Stores Weekly

First Edition

AR’s role in creating compelling customer experiences

Stop if you’ve heard this: 2019 will be the year that augmented reality really takes off. In some ways, it's already well entrenched — its use in retail is nothing new, particularly in home furnishings and remodeling, where consumers can see how a new product fits in their home before the purchase is made or paint applied.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/03/18/ars-role-in-creating-compelling-customer-experiences/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Feb-March%20&utm_content= to view the full article online.

Best Buy improves in-store associate and customer experiences

Best Buy has long been helping its customers transform their digital lives. In recent months, however, the retailer has been the one undergoing digital transformation — particularly in the area of store merchandising.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/03/18/best-buy-improves-in-store-associate-and-customer-experiences/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Feb-March%20&utm_content= to view the full article online.

BevMo! streamlines information transfer between corporate and stores

Many retailers struggle to ensure that information moves between their corporate departments and store locations clearly, completely and efficiently. Email is easy, but store employees often find themselves juggling numerous messages from different departments. Some newer systems might work for brief texts and chats but are weaker when it comes to handling longer, more detailed communications.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/03/19/bevmo-streamlines-information-transfer-between-corporate-and-stores/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Feb-March%20&utm_content=BevMo to view the full article online.

Connecting brands with retail space

Storefront likes to call itself the Airbnb of short-term retail space. Since it was founded six years ago, the New York startup has become the world’s largest marketplace for brands to connect with retail spaces. It currently has more than 10,000 listings representing more than $1.2 billion of annual rental value across three continents.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/03/19/connecting-brands-with-retail-space/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Feb-March%20&utm_content=Storefront%20Q&A to view the full article online.

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.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/nrf-nwl/articles/index.asp?aid=550566&issueID=64446 to view the full article online.

NRF is proud to provide our members with the online Retail Buying Guide to search for trusted vendors, products and services in the retail industry. Our guide is a user-friendly forum designed to bring suppliers and purchasers together. You can search by keyword, location, company name or category. Available whenever you need it, the Retail Buying Guide makes it easy to locate products and professional services geared to the retail industry. Click here to visit the online Retail Buying Guide! To advertise, please contact Sarah Allen for more information.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/nrf-nwl/articles/index.asp?aid=550567&issueID=64446 to view the full article online.

Trends

Crocs biting into a new generation?

Imagine the surprise — and elation — for Crocs Chief Marketing Officer Terence Reilly. Rapper Post Malone has been extolling the virtues of the comfort and casual shoe brand, saying he wears them “everywhere from the bar to the stage.”

Visit https://stores.org/2019/03/20/crocs-biting-into-a-new-generation/ to view the full article online.

NRF News

MM.Lafleur empowers women in the workplace

MM.LaFleur empowers customers to focus on the things that really matter — like preparing for that client meeting or business trip — through styling, thoughtfully designed products and community. Vice President of Brand Marketing Jennifer Braunschweiger joins this episode of Retail Gets Real to share how her team supports women and brings the brand to life.

Visit https://nrf.com/blog/mmlafleur-empowers-women-workplace?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=Retail%20Gets%20Real&utm_content=Ep%20110%20MM.LaFleur to view the full article online.

Help us get an accurate picture of compensation and benefits

Every year, Mercer and NRF team up to deliver the U.S. Retail Compensation and Benefits Survey, which collects data from retailers and their employees about compensation, turnover, incentive structures, benefits packages, demographics and more. The survey is open March 15 through April 26, 2019. Learn more and take the survey.

Visit https://www.imercer.com/ecommerce/products/retail-compensation-benefits#Participate to view the full article online.

Michigan retailer says tariffs ‘undermine growth’

Retailers have always responded to customer needs, evolving with the market — and anything that might disrupt progress is a concern. Jimmy Edwards, president of Marshall Music in Lansing, Mich., worries tariffs will raise prices on music instruments, disrupt his connection with customers and ultimately impact access to hundreds of school music programs across Michigan. Watch the video to learn more.

Visit https://nrf.com/hill/policy-issues/impact-tariffs-small-business?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=Tariffs&utm_content=Small%20Business%20Impact to view the full article online.

Unify physical in-store data with digital customer data

Are you looking for ways to take personalization to the next level? The Arm retail solution can help you capture customers’ in-store, item-level shopping behavior, and unify that physical shopping data with their digital journey. This holistic view provides the foundation for delivering personalized experiences across digital and physical properties.

Learn how to make your shopper's experience personal!

Cut TCO by 15% on barcode devices

Retailers have relied on rugged handheld devices for over 30 years to boost efficiency and productivity. All along, devices have suffered from failures due to charging contacts that get dirty, corrode, or break. Wireless charging prevents device failure, drastically reducing TCO. An enterprise can easily reduce TCO by 15% or more deploying wireless charging devices.

Download the White Paper

National Retail Federation