Software

Last Thursday, Diane von Furstenberg's studio in New York's Meatpacking district underwent a temporary transformation. Gone were the large pieces of furniture on the east-facing wall; in their place were cameras, studio lights and a half dozen production people, in addition to representatives from Google, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), public relations firm KCD as well as von Furstenberg's own design company. The occasion? Von Furstenberg was hosting the first shoppable Google+ Hangout, one in a series to be held by CFDA designers.

Sherwin-Williams is releasing a new consumer app for Google Glass, called ColorSnap Glass. Developed for Sherwin-Williams by digital marketing agency Resource, ColorSnapp Glass provides a digital layer of color samples customers can view using the Google Glass device. "We're committed to harnessing the latest in technology in order to create superior experiences for our customers," said Ellen Moreau, VP of

Trendy retailer Urban Outfitters has been experimenting with technology in its stores for years, using its retail locations for additional fulfillment for online orders and rolling out mobile point-of-sale (POS) units last holiday season. Urban Outfitters e-commerce executive Holly Devine spoke with eMarketer's Christine Bittar about mobile retail tactics, online sales and trends in e-commerce.

In a keynote session at the eTail East conference in Philadelphia, Tripp Sessions, the former chief information officer at Benchmark Brands, the parent company of FootSmart, a cross-channel retailer of shoes, socks and foot care products, laid out his tips on how companies can seamlessly and effectively roll out a new technology implementation. Sessions was recruited to lead the turnaround of the information technology and e-commerce operations teams at Benchmark Brands. Here's a recap of Sessions' tips:

Historically, the payments ecosystem has been disjointed and time intensive, creating tremendous operational inefficiencies. With so much riding on payment performance, merchants are seeking simpler, streamlined payments solutions that can accommodate geographic growth and new demands to adapt quickly and seamlessly to the constantly evolving retail landscape.

Differentiation can be difficult in the consumer electronics (CE) and appliance industries because most vendors offer similar products at similar prices. In many cases, the delivery of exceptional customer service at every step of the transaction sets the best CE and appliance retailers apart from their competitors.

3-D printing and what it means for the fashion and retail industries was the focus of a discussion that took place during the FashionWare at CEWeek in New York City yesterday.