Retail
Casey’s General Stores Will Launch Its Loyalty Program in Early 2020
Casey's General Stores Inc. is moving forward with plans to launch its new loyalty program. After completing an employee pilot of the loyalty program, Casey’s did a soft launch in early December. “We believe that Casey's is at the heart of every community we serve, with our purpose being to make life better for communities and guests every day. With that spirit in mind, we wanted to create a partnership opportunity with our guests through the loyalty program," Casey’s President and CEO Darren Rebelez said on an earnings call on Dec. 10.
Kelly Rowland and Fabletics Kick Off 2020 with a New Limited-Edition Winter Collection
Fabletics launched the Kelly Rowland for Fabletics collection on Jan 1. “Delivering on their shared mission to make women feel confident and beautiful, this capsule marks Kelly’s third collaboration with the brand,” a Fabletics release states. Fabletics says the new line is ultra feminine with chic, functional, monochromatic designs in a rich color palette and made of ultra-soft performance fabrics. “I love how beautiful and luxe this capsule looks and feels. I’m all about embracing your natural curves and being proud of your body, and I think all women will feel amazing in these pieces," Rowland said in the release. "When I wear this collection, I feel like I'm always walking in my best light and know I can take on anything with confidence.”
Product Innovation
Chipotle Innovates Lifestyle Bowls by Adding Supergreens Salad Mix and Whole30 Compliant Chicken
Chipotle Mexican Grill recently announced that Supergreens salad mix – made of hand-cut romaine, antioxidant-rich baby kale and crisp baby spinach – will replace the existing salad base. This follows Chipotle’s launch of Carne Asada in September 2019. Chipotle also has made its grilled, Adobo chicken Whole30® compliant by switching the oil in its marinade, thus giving more options to guests with specific dietary goals. Chipotle also is offering free delivery for January when a customer purchases a pre-configured Lifestyle Bowl via the Chipotle app or Chipotle.com.
Technology
eBay’s Transformation to a Modern AI Platform
With computer vision powered by eBay’s modern AI platform, technology will help customers find items based on the click of their camera or an image, according to a recent eBay blog post. “Users can go onto the eBay app and take a photo of what they are looking for and within milliseconds, the platform surfaces items that match the image,” the post states. eBay says this algorithm sifts through more than half a billion images and eBay’s 1.4 billion listings to find the listings that are most visually similar. This is possible because of Krylov, eBay’s AI platform.
Customer Service
Eyemart Express Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Same-Day Prescription Eyewear
Eyemart Express, the national optical retailer, is turning 30 in 2020. Founded in 1990 by Dr. Doug Barnes, Eyemart Express has provided customers with same-day glasses, some that are ready in as little as 30 minutes. “This thirty-year milestone is a testament to our Eyemart Family: it starts with our stores and extends to our customers nationwide who depend on us to see clearly," Michael Bender, Eyemart Express CEO, said in a release. “We remain dedicated to the founding values of Eyemart Express, which are focused on making the glasses buying experience easy. We continue to operate with convenience at the forefront, including having labs in every store that craft glasses on-site and providing our current customers with a simplified online shopping experience.”