Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/832311
We're The First National Bank of Higher CD Rates. 7 Month CD 16 Month CD 26 Month CD 1.10% APY* 1.30% APY* 1.40% APY* Call us today at (479) 631-8888 $1000 minimum balance. Penalty for early withdrawal. Not IRA eligible. *Annual Percentage Yield APY and terms as of November 4, 2016. Denver Las Vegas Los Angeles Minneapolis Chicago Dallas Houston New York Newark Cincinnati Atlanta Charlotte Orlando/Sanford, FL San Francisco UNITED AMERICAN UNITED AMERICAN UNITED DELTA DELTA DELTA AMERICAN DELTA AMERICAN UNITED UNITED AMERICAN ALLEGIANT (SEASONAL) ALLEGIANT ALLEGIANT Washington, DC AMERICAN Almost 40 fl ights a day to 15 destinations. Thursday, June 1, 2017 11 NWA Democrat-Gazette Walmart Shareholders Wal-Mart also included an interactive table in Lake Nona's electronics depart- ment, which allows customers to swipe their hand to learn about a product. Projectors located overhead sense hand movements and determine the direction a customer wants to go in their search for information. The store has a large touch screen in the toy department, giving customers a chance to sift through the retailer's in-store and online catalog. A series of questions — like a child's age and gender — help narrow choices and selections are either on the store's shelves or available online. If the selec- tion is only available online, customers can purchase the product through the mobile app. "The great thing about the resources we have is ability to test," Chief Finan- cial Officer Brett Biggs said in March during the Raymond James Institutional Investors Conference in Orlando. "That's how I would classify those stores. A lot of what you see in Lake Nona and [the Houston area] is we're testing how to interact with the customer differently. We're understanding better how they want to shop." The tests come as Wal-Mart continues to build out its e-commerce offerings, snapping up online retailers like Jet.com, Hayneedle.com, ShoeBuy.com, Moose- jaw and ModCloth in attempts to better compete with the likes of Amazon.com. But the company's more than 4,800 U.S. stores remain critical to Wal-Mart's strategy with most sales still occurring in its physical locations. So as a larger percentage of shoppers turn online to purchase goods, Wal-Mart must find ways to get customers to continue making trips into those stores by offer- ing an enhanced experience. "There will be a lot of high tech involved and we're definitely moving in that right direction," said University of Arkansas associate professor Annibal Sodero, who pointed to Amazon.com's tech-heavy Amazon Go convenience store in Seattle. The retailer believes its enormous supercenters can help meet those expectations, providing Wal-Mart with a brick-and-mortar tool to help marry online and in-store capabilities for customers. "We like the supercenter format, particularly in this country," Wal-Mart Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon told investors at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2017 Consumer and Retail Technology Conference in New York in March. "It's a very effective vehicle and we believe will drive traffic over time if run well." I n a d d i t i o n to t h e te c h to o l s , Wal-Mart's Lake Nona store offers a new layout intended to create a better flow. The health and beauty section has been remodeled and is located steps away from a hair salon. The phar- macy and vision center are nearby and connected by a waiting room area for customers. Baby, kids, apparel, shoes and toys have been grouped in one area of the store and arranged by age. An area designated for in-store pickup is located just inside the front door. Outside, an integrated pickup service for general merchandise, groceries and medications is available for customers who don't want to leave their vehicles. The retailer provides four checkout options inside the store, including a Scan & Go fast lane for customers that is only open during the busiest hours. Most of the options in Lake Nona are self checkouts. In fact, there are only six places for registers manned by employ- ees, which initially concerned Schroder. "Not many of our transactions happen at the manned registers," Schroder said. "I don't know if they feel like taking it into their own hands will make it faster, but customers really like those options." Overall, the Lake Nona store received high marks from Raymond James retail analysts, who published a research note last month titled "A visit to a really cool Walmart; C'mon man, really?" In addition to the new technology, layout and services, the research note also noted the store's contemporary look, polished concrete floors, higher ceilings and additional natural light. "Is it a perfect Wal-Mart? No. Of course not," the analysts wrote. "That will always be the goal — never attain- able, but still sought. Was it, however, a really cool Walmart? Yes, at least as we see it." App v Continued from Page 10 "The great thing about the resources we have is ability to test. That's how I would classify those stores. A lot of what you see in Lake Nona and [the Houston area] is we're testing how to interact with the customer differently. We're understanding better how they want to shop." — Wal-Mart Chief finanCial OffiCer Brett Biggs Living Is A Cinch When Safety Belts Are Part of Your Life- BUCKLE UP!