Staples Adds Same-Day Delivery in 8 Markets

| Mike O'Brien

Staples is jumping into same-day delivery rolling out the service for $14.99 an order in eight markets. It will eventually include B2B customers as well. See what this means in terms of Staples competition with Amazon and others in the wake of its derailed merger with Office Depot.

How to Deliver Experiences First and Transactions Second

| Anthony Nicalo

Blaming a lack of consumer spending on a recession is easy, but the data shows something more profound. People are still spending money, but instead of shelling out for new possessions, they’re now splurging on experiences. To that end, here are three steps to improve sales moving forward.

Staples Pilots Interactive Store Map for iPhone App

| Tim Parry

Staples today announced a new interactive store map feature available on the Staples iPhone app that will create an easier and more convenient in-store shopping experience for customers. See how it complements Staples’s other online and offline commerce initiatives.

Omnichannel Sales Growing, But Profitability Still Uncertain

| Mike O'Brien

While retailers say they’re growing their omnichannel sales, it’s unclear how profitable they are, according to a new report from Retail Systems Research. Greater inventory visibility, including use of RFID, as well as better syncing of demand origination with inventory allocation, will help drag omnichannel into the black, the report’s author states.

Omnichannel Retailers Attempt to Save the Sale Only 7% of the Time

| MCM Staff

A new report from Kibo, the e-tailing group and Multichannel Merchant shows how leading omnichannel retailers are performing with buy online, pickup in store. According to the study, retailers can no longer wait on the sidelines to adopt this functionality. See what other insights the report brings to light.

Taking the “E” out of Ecommerce Platforms

| Tim Parry

As omnichannel technology and customer demands grow, ecommerce platforms are evolving into “commerce platforms,” and even “unified commerce platforms.” So whether or not you have a brick-and-mortar presence, how do you determine your present and future platform needs?

Best Buy Keeps an Eye on Store Count as Ecommerce Growth Booms

| Mike O'Brien

Best Buy reported flat comps but 24% growth in ecommerce during the first quarter, as domestic revenue was down due to store closures and pricing pressure. Midway through its $400 million cost reduction effort, the company is keeping an eye on store count while playing up the importance of physical locations in its overall omnichannel customer experience.