On Sept. 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule to revise Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations (29 CFR 541 et seq.) to modify the criteria to be classified as exempt from the FLSA (“2019 Rules”). The most notable change in the 2019 Rules is an increase to the minimum…
Keith Jelinek
Back-to-school (BTS) is a critically important selling period — and an opportunity to connect with shoppers before the holiday season. In a recently completed shopper survey, BRG Retail found consumers consistent in their expectations for BTS shopping, presenting a golden opportunity for retailers to strengthen their connection to customers. In the survey, we asked how…
After a good start to the 2018 holiday selling season, December sales fell flat. Year-over-year (YOY) sales improved just 1.1 percent from December 2017, and overall holiday sales finished just 2.6 percent above 2017. Retailers felt the impact to their gross margin line and now face potential inventory issues due to lower-than-expected December sales. Thus…
Moving into the critical holiday sales period, shoppers will continue using technology and online shopping to make gift purchases.
Fourth-quarter financials in 2017 demonstrate once again that retailers walk a tightrope when it comes to driving sales and maintaining gross margins. In spite of healthy sales increases in the fourth quarter, many retail executives felt the impact of a dynamic business environment that challenged retail companies on numerous fronts: new technology, evolving consumer preferences,…
Retail executives know they're facing a more challenging environment. Major disruptive changes in recent years have helped fuel the rise of online retail, changed how retailers communicate with consumers, and challenged every aspect of the traditional retail model.
