Content about transportation

By Oren Betzaleli, EVP, head of product and marketing, Retalix

As smartphones and tablets continue to infiltrate the market, they are increasingly changing the way people interact with each other, receive information, and expect to be served by retailers and service providers. As a result, more and more retailers are starting to offer self-service mobile applications as a popular means to manage customer interaction and relationships.

Retailer-Owned vs. Consumer-Owned Self-Service

Not even a hurricane named Sandy could erode the economic upsurge experienced by the northeastern United States over the last year. What this region rebuilt after the Great Recession has managed to stay strong even in the face of Sandy’s 80-mph winds, record flooding and the damage inflicted by its nor’easter sister that arrived just days after the fall 2012 hurricane.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens said Tuesday that it is beginning its recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The retailer said that it is working to provide its stores with what they need to again serve customers in areas impacted by the storm.

By noon ET on Tuesday, the number of Walgreens stores closed dropped to 530 with more re-opening by the hour, from a peak of about 750 stores closed during the height of the storm.

New York -- In an effort to reduce vehicle air pollution, Duane Reade, in partnership with Mission Electric, is asking New Yorkers to help determine which of the chain’s stores should be served solely by electric trucks. Combined, more than 30 stores have been identified as electric truck ready in the city’s boroughs of Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.

By Ken Burkeen, pr@ups.com

San Diego -- Ikea has officially plugged in three Blink Pedestal electric vehicle charging stations at its San Diego store as part of its partnership with ECOtality, a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies.

The San Diego project is the third such project for Ikea in the United States. Installation also is planned at six other Ikea stores in the western United States.

In the 39 years Michael Howard has been with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (the Exchange), he has traveled the world and proudly held leadership roles in one of the nation’s oldest and most far-flung retail organizations. Now in its 116th year of operation, the Exchange is responsible for some 3,024 facilities worldwide, including sites that serve troops deployed in combat locations or the most remote areas.

As part of our in-depth coverage of mixed-use developments – see the October 2011 issue of Chain Store Age – we talked with Rob Wetherald, VP development for Peoria, Ill.-based Cullinan Properties, Ltd., owner and developer of the Streets of St. Charles mixed-use project in metro St. Louis, about how the format draws, and supports, retail.

How important are design and amenities to today’s mixed-use projects, especially with regard to the retail component?

New York City -- The impact of Hurricane Irene on retail sales is likely to split among category lines: Home-improvement stores selling emergency preparation products and clean-up items are likely to benefit the most from the storm, while apparel retailers and department stores selling non-essential items are likely to take a hit.

By John Haber, jhaber@npifinancial.com

For the past two months, consumers have paid higher gas prices as a result of the political unrest in the Mideast. But, consumers aren’t the only ones feeling a pinch. Retailers are feeling it too as many suppliers, manufacturers and distributors implement “emergency fuel surcharges” as reported by The Wall Street Journal in late March of this year.

Dallas -- Transplace, a provider of transportation management services and logistics technology, today announced the continuation of its relationship with Anna’s Linens through a full contract expansion. The value-priced home-furnishings retailer will continue to leverage Transplace’s managed services solution and logistics technology for all domestic transportation management activities.

Seattle -- Electric transportation technology provider ECOtality said Monday that it has partnered with grocer Fred Meyer, a division of The Kroger Co., to install car-charging stations at select stores in Oregon and Washington.

The Blink Level 2 Electric Vehicle Commercial Pedestal Charging Stations will also be installed on major transportation corridors between Seattle store locations and the United States border with Canada.

The deal makes Fred Meyer ECOtality’s first food retail partner in the Northwest.