Danny Govberg is time-conscious. Whether it’s the high-end watches his company buys and sells or the constantly changing ecommerce environment, the president and owner of Govberg Jewelers keeps his eye on the dial.

Some stores are destinations: Customers visit to buy something specific like bananas or milk. But others are treasure hunts: Customers visit for the pleasure of finding something new, different or exciting. The latter describes Natural Life, a store that sells everything from clothes and accessories to home décor and unique gifts.

Humans hate waiting in line — and retailers are captivated by the prospect of frictionless point of sale. Anything they can do to remove resistance from in-store transactions yields happier shoppers and better shopping experiences. Standard Cognition’s solution is simple: It removes the checkout process entirely.

Lending assistance during the feverish weeks from early November through the beginning of the new year, holiday workers provide an essential service but also present significant challenges for human resources and security. Long after they depart, valid login information or other sensitive material may remain in their possession.

STORES' annual Retail Industry Buying Guide, 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.

Working on a training plan for a favorite sport or exercise? Under Armour is ready to help athletes build their gear right along with it.

Net-A-Porter is turning artificial intelligence into real insight with an imminent AI tool that will help consumers choose items based on where they’ll be traveling, and whether it’s for business or pleasure.

Should a woman’s beauty routine be adapted to her hormonal cycle? Women may not have considered that possibility before, but most are quick to attest that hormonal skin is a very real thing.

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

Finding and attracting talent for entry-level positions is a challenge for retailers, but through strong partnerships with community-based organizations, nonprofits, workforce boards, state retail associations and retailers, the NRF Foundation’s RISE Up initiative has helped a new population learn more about the opportunities in retail, become trained for those jobs and secure employment. NRF’s Ellen Davis writes about the program’s successes and its future goals. 

Gallery Furniture owner Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is known for helping the Houston community in times of crisis. On NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast this week, McIngvale chats about what happened when Hurricane Harvey hit and how important it is for retailers to give back to their communities.

SATO Global Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of SATO Holdings, and fast-growing retail brand UNTUCKit are working on a pilot that will use data collected by RFID chips on men’s shirts, traffic counters and other in-store data points to identify the optimal merchandising mix.

Apex Order Pick-Up Technologies announced a new self-serve, order pick-up program with Fanatics, the global leader in licensed sports merchandise, at its flagship NBA Store in New York City. Based on initial program results, Fanatics will expand the automated buy online, pick up in store lockers to additional sites in 2018.

Brookstone, a nationwide specialty chain retailer and developer of innovative product lines, will transform how it manages its workforce with Workforce Dimensions, a new solution from Kronos Inc. Workforce Dimensions is powered by the intelligent Kronos D5 platform and offers a breakthrough employee experience and unprecedented levels of operational insights to help Brookstone better manage its workforce.

Leading national arts and crafts retailer A.C. Moore and global television shopping network Create and Craft announced a strategic partnership that will showcase A.C. Moore’s collection of more than 40,000 products on Create and Craft’s global broadcast to more than 70 million homes, providing creative consumers with a shopping experience on a scale heretofore unseen

Salesforce announced that YETI — a premium outdoor brand based in Austin, Texas — has launched a new digital shopping experience built on Salesforce Commerce Cloud. YETI is one of the fastest-growing brands in the outdoor industry. As the company has experienced rapid growth, it has been able to manage its B2C and B2B customer relationships at scale using Salesforce Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Community Cloud.

Oracle announced that a leading provider of sporting goods in Mexico, Grupo Martí, has deployed Oracle Retail technology to make goods available to consumers in stores faster. With Oracle Retail at the core, Grupo Martí can enhance inventory control to drive better merchandise decision-making and improve the experience for consumers, helping ensure the right products are in the right stores at the right time.

Daisy Intelligence Corporation, an artificial intelligence software-as-a-service company, announced that Harps Food Stores Inc., based in Springdale, Ark., has successfully implemented the company’s artificial intelligence platform to improve and optimize decision-making around pricing and promotions.

The ALDO Group, a world-leading creator and operator of desirable footwear and accessory brands, has chosen to implement the DataCandy Gift Card platform in over 750 locations across Canada, the United States and regions of Europe. With 3,000 points of sale in more than 100 countries around the world, the organization operates under two signature brands, Aldo and Call It Spring, and a multi-brand retail concept, GLOBO.

Linc Global, the leading customer care automation solution that powers digital experiences that strengthen brand-to-shopper relationships, announced that Lamps Plus, the United States’ largest lighting retailer, has implemented Linc’s AI-powered platform to offer shoppers instant tracking for orders via conversational digital channels.