MZ Wallace is a designer, manufacturer and retailer of handbags and fashion accessories. In this interview with YuJin Yong, director of digital at MZ Wallace, she discusses the brand's growth strategy, and why cross-border selling is integral to the company's future. Total Retail: Tell me…
Melissa Campanelli
Shopko, the general merchandise retailer with stores located throughout the Central, Western and Pacific Northwest regions of the U.S., announced that it, along with its subsidiaries, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In its filing, Shopko cited excess debt and ongoing competitive pressures as the reason for the measure. Shopko reported assets of less than $1…
Some retailers are heading into 2019 concerned about the uncertainty of the economy, according to Janet Yellen, the former chair and board of governors for the Federal Reserve System. Yellen was speaking to a packed crowd of retailers at the NRF Big Show in New York City today. While the global economy was firing on…
J. C. Penney announced on Tuesday that it plans to close three stores by the spring as part of an ongoing evaluation of its performance. The retailer didn't report which stores it planned to close, but said it's currently assessing locations that "may not meet required financial targets or represent a market opportunity to capitalize…
Total Retail is excited to present to you its 50 Best Retail Tips of 2018! For the past several years, the Total Retail editorial team has spent time in the fourth quarter poring over the work of our expert contributors to identify the 50 very best tips of the year, and 2018 was no exception. We…
Lowe's said last week that it plans to hire more than 65,000 associates this year to improve customer service and product availability. Roles are focused on enhancing customer service and include seasonal associate, merchandising support, store leadership and technology careers. According to a press release from the company, Lowe's hiring investments include: More than 50,000 seasonal…
Blake W. Nordstrom, the 58-year-old co-president of Nordstrom, died early Wednesday morning, the retailer announced. Executive leadership of Nordstrom will continue under company co-presidents Pete and Erik Nordstrom. In December, in an SEC note, Blake announced that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma. He told employees, customers and shareholders that he planned to undergo chemotherapy and reduce…
Retailers are looking forward to this coming Saturday (Dec. 22), as it's shaping up to be the biggest spending day of the year. U.S. shoppers will spend an estimated $26 billion on Saturday, beating the $24 billion they spent on Black Friday, according to industry researcher Customer Growth Partners via Bloomberg. What's more, according to…
A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge on Friday approved Sears Holding Company's request to pay up to $25.3 million in bonuses to top executives, even as the company reported losing nearly $1.9 billion in the first three quarters this year, according to the Chicago Tribune. Sears, which filed for bankruptcy protection in October, said the funds will…
Procter & Gamble, the consumer packaged goods company known for such household staples as Tide and Old Spice, will acquire Walker & Company Brands, the company that makes health and beauty products for people of color launched by entrepreneur Tristan Walker five years ago. Walker & Company Brands will operate as a separate and wholly-owned…
The majority of retailers are focusing their attention — and budgets — on tried-and-true retail technology systems that have proven return on investment such as e-commerce platforms, point-of-sale (POS) systems, and analytics solutions, according to Total Retail’s 2018-2019 Retail Technology Report, which was released today. This comprehensive report, the second annual, offers readers exclusive insights…
Walgreens and FedEx last week announced the nationwide launch of a next-day prescription delivery service called Walgreens Express. The service, both companies said, brings together Walgreens’ extensive network of neighborhood pharmacy locations with the FedEx air-and-ground delivery network to enhance convenience for patients to fill prescriptions. Walgreens will charge $4.99 for the next-day delivery service, and orders…
Note to Total Retail Talks’ listeners: We apologize, yesterday we posted the wrong audio file for this episode. This has been corrected, and the correct audio is now included. Sorry for any confusion, and thanks for listening! In episode 175 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Suzanne Miglucci, president and CEO of Charles & Colvard,…
Dozens of current and former Sears Holdings Corp. employees sent a letter to Chairman Edward Lampert and other creditors on Thursday, asking them to pay severance and save as many jobs as possible as the retailer goes through bankruptcy, The Wall Street Journal reported. "While we understand Sears and Kmart must make changes to survive, we…
A record $6.22 billion was spent online by the end of Black Friday, an increase of 23.6 percent year-over-year, according to data from Adobe Analytics. What's more, smaller retailers (less than $1 billion in annual e-commerce revenue) were 8.6 percent more effective at getting visitors to fill shopping carts. The holiday season to date (Nov. 1 – Nov. 24) shows $44.2…
