Drop Adds West As VP/Global Sales
Drop, a smart kitchen platform, has added Cynthia West as vp/global sales. West joins the team from her home base in southern California.
technology
Report: Amazon To Buy Startup Zoox
According to a recent media report, Amazon has reportedly agreed to buy self-driving startup Zoox Inc. in a deal worth more than $1 billion that gives the company options to use autonomous technology in either ride-hailing or its delivery network.
Drop Gains New Funding
Smart kitchen platform Drop has gained $13.3 million in Series A funding co-led by Alpha Edison and Morpheus Ventures with participation from Act Venture Capital.
Kroger, Ocado To Build Three Additional Fulfillment Centers
Kroger and Ocado are continuing to expand their partnership with plans to construct three new customer fulfillment centers in the Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest and West regions.
Target Acquiring Same-Day Delivery Technology From Deliv
Target is planning to acquire technology from Deliv, a startup that focuses on last mile batched delivery. As more consumers are getting what they need through online orders, the proprietary last mile platform being bought from Deliv will help the retailer explore new ways to deliver packages even quicker while lowering shipping costs, the company said.
Shopify Introduces Mobile Shopping App
E-commerce enabler Shopify is introducing Shop, a mobile shopping app designed to create a more intuitive online shopping experience from product discovery to package delivery.
Amazon Pitching Cashierless Store Technology To Other Retailers
As it expands business services, Amazon is offering other retailers the technology that supports its no-cashier Go stores in response to their inquiries and to give consumers a chance to try what it calls the Just Walk Out experience beyond its own operations.
Overstock Appoints Weight Chief Technology Officer
Overstock has appointed Joel Weight as chief technology officer for its retail shopping site. Weight is a nine-year veteran of Overstock’s family of companies, most recently serving as chief operations officer at Medici Ventures, Overstock’s wholly owned subsidiary and blockchain accelerator.
Amazon Expanding Tech Workforce In Santa Barbara
Amazon is expanding the company’s workforce in Santa Barbara, California, and plans to create 150 additional tech jobs in the city.
Kroger Adds Ocado Fulfillment Center In Maryland
Kroger and Ocado have added Frederick, MD, as the latest location for another of their automated customer fulfillment centers.
Lowe’s Investing In Technology To Improve Customer Experience
Google Cloud and Lowe’s are expanding their work together to create a technology foundation to help the home improvement retailer deliver customer experiences and empower store associates with tools to better serve customers.
NRF Confronts Consumer Data Privacy
Concurrent with its Big Show annual convention in New York, the National Retail Federation has launched a new Center for Consumer Privacy and Innovation.
IMC’s New Digital Division To Launch B2B Platform
After making a pair of tech acquisitions, International Market Centers is launching IMC_di, a wholly-owned, stand-alone B2B e-commerce division that will offer vendors a single integrated digital platform, enabling them to reach new buyers, capture leads and grow sales.
Ron Johnson Wants Consumers To ‘Enjoy’ Smart Home
Among the early highlights of the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York, former Target, Apple and J.C. Penney executive Ron Johnson discussed how his new company, Enjoy, is helping to make electronics, including smartphones and, potentially, smart home products, more user friendly by providing a helping hand in setting them up, right in consumer homes.
Walmart Testing Self-Driving Grocery Delivery Service
Walmart is testing a new grocery delivery pilot with autonomous vehicle company, Nuro. Through the Houston-based pilot, Walmart said it aims to develop, refine and continue learning how to offer the best end-to-end customer experience.
Ikea Partners With Optoro To Optimize Returns Technology
Ikea Retail U.S. is partnering with Optoro, a provider of returns optimization technology. Optoro’s technology will be implemented in 10 Ikea distribution centers, 50 retail stores, and the customer support center in the U.S., and the company is exploring the potential to expand the partnership into other markets.
The Future Won’t Wait
The future is now for Matt Woods. The CEO of Woods Hardware, with five full-line hardware stores in the Cincinnati area, took home the 2018 Reimagine Retail award at the National Hardware Show for reinventive vision and execution by independent home improvement retailers.
Sprinters Speed Sam’s Club Shoppers Through Scan & Go Benefits
In a new marketing campaign touting the company’s mobile-checkout scanning technology, Sam’s Club is featuring two of the world’s fastest athletes, champion sprinters Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix, to highlight the speed and ease of its Scan & Go service in a series of digital videos.
Wayfair Enhances Mobile App
Wayfair has introduced new features to its mobile shopping app that make it easier for consumers to discover products and design their rooms on the go.
Amazon To Build Robotics Innovation Hub
Amazon plans to build a new state-of-the-art Amazon Robotics innovation hub and create 200 tech and advanced manufacturing jobs in Westborough, MA.