TECHNOLOGY

Retailers that can improve ordering, fulfillment, delivery, and customer service are on their way to a holly, jolly holiday.   This is the message being conveyed by 500 shoppers surveyed in the “Consumers’ 2016 Holiday Shopping Expectations,” a report from Radi-al. Their responses revealed that they are not willing to negotiate when it comes to inventory visibility, free shipping or customer service this holi-day season.  

Who are the leading women working in retail technology? Chain Store Age is accepting nominations for its annual feature recognizing female executives who are helping to transform the retail industry through technology.   The “Top 10 Women in Tech” will celebrate the achievements of female executives from all areas of retail technology. The winners will be profiled in a special section of the January 2017 issue of Chain Store Age, as well as in an online report on chainstoreage.com.  

Walgreens on Tuesday enticed its shoppers with a new loyalty program tied to its beauty department with the launch of Beauty Enthusiast, a beauty club within its Balance Rewards loyalty program. Cardholders who register for Beauty Enthusiast gain additional rewards on beauty and personal care items, as well as other benefits.  

Amazon Prime launched its newest set of benefits, but these are targeting gamers.   Bolstering its live streaming video platform Twitch, Amazon has intro-duced Twitch Prime. This membership-based service entitles members to exclusive discounts on pre-orders and newly released games; a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot, and a premium experi-ence on Twitch that includes a free monthly Twitch channel subscription.   

Physical stores still play a crucial role in holiday shopping.    That’s one of the major themes of the International Council of Shopping Centers’ annual holiday forecast, which emphasizes that, more than ever before, shoppers will expect an omnichannel experience this season. The report predicts 3.3% year-over-year growth sales at physical stores this holiday season (compared to 2.2% increase in 2015). Including online sales for physical retailers, ICSC predicts sales will rise 3.5%.     

As consumers connect with their favorite brands, they expect a consistent shopping experience.   With the help of Salesforce.com, The Aldo Group consolidated shopper data across its enterprise so it can create a singular shopping experience. By adding a cloud-based platform, Aldo gained 360-degree views of each shopper, a move that provides better insight into their preferences and allows the chain to engage with consumers more effectively.  

For the second year in a row, Staples will close its stores on Thanksgiving.   Shoppers, however, will be able shop the office supplies giant’s e-commerce site.   

Sears is hitching a ride with Uber — and inviting its loyal shoppers along.   A new program, called Rider Rewards, is designed to award Sears shoppers for using Uber’s ride service. Customers that link their Sears Shop Your Way loyalty plan to their Uber account will earn $2 in loyalty points for every Uber trip they take. Besides points, the loyalty program also tailors deals to members. Drivers can also take advantage of the program, and earn up to $1,000 in certain markets.