aggregatedcontent
September 23, 2015 at 10:54 am
Groupon, once believed by many to be a catalyst for Chicago’s technology scene, evokes more concern than awe from some observers these days. It announced 1,100 layoffs Tuesday as it pulls back its global footprint. The flagging e-commerce company pioneered a daily-deals business in 2008, but is distancing itself from that model in favor of building…
September 23, 2015 at 10:45 am
Wal-Mart Stores’ technology arm, @WalmartLabs, on Tuesday said it's acquired Silicon Valley software company PunchTab, with intentions of using the company’s technology to tailor offers to its Sam’s Club shoppers. PunchTab marks WalmartLabs’ 15th acquisition in the last four years.
September 23, 2015 at 10:39 am
You can now order and pay for that venti nonfat no-whip extra-hot caramel macchiato before stepping foot in Starbucks. The coffee giant announced Tuesday that it's rolling out Mobile Order & Pay at its more than 7,400 company-owned Starbucks locations nationwide. Customers can access the feature in the Starbucks App on an iOS or Android device. The…
September 23, 2015 at 10:33 am
As part of its continuing digital push, Kohl's Corp. is piloting same-day delivery service in two big-city markets, the company said Tuesday. Although Milwaukee is often one of the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based company's early test markets, Kohl's latest bid to bind online shopping with brick-and-mortar will target Chicago and San Francisco to start, a spokesperson said. As…
September 22, 2015 at 11:09 am
Chicago employees of posh department store Barneys New York are seeking to unionize, with a chief concern being a company policy that requires sales associates to push the store credit card or face disciplinary action. About 70 percent of the company's 75 Chicago sales associates and shipping and distribution workers have signed cards indicating they wish…
September 22, 2015 at 10:58 am
Wal-Mart has launched Wal-Mart Simple Text, a text messaging-based assistant for shopping at the retailer's stores. You simply text “hi” to 415-214-8445, thanks to Twilio, and you’re ready to ask Wal-Mart about the item(s) you’re interested in.
September 22, 2015 at 10:51 am
As retailers and banks prepare for the Oct. 1 EMV liability shift — which moves fraud liability from issuing banks to merchants — many consumers haven't yet received their new chip-enabled cards, or are simply in the dark about what EMV means, according to a new survey from ACI Worldwide. The new EMV Readiness Survey of…
September 22, 2015 at 10:39 am
eBay confessed to screwing up shipping estimates on sellers’ listings for a two-week period in September. eBay informed sellers in an email in case they receive defects from shoppers disappointed with delivery time. The issue is important since buyers make purchasing decisions based on how quickly they think they can receive the item, and is particularly…
September 22, 2015 at 10:28 am
Target plans to cut back on outsourcing and hire 1,000 information technology workers. The retailer will hire 500 software engineers and other IT workers in Minneapolis and 500 more in India. Chief Information Officer Mike McNamara told CIO Journal that the company's reliance on vendors "got to a stage where almost half the team is in third…
September 21, 2015 at 11:46 am
Macy’s plans to hire slightly fewer temporary workers for the 2015 holiday season, news that comes a few weeks after the retailer lowered its full year sales forecast because of a poor start to the year. The department store chain said on Monday it would hire for about 85,000 positions at its namesake Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s…
