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Retail Topic Center

Retail IT: How the retail industry uses technology

MasterCard's PayPass Wallet will span online, mobile, in-store shopping

MasterCard WorldWide announced a digital wallet on Monday that consumers will be able to use for purchases in stores, on the Web and on their mobile phones.
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Target to stop selling Amazon Kindles in its stores

Target plans to stop selling Kindle e-readers in its brock-and-mortar stores after seeing buyers test the devices in its showrooms only to later buy them online from Amazon.

Toshiba to pay $850M for IBM retail POS business

Toshiba said Tuesday it will purchase IBM's retail point-of-sale (POS) business for $850 million, with the Japanese company taking over the hardware business while IBM shifts its focus to back-end software solutions.

DOJ sues Apple for e-book price fixing

The U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple and five book publishers for alleged e-book price fixing The Wall Street Journal reported.

Oracle CSO trashes PCI rules

Oracle chief security officer Mary Ann Davidson is calling on vendors of payment application software to join the company in opposing certain security vulnerability reporting requirements of the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council.

iPad buyers: Your tablet is at the store (maybe)

The wait for a new iPad ordered online from Apple stretches one to two weeks, but customers can walk into a company store now and buy a tablet, according to a stock sampling on Friday.

Amazon to acquire warehouse automation company Kiva Systems for $775M

Amazon has agreed to buy Kiva Systems, a company specialized in automated materials handling in warehouses, the online retailer announced on Tuesday.

FAQ: How to score an iPad today

Those who jumped on the iPad pre-order train last week will be watching for the delivery truck, but anyone who isn't already on Apple's lengthening wait list will have to hustle if they want one today.

Apple to open stores at 8 a.m. Friday for iPad sales

Apple will open its retail stores in 10 countries, including the U.S., at 8 a.m. local time to accommodate buyers of the new iPad, the company said today in a statement.

Cook hires first exec since taking Apple's reins from Jobs

Apple CEO Tim Cook made his first major hire yesterday since taking over the company in August, bringing in the CEO of a struggling British electronics chain to lead Apple's own retail operation.

First look: Google Wallet lets you tap 'n' spend

Google's smartphone payment app, Google Wallet, has brought the ease of paying for goods with the tap of a phone to America.

The Art & Science of Fashion

Predictive analytic tools, which rely on historical data to make future demand projections for any given product, can play a role even in predicting the whims of fashion. But right now, the hottest area for picking fashion winners lies at the intersection of analytics and social media.

A tale of two Apple Stores (the first two)

It was the spring of 2001--a year that had not yet turned sour beyond belief--when Apple chose to open its very first two retail stores. These two would be the first of some 25 stores opening later in the year. And in the years to come, they would be only two of over 300.

Visual tour: Top selling or innovative gadgets from holidays past

While this holiday season's biggest gifts will be e-readers, tablet computers and games, such as Call of Duty, Black Ops, those products were built off the back of forty years of innovation. Take a look back at some of the biggest breakthroughs in technology and biggest selling holiday gifts.

The retail paradox

The industry that often lags in infosecurity is setting the pace in providing business intelligence

Barnaby Jack hits ATM jackpot at Black Hat

Barnaby Jack hit the jackpot at Black Hat on Wednesday. Twice.

Elgan: 10 things that won't survive the recession

Recessions help put the focus on what's really important and accelerate the demise of technologies and companies that are obsolete, says Columnist Mike Elgan. Here's his list of what won't make it.

Retailers reprogram workers in efficiency push

Retailers have turned to computer programs that dictate which employees should work when, and for how long. The retailers say the systems improve efficiency and sales, but not all employees like them.

FAQ: XP deathwatch, T minus 4 weeks

At the end of the month, Microsoft will require mainstream computer makers to stop selling new PCs with Windows XP and will cease shipping boxed copies to retailers.

Q&A: Head of PCI council sees security standard as solid, despite breaches

Bob Russo, general manager of the PCI Security Standards Council, spoke with Computerworld about the organization's current thinking on the PCI standard, what's changed since he took the helm in 2007, and what he makes so far of the Hannaford and Okemo data breaches.