Technology

Unless you've been living under a rock lately, you know that showrooming is one of the hottest topics in retailing. Consumers are increasingly using their smartphones to shop online for better deals while standing in store aisles. Macy's just announced an innovative approach of using its audio system speakers to market to consumers already standing in-store. What makes Macy's approach so interesting is the speed and affordability of instantly implementing mobile marketing across hundreds of stores. 

Best Buy plans to hire 500 new Geek Squad staffers. The move comes some two weeks after the retailer said it would lay off 600 existing workers in the tech support arm of its business as it looked to focus the group less on basic installation services and more on remote tech consulting. It also comes as Verizon announced it was partnering with Geek Squad to offer services to meet the information technology requirements of small and mid-size businesses across the country. 

In an effort to counter crowded stores and limited seating, Apple is reportedly revamping the in-store configuration of its Genius Bars, according to IFOAppleStore.com. By turning the "bar" 90 degrees perpendicular from the far wall of the store, smaller Apple stores will be able to offer more bar stools to customers with repair needs or computer questions.

According to a new study by Monetate, tablets may just be the future of e-commerce, more so than mobile or PCs, says Blair Lyon, vice president of marketing at Monetate. The study, which was released June 29, appeared in Monetate's Q1 E-Commerce Quarterly report. The study found that during the first quarter of last year, just 1.66 percent of all website visits came from tablets. During the second quarter of 2011, that percentage rose to 6.52 percent.

Bon-Ton Stores has deployed the first round of more than 100 kiosks, which are equipped with endless aisle, loyalty program, wayfinding and product lookup applications. The chain first implemented kiosks throughout a few stores last summer during a piloting phase, and expect to expand the project to remaining retail stores as return on investment permits.

Dick's Sporting Goods has released 2012 Football, a digital publishing suite app for the iPad that's basically a retail catalog selling football cleats, equipment and apparel, according to Adobe.com's blog. It's designed to ease the gear research and purchasing process for the brand's football customers. For example, interactive photos of gear highlight helpful product attributes for the customer, while in-app videos demonstrate how they work. Combining these interactive features with the immersive experience of a catalog app, Dick's Sporting Goods is able to showcase products in the context of their environment and inspire consumers to buy, said the blog.

The rollout of a new point-of-sale system integrated with iPod Touch devices for store associates was the centerpiece of a major technology upgrade/remodeling initiative at 320 Disney Store locations. Customer traffic in the remodeled stores has increased 20 percent and sales have climbed 25 percent, according to Ron Johnson, director of technology for Disney Stores. Implementation of the Oracle POS system began in June 2009 and was completed in 18 months.

Lowe's is engaging the services of Microsoft to help improve its customer service. The company has agreed to implement Microsoft Office 365 across more than 1,745 stores, 200,000 employees and its corporate offices in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Office 365 will help the home improvement retailer improve customer service by providing collaboration tools to increase communication among its stores and employees. "Office 365 is another tool we're using to help redefine customers’ home improvement experiences," said Paul Ramsay, senior vice president of IT solutions at Lowe's. 

Innovations in information technology (IT) continue to transform the retail sector, with digital signage, payment processing, customer engagement and other solutions playing increasingly important functions, according to new research released by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry. Seventy-two percent of retailers surveyed rated technology as important to their business. That figure is projected to increase to 83 percent by 2014.

Lance Dannic, Director of Sales for Kount, chats with Retail Online Integration at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition