The Walt Disney Company has a strong tradition of investing in technology and people to bring stories to life. At NRF’s annual Shop.org conference in Los Angeles, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media SVP and Chief Technology Officer Michael White spoke about the company’s strategy for enhancing the connection between guests and their favorite stories and characters.

With 25 years in business, DSW is no stranger to navigating the retail landscape with a focus on assortment and value. But as CEO Roger Rawlins said at Shop.org, that’s not enough anymore: The company had to figure out why it was relevant — and what it would do to survive.

There’s a new stop on the customer’s path to purchase — planning, visualizing, searching and finding things they don’t have a word for. At Shop.org, Pinterest’s Amy Vener and Wayfair’s Mike Festa talked about the role visual technology plays in the “I’ll know it when I see it” stage of shopping.

All big ideas start small — and often the biggest innovations or ideas begin at the smallest companies. Take a closer look at startups featured in NRFtech’s third consecutive “Tour of the Possible” and how they can catalyze innovation in any organization.

STORES' annual Retail Industry Software Sourcebook, the retail industry's definitive buying guide, is now available! Take a look at the digital edition of this annual directory, designed to help retailers of all sizes and in all channels find the applications they need to run a successful enterprise.

Companies unprepared for recalls or crises can escalate a problem dramatically, according to a recent survey from Marketpoint Recall. Taking too long to address an issue risks irreparable damage: The survey found that 85 percent of Americans would be angered by a crisis or product recall.

The digital edition of STORES includes must-read pieces, including the articles featured here. Browse the archives for issues you may have missed.

New York University marketing professor Scott Galloway joined the Retail Gets Real podcast co-hosts at Shop.org to address the so-called “retail apocalypse” and to guess what’s next for Amazon. Hear his tips on the ways retailers can adapt to Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google’s power positions in the retail industry and why Galloway makes the predictions he does.

NRF’s new Consumer View report is designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends relating to stores, online channels, loyalty and technology. The initial quarterly report examines shoppers’ experiences with technology, what brings Millennials and Generation Z into the store and what differentiates the online and in-store shopper.

NRF and Ascential PLC, parent company of the World Retail Congress, have announced a partnership to leverage the strengths of each group to provide their shared audiences with insight, networking opportunities, intelligence and more in the future. “With the WRC’s international acumen and NRF’s century-old leadership platform, we will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the modern-day retailer around the world,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Lyons Consulting Group, a digital agency and global commerce service provider, announced its engagement with Destination Maternity Corporation, the world’s leading maternity apparel retailer. Destination Maternity selected LYONSCG to support the transformation of its digital commerce operations.

Anlit Ltd. introduces Omega Bites under the Meijer supermarket’s children’s label. Omega Bites are a high-DHA+EPA omega-3 supplement in a single, fish-shaped orange-chocolate flavored chewable for children.

Adyen, a payments platform, expanded its partnership with the world’s largest third-party mobile and online payment platform, Alipay, to enable retailers worldwide to easily accept non-cash payments from Chinese customers in store.

comScore and PlaceIQ announced the launch of a joint solution, PlaceIQ PVR powered by comScore, which measures lift in retail visits resulting from TV, mobile and desktop advertising.

Ace Hardware is acquiring a majority stake in The Grommet, an ecommerce startup that brings to market products from independent entrepreneurs, also known as Makers. This partnership aligns with Ace’s focus on being a champion for small business and bringing locally relevant, innovative products to its more than 5,000 independently owned stores. It will also expand The Grommet’s ability to provide inventors with a path to meaningful growth.

The New York City-based Astor Place Shake Shack will introduce a new guest flow at the restaurant. Set to open its doors in early October, the Shack is designed to enhance operations and guest experience and will feature kiosk-only ordering, a cashless environment and an optimized kitchen for greater throughput.

Office Depot has agreed to acquire systems integration powerhouse Compucom for approximately $1 billion, as the mega-retailer shifts toward the business and technology services industry.

1-800-Flowers.com announced that customers can soon enjoy the ease and convenience of ordering floral gifts and select gourmet food offerings directly via Google Assistant. A quick menu of gifting categories allows on-the-go customers to select gifts and place orders, for delivery nationwide, using Google Assistant on eligible Android phones and iPhones.

Ecrebo, a point-of-sale marketing specialist, announced a five-year contract with Dixons Carphone, Europe's specialty electrical and telecommunications retailer and services company.

At Home, the home décor superstore with 136 large format stores, has turned to Columbus Consulting International to develop a complete plan for staffing developments and business processes, and to identify the best technology solutions to take their merchandise and allocation strategy to the next level ahead of the holiday season.

Hunkemöller, a women’s fashion retailer with more than 800 stores in 23 countries, has selected Logility Voyager Solutions to support its growing omni-channel operations. Hunkemöller turned to Logility to help optimize the performance of its inventory, improve automation of the allocation and replenishment processes and enable the team to spend more time on value-adding analysis and decision-making activities.