Order Fulfillment

It all started with a click. Or was it a call? Or could it have been that direct mail piece? In a world with seemingly endless customer touchpoints, if you don't know what's driving your customers to your business, you're not alone.

Wal-Mart has reached a deal in principle with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York that guarantees union workers will construct or renovate any stores that the retailer opens in the city during the next five years. The deal is a coup for Wal-Mart, which faces stiff opposition from grocery and retail unions worried that the retailer's entry into the New York City market will put downward pressure on the salaries of their members.

New York City residents spent nearly $200 million at about a dozen Wal-Mart stores in the New York metropolitan area in 2010, up about 20 percent from the amount reported in a previous 12-month period, the company said. Although it doesn't have any stores in New York City, the chain is determined to break into the market and is working to overcome opposition from labor, community and small business groups. An ad campaign being launched in three dozen community newspapers blames "special interests" for keeping it out.

Deluged by paper-based invoices, which required employees to open envelopes and key information into a system, Canadian-based quick-service restaurant chain Tim Hortons decided a more efficient and more environmentally friendly system for processing suppliers' invoices was needed. Tim Hortons turned to Transcepta, a provider of hosted e-invoicing solutions.

eBay rose after it gave a sales and profit forecast that surpassed analysts' estimates, reflecting progress in a turnaround effort by Chief Executive Officer John Donahoe.

Amazon is working on a solution that could revolutionize digital gift buying. The online retailer has quietly patented a way for people to return gifts before they receive them, and the patent documents even mention poor Aunt Mildred.

As is my custom here in this space, I like to bring to light retail experiences that either are worthy of praise or derision. Unfortunately for cross-channel women's apparel retailer New York & Co., this post falls into the latter category. The source for nearly all of my retail stories, my wife Stephanie, brought to my attention this latest incident involving her sister Christine and New York & Company.

Retailers saw their best holiday season since the start of the recession, but a loss of momentum in December fed concerns about the strength of the sector's revival in the new year.

In a survey of 9,200 shoppers, Zappos.com took top honors in the sixth annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customers’ Choice survey, conducted by BIGresearch. The results were announced at the Annual Retail Industry Luncheon during the National Retail Federation’s BIG Show in New York City.

ACI Worldwide released the results of a recent study, which shows that retailers simply aren't getting it right when it comes to their loyalty and rewards programs. Consumers say programs have become too complicated and burdensome, and they aren't truly driving loyalty.