In-Store Technology

More than 12,000 retail stores are expected to close in 2018, up from around 9,000 in 2017, according to commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. While physical retail is absolutely undergoing a seismic transformation, it’s not necessarily the apocalypse that headlines have made it out to be. In fact, a slew of digital-first brands,…

Heather Craig, head of retail experience at thredUP, talks with us about the rapid growth the consignment shop is achieving by building on a unique business model with customer-oriented technologies and a spin on a physical retail presence. Holly Vander Wall: thredUP is quickly gaining widespread recognition, but the concept behind it is innovative enough that…

The retail arm of CVS Health has launched four pilot stores featuring a new in-store beauty format called BeautyIRL, according to a report published by WWD. Currently, two BeautyIRL test stores are located in Florida, and the others are in Andover, Mass. and Stamford, Conn. The new stores offer brands not typically associated with mass market…

From innovations ranging from Amazon Go to shoppers’ heightened expectations influenced by online experiences, physical retailers are under immense pressure to deliver a great in-store experience to customers. In order to keep up, physical retailers must embrace more agile, dynamic and connected strategies. To better understand customers’ shopping desires and preferences, Displaydata commissioned PlanetRetail RNG…

Microsoft is reportedly working on technology that would eliminate cashiers and checkout lines from stores, six people familiar with the matter told Reuters this week. More specifically, the software giant is developing a system that tracks what shoppers add to their carts. Reportedly, Microsoft has shown sample technology to several global retailers and has had talks…

It’s an exciting time in retail. Increasingly, we’re seeing formerly digital-only retailers like Warby Parker, YETI and Casper begin to build out physical brick-and-mortar storefronts. The space is rapidly evolving and there’s huge opportunity for forward-thinking innovators to move the needle. As consumers continue to shift their purchasing habits, it’s more important than ever that…

We've become increasingly accustomed to reading about retailers closing dozens of stores, while countless new technologies promise to revitalize those remaining. Retailers experimenting with lifesaving tools are overwhelmed by the options. Some executives are signing off on systems meant to change how their employees work and interact with customers (a good thing), but with no…

Let’s face it: omnichannel was a cool buzzword 10 years ago. With the acceleration of disruption and change, being “omnichannel” isn’t going to bridge the gap between tomorrow’s leaders and laggards. Nordstrom is a notable example of a retailer with a forward-thinking approach. I worked there in 2008, so I can attest that Nordstrom was…

Walmart has decided to cancel an app that let shoppers scan and pay for items with their smartphones so they could skip waiting in line at checkout registers, the company confirmed to Business Insider on Tuesday. The decision to kill the app, called Scan & Go, comes just four months after Walmart announced it would expand…

Amazon.com's cashier-free grocery store of the future is coming to San Francisco and Chicago. The company is expanding its experimental Amazon Go store to the two cities, but didn't say when they would open. It has posted job listings for store managers in the cities on its site, which were first noticed by the Seattle…