2021, or $761 billion in merchandise, will be returned this year, according to a report from the National Retail Federation and Appriss Retail. Total retail sales reached $4.583 trillion in 2021. The total rate of returns is up from the 10.6% reported during 2020, but despite soaring ecommerce adoption, online returns will remain in line with recent years at 20.8%.

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Premier Retail to close four Sydney stores despite good performance

Inside Retail

Premier Retail says it achieved a modest increase in sales for the half year to January 29, despite losing 42,000 trading days to Covid-related lockdowns and movement restrictions. Referencing a ‘volatile trading environment’ the parent of retail chains Portmans, Dotti, Just Jeans, Smiggle, Peter Alexander, Jay Jays and Jacqui-E, said it will close four stores in the Mid City Arcade in Sydney’s CBD.

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eCommerce in 2025: How Customer Experience Drives Online Retail Success

Speaker: Jennifer Wright and Nick Barron

2025 is right around the corner, and with it comes a new wave of consumer expectations, competitive pressures, and operational challenges. Success lies in finding the balance between operational flexibility and creating experiences that keep customers coming back. The future of retail belongs to those who can stay ahead of shifting customer preferences and marketing trends. 🔮 In this session, we’ll dive deep into what it takes to keep customers engaged and your operations nimble, no matt

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Home Depot names company vet as new CEO

Retail Wire

Home Depot has named Ted Decker as its new CEO, replacing Craig Menear, effective March 1. Mr. Decker has been president and chief operating officer at the company since October 2020. Mr. Menear will remain chairman of the board.

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Shopify Vs Squarespace: Which is Best for Your Small Business?

Small Biz Trends

When it comes to setting up an online store, two platforms that are most popular with small business owners are Shopify and Squarespace. Both platforms are designed to make it easier for an e-commerce business owner with no coding experience to set up shop easily. Let’s explore the two platforms to understand what is Shopify as well as Squarespace, and which one works best for you.

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4 Ways to Customize the Employee Experience With Retention in Mind

Retail TouchPoints

Without customers, retail businesses grind to a halt. That’s why price and merchandise are carefully curated to align with brand image. But buyers aren’t shopping your brand solely based on inventory — they’re equally as motivated by the engagement they have with your service employees. This is especially important for ecommerce businesses, because consumers have thousands of online retailers available at their fingertips.

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Supply-chain snarls eat into Kogan’s bottom line

Inside Retail

Pureplay electronics retailer Kogan has struggled to maintain momentum in its first half, although its New Zealand subsidiary Mighty Ape reduced the impact on its bottom line. Citing Covid-related supply chain interruptions and “associated fluctuations in demand” Kogan’s post-tax profit was $14.6 million, down 70.1 per cent, however Mighty Ape’s profit soared 147.3 per cent to $7.1 million.

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Is Your Brand AI-Ready? Find Out with Orium’s Maturity Model

Generative AI is reshaping retail, but achieving true AI success isn’t simple. Many brands face hurdles—underdeveloped data strategies, limited AI-ready infrastructure, or lack of seamless integration across systems. As you explore how AI can boost efficiency and transform customer experiences, understanding your business’s readiness is key. Orium's Data & AI Maturity Model offers a clear starting point.

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Shipping lines are paying workers more to keep goods flowing

Retail Wire

Shipping lines are paying workers big bonuses — up to three year’s salary — as they come off a record year and look to keep goods moving through their portion of the supply chain. Workers may appreciate the extra income, but it may not be enough to keep them from looking for new work after a tough and demanding 2021. “We heard from many seafarers, particularly those aged 35 and over, that they were not intending to return to sea once they eventually got home,” according a Standard Club rep

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Meta Works with NVIDIA to Build Massive AI Research Supercomputer

Nvidia

Meta Platforms gave a big thumbs up to NVIDIA, choosing our technologies for what it believes will be its most powerful research system to date. The AI Research SuperCluster (RSC), announced today, is already training new models to advance AI. Once fully deployed, Meta’s RSC is expected to be the largest customer installation of NVIDIA DGX A100 systems.

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How Neiman Marcus is Using Next-Gen Tech to Deliver on its Century-Old Promise

Retail TouchPoints

A lot has changed since the Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) was founded back in 1907, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the company’s relentless focus on customer service and style. More than a century on, the company still sees high-touch “style interactions” as its key differentiator. The way NMG delivers on that brand hallmark has changed quite dramatically over the last 100+ years though, evidenced by the company’s recent announcement that it plans to spend $500 million on digital technology ov

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Designer Thierry Mugler dies, at 73

Inside Retail

French fashion designer, Manfred Thierry Mugler, who was behind designs worn by Beyonce and Lady Gaga, has passed away, aged 73. . “We are devastated to announce the passing of Mr Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday, January 23. May his soul Rest In Peace,” said a statement on Mugler’s official social media accounts. . The cause of death was reported natural causes, according to his agent. .

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How to Maximize Amazon Sales and Crush the Competition

With over 9 million sellers on Amazon, online marketplaces are more crowded than ever. Whether you’re looking to fine-tune prices in real-time or align strategies across channels, this guide provides the tools to understand how to maximize sales and secure a lasting competitive edge. Download now to transform your pricing strategy and drive holiday success.

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Amazon settles price-fixing suit

Retail Wire

Amazon.com has agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle a suit brought against the company for a program that gave the retailers control over marketplace sellers’ pricing to prevent them from discounting products more than necessary. The attorney general’s office in Washington State said the practice had reduced competition between marketplace sellers and hurt consumers in the process.

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Introducing Cisco Responsible AI – Enhancing Technology Transparency and Customer Trust

Cisco Retail

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly part of our everyday lives, and this transformation requires a thoughtful approach to innovation. Cisco is committed to delivering technologies and services by managing AI development in a way that augments our security, data privacy, and human rights focus – fostering a more inclusive future for all. Today, I am proud to announce Cisco’s Responsible AI initiative, a governance framework that guides internal development and provides a vital communicat

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Inside the Metaverse Mania: Experts Identify 4 Key Challenges and Opportunities

Retail TouchPoints

The metaverse seems to be everywhere these days, while technically being nowhere. (Its entirely virtual existence is the appeal, after all.) But while it was one of the buzziest topics of 2021, and looks to stay that way in 2022, the metaverse itself isn’t a new concept. In fact, the term was first coined back in 1992 in the sci-fi novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.

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CGI, manga and fantasy: Sydney fashion label Injury launches NFT art series

Inside Retail

Sydney-based fashion label Injury is set to launch Australia’s first digital fashion non-fungible token (NFT) art series. The unique three-piece range, Extended Dreams, has been developed in collaboration with CG visual art and music collective Real Parent and will be available for purchase in early February via NFT creative agency Culture Vault. Inspired by the ACG (anime, comic and gaming) subculture, the digital fashion items are extremely rare and upon purchase, the owners will have the opti

Fashion 162
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Pricing for Profit: How to Set, Negotiate, and Succeed

Speaker: Igli Laci, Strategic Finance Leader

In today’s competitive market, pricing is more than just a number — it’s the cornerstone of profitability. The right pricing strategy ensures that you capture the true value of your offering, paving the way for sustainable growth and long-term success. Join Igli Laci, Strategic Finance Leader, in this exclusive session where he will explore how a well-crafted pricing approach balances customer perception with business objectives, creating a powerful tool for securing both competitive advantage a