New Yorkers hate to waste time and Bloomingdale’s new window displays are designed to save them a few minutes (while drawing a big crowd, of course). Bloomies has gone virtual in its window displays, allowing customers to try on sunglasses without even entering the store.

The New York Daily News reports that virtual-reality technology in six windows “projects designer shades onto shoppers who simply stand in front of the” the store’s windows. Customers simply align their eyes to ovals on the windows and then the sunglasses appear around them. They can tap on icons on the window to change to different glasses. And they can turn their heads and see what the arm of the glasses would like as well.

“It’s a little tricky at first, and a little weird with people walking by, but it’s neat,” 26-year-old Julia Snowden told the Daily News.Continue reading...

This holiday shopping season will be dominated by the ‘precision shopper’ as 72% of U.S. consumers will be consciously minding their budgets according to the latest annual Accenture Holiday Shopping Survey.

Accenture projects that discretionary gift spending this holiday will be consonant with the strains on consumer’s wallets and economic concerns. ‘Extravagant’ or ‘unrestrained’ spending is planned by only 6% surveyed while 24% expect a ‘thrifty’ holiday season with one in five (18%) ‘focused on necessities.’

While 88% plan to spend the same or less than last year, a spike from shoppers with income exceeding $100,000 (71% of respondents) expect to spend at least $500 on gifts in a segmented boost for retailers. 

“This holiday season will see the balance of power continue to tip in favor of the consumer,” stated Janet Hoffman, managing director of Accenture’s retail practice. “‘Precision shoppers’ will dominate. They will be very targeted about where and what they buy, and will be more inclined to shop around for the best value.”Continue reading...

You might not want to think about the holidays just yet, but major retailers have been laying out and executing battle plans since the final cash register drawers closed on 2010.

The main investment for many large retailers, according to Bloomberg, is online. “Last holiday season, online sales reached a record $32.6 billion, up 12 percent over the previous year,” according to market researcher ComScore Inc., Bloomberg reports.

Even though the overall economy is struggling, that dollar amount is expected to go up at the end of this year. Bloomberg points out that some “budget-conscious shoppers” are now making their purchases online, where prices can easily be compared and free delivery can get products directly to their end destinations.

“Many brick-and-mortar retailers have had their ‘a-ha’ moment as Amazon continues to grow and the Internet is getting more viable,” said Mick Mountz, chief executive officer of Kiva Systems Inc., which builds warehouse robots that help orders get fulfilled quickly, according to Bloomberg.Continue reading...