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New York -- Foursquare announced the release of Local Updates, a new way for retailers to connect with loyal customers when they are nearby. The free tool will allow retailers to offer deals and specials to users in the area that have previously “Liked” or checked-in at their establishment. The tool allows retailers to geo-target on a granular level. Updates from retailers will begin appearing on the “Friends” news feed, starting Wednesday. Several nationwide businesses, including H&M, Togo's Sandwiches and Outback Steakhouse, were scheduled to starting using Local Updates right after it became available. For customers, Local Updates

PR: Blockbuster Acquires Retail Software Developer Business of Alpha Bay 7/18/2012 Blockbuster Acquires Retail Software Developer Business of Alpha Bay DISH Network Corp. unit Blockbuster Inc. said July 18 that it acquired the assets of retail software provider Alpha Bay Corp. Alpha Bay Corp. develops software and services that deliver cloud-based mobile point-of-service, inventory management, customer loyalty and business intelligence capabilities to the retail industry. Blockbuster said it plans to use the Alpha Bay platform to improve its in-store customer service, enhance inventory management and deliver promotional programs to retail guests. "A key element of the Alpha Bay solution

Nearly one in five online shoppers claim that their recent purchase made after seeing the image on Pinterest was at Etsy.com, according to the latest study from the Bizrate Insights Image Sharing and Shopping Series. Branded stores and small boutiques came in a close second and third with 13 percent and 12 percent completing their purchases at the aforementioned, respectively. 

Cyber Monday was the busiest shopping day last year. Up 29 percent over 2010, Cyber Monday's purchasing surge was no doubt due to a number of deals offered by retailers. And with the deal the U.S. Postal Service is planning for online merchants this holiday season, Cyber Monday 2012 could be even better.

Frank Rescigna is the new president of worldwide licensing at Guess? Inc. In his new role Rescinga will report to Guess CEO and co-founder Paul Marciano. Rescinga previously served as president of Viva, a Guess eyewear licensee. “We are very excited to welcome Frank to the Guess team. He brings a wealth of experience from strong global brands,” Marciano said. “Over the past several years, we have built a very strong management team around the world and we are continuing to enhance that with top talent from prominent companies. The experience and insight that Frank brings will be invaluable

Retail sales in the U.S. unexpectedly fell for a third month in June as limited employment gains took a toll on consumers. The 0.5 percent drop followed a 0.2 percent decrease in May, Commerce Department figures showed. The decline exceeded the most pessimistic forecast in a Bloomberg News survey that called for a median 0.2 percent gain in sales. Other reports today showed manufacturing in the New York region picked up this month and U.S. inventories increased in May.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. , July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: LF), the leader in educational entertainment for children, announced today that Ray Arthur has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer.  (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090219/LFLOGO ) "Ray is a world-class CFO and I am very happy he has decided to join the LeapFrog team," said John Barbour , Chief Executive Officer.  "He is a seasoned 30-year executive with a proven track-record of building excellent organizations and helping grow industry leading companies, including serving as CFO at Toys"R"Us, Inc. and as President and CFO of

NEW YORK — Customers who want to explore digital reading, but aren't ready to commit to buying an e-reader can now do so through Barnes & Noble's new Nook for Web service. The service is free and customers need only a PC or Mac browser to access the content. No software download, sign-in or Nook account is required. According to the company, the service will be available this fall on Internet-enabled tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices. To encourage customers to try the service, Barnes & Noble is offering six bestselling Nook Books including" Map of Bones" by James

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Mobile retail navigation service aisle411 said Tuesday that it is rolling out its virtual mapping and navigation smartphone app for use in Walgreens’ 7,907 drug stores nationwide. The service will allow Walgreens shoppers to use their smartphones to view maps of any Walgreens store and to locate products down to a particular section of each aisle. Walgreens is the first national retailer with all of its stores mapped in a mobile application. "We are always looking for new ways to utilize technology to deliver a better shopping experience and help customers with their health and

With the back-to-school shopping season right around the corner, we put J.C. Penney against its competitor Kohl's to see which brand is doing a better job of connecting with consumers via digital platforms.