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Macy's announced on Tuesday that it will open up to 30 smaller stores in strip malls over the next two years, as the retailer chases customers out of shopping malls and into bustling suburbs. The expansion marks an inflection point for the department store operator, which has looked for ways to refresh its legacy brand, cope with…

Consumer desire for convenience, speed and the resultant increase in online shopping has dramatically altered the retail landscape. With greatly diminished foot traffic in stores and retail spending now strapped by inflationary pressure on consumer pocketbooks, we've seen record numbers of retail bankruptcies, restructurings, and associated store closures in 2023. When a retail operator goes…

Toys R Us is plotting a bold comeback in the U.S., as it plans to expand its brick-and-mortar presence with as many as 24 new flagship stores and a separate rollout at airports and on cruise ships starting this holiday season. The toy retailer’s parent company, WHP Global, announced what it called the “Air, Land and…

Rite Aid is negotiating terms of a bankruptcy plan that could see a significant number of its more than 2,100 drugstores permanently close, according to a report. People familiar with the company's talks with creditors told The Wall Street Journal that Rite Aid has proposed to close as many as 500 stores in bankruptcy, and either sell…

As we transition from Back to School to Black Friday and full-scale holiday shopping, foot traffic in stores continues to rise. Shopping-related destinations started the year off with a 20 percent increase in foot traffic compared to the year before and the lift is expected to be seen into the holiday season ahead. On the other hand,…

If you were to sit and watch a video of your customers browsing your store, you would undoubtedly see a mix of those who know exactly what they want and can intuitively find it, combined with a sea of shoppers baffled by the array of products offered. Shopping is meant to be a comfortable and…

Since great store design starts with customer experience, I’ll start there. I went into a popular electronics store for an Apple Watch. There were only two to see. Both were tethered to a “wrist loop” so you could “try them on” by slipping your wrist through the plastic loop that held the watch. So, I…

In the ever-evolving landscape of retail, one trend has resurfaced with undeniable force: the return of brick-and-mortar stores. In fact, this trend presents a unique opportunity for retailers to thrive in an increasingly digital world. The fusion of physical and online shopping experiences isn't just a renaissance for traditional retail; it's a dynamic and unprecedented…

Employees are an essential component in any brick-and-mortar store and play an important part in creating a positive customer experience. To stay competitive against online retailers such as Amazon.com, physical stores need to invest in their employees and ensure their satisfaction is at its peak. Given the present job market, this has escalated in importance.…

The U.S. Census Bureau announced that overall retail sales in July were up 0.7 percent from June and up 3.2 percent year-over-year (YoY), reports CNBC. The advanced retail sales report showed a seasonally adjusted increase of 0.7 percent for the month, better than the 0.4 percent Dow Jones estimate. Excluding autos, sales rose a robust 1 percent, also against a 0.4 percent…

Eighty percent of back-to-school shoppers are planning to buy their supplies at mass retailers (e.g., Walmart, Target, etc.), while 20 percent plan to shop at dollar stores, and 15 percent plan to shop at club stores. These are a just a few of the findings from data and tech company Numerator's 2023 Back-to-School Preview, which includes data…

Keeping up with the fast pace of retail is a never-ending cycle between maintaining brand promise, fostering employee productivity, and improving the customer experience. These three factors are all dependent on the other: employee productivity is key to meeting consumer demand, and meeting consumer demand is vital to increasing revenue and protecting the brand. Given…

Any retail expert worth their salt knows that personalization is the one true key to profitability. This is only becoming more important as the market grows saturated and customer expectations keep getting more demanding. But how will artificial intelligence technology change the ever-evolving retail landscape? Personalization is all about providing engaging customer experiences, which is…

A lot has changed since the pandemic, yet one debate continues to divide retail experts and it involves the uncertain future of brick-and-mortar stores. Pessimists argue that the return on investment is too low, and that the migration to e-commerce is only just beginning. Others believe that in-store shopping serves an experiential purpose, which cannot…

Reuters reports U.S. retail sales rose less than expected in June, increasing 0.2 percent month-over-month, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. Data for May was revised higher to show sales gaining 0.5 percent instead of 0.3 percent as previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales gaining 0.5 percent. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services,…

Shopping for back-to-school essentials, such as clothes, shoes and electronics, will be a bigger struggle for families this year who are trying to manage their household budgets with less disposable incomes because of inflation. Back-to-school spending by parents with children in grades K-12 is expected to decrease 10 percent this year over last year to…

Brick-and-mortar retail has seen a huge rebound as consumers defied expectations and quickly returned to pre-pandemic shopping patterns. After a long period of isolation, shoppers flocked back to physical stores to reconnect with the brands and products they love. In 2022, major U.S. retailers announced plans to open nearly 8,000 stores, almost five times the…

The retail industry is an integral part of the U.S. economy, providing jobs for 52 million people across the country, more than any other industry. Frontline retail workers are the glue that holds businesses together. Yet, the challenges they face often go unaddressed, especially given their growing list of responsibilities, made even longer by the…

Christmas Tree Shops plans to liquidate all of its stores. The retail chain, known for selling home goods like bedding sets, dinnerware and party decorations at a discount, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May. At the time, the company hoped to close only 10 stores considered to be underperforming and come out of its bankruptcy a…

For many, the 2008 recession marked legacy retail's first nail in the coffin. The Great Recession led to the collapse of countless storied names, many with decades-long histories. The growing popularity of online shopping and, later, the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated this downward trajectory. And yet, despite this purported death spiral, legacy retail still lives…