Melissa Campanelli

Melissa Campanelli

Melissa Campanelli is Editor-in-Chief of Total Retail. She is an industry veteran, having covered all aspects of retail, tech, digital, e-commerce, and marketing over the past 20 years. Melissa is also the co-founder of the Women in Retail Leadership Circle.

The Home Depot Acquiring Supplier to Professional Contractors

The Home Depot said yesterday it is acquiring SRS Distribution Inc. (SRS) -- a materials provider across several verticals serving professional roofers, landscapers and pool contractors -- in a deal valued at approximately $18.25 billion. It would be Home Depot's largest acquisition in its history. The home improvement retailer expects the acquisition to close this…

Fabric and Craft Retailer Joann Files for Bankruptcy

Joann, the 81-year-old fabric and craft retailer, has filed for bankruptcy as it struggles with customers cutting back on discretionary spending. In a statement released on Monday, the Ohio-based company said it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and has secured $132 million in funding with most of its financial stakeholders that helps reduce its…

Macy’s Confirms Receipt of Revised Acquisition Proposal

Macy's confirmed on Sunday that it received a revised proposal from two of its major investors, Arkhouse Management Co. and Brigade Capital Management, to acquire each of the remaining shares in Macy’s they don’t already own for $24 per share — up from an earlier offer of $21 per share — for a deal value…

Report: Amazon.com US Sales Will Surpass $640B in 2024

Amazon.com U.S. retail sales will total $641.3 billion in 2024, an increase of 19.9 percent or $106.6 billion from 2023, according to a new report from digital retail consultancy Momentum Commerce that tracks Amazon's U.S. retail sales as well as hundreds of Amazon product categories. According to the report, the following top-level, physical goods categories…

Target Launches Value-Priced Private Label Brand

Target Corp. announced it has launched a new private label product line for price-conscious consumers called dealworthy. The assortment of 400 everyday basics will include apparel and accessories, essentials and beauty, as well as electronics and home items. Items will start at less than $1 and with most under $10, the prices are designed to…

Report: Retail Sales Up 2.3% YoY in January

Retail sales showed a strong beginning for the year in January, nearly matching December’s busy holiday spending and rising significantly year-over-year, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions, released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Total retail sales were up 2.34 percent unadjusted YoY in January, according to the Retail Monitor.…

Levi's to Reduce Corporate Workforce by Up to 15%

Levi Strauss & Co. is planning to reduce its corporate workforce 10 percent to 15 percent during the next six months as part of its “productivity initiative” to drive long-term growth. The initiative, a two-year program named Project FUEL, is designed to accelerate the execution of Levi's brand-led and direct-to-consumer first strategies while fueling long-term…

Macy's, Wayfair Announce Job Cuts

Retail layoffs are hitting especially hard recently. Macy’s is laying off about 3.5 percent of its total headcount, which amounts to roughly 2,350 employees, and the iconic department store is closing five locations. Also last week, online furniture seller Wayfair said it is cutting about 1,650 jobs, or 13 percent of its global workforce. The Wall…

How Walmart is Embracing AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is enabling Walmart to move from being an omnichannel retailer to an adaptive one, at least according to Anshu Bhardwaj, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Walmart Global Technology and Walmart Commerce Technologies, who spoke at a session during the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City earlier…

Report: Consumers Dissatisfied With Retail Experiences

Consumers are generally dissatisfied with their retail experiences, at least according to a global study from the IBM Institute for Business Value called "Revolutionize retail with AI everywhere: Customers won't wait." The report points out that only 9 percent of consumers said they were content with their in-store shopping experiences and 14 percent content with…

In Lawsuit, Temu Accuses Rival Shein of ‘Mafia-Style’ Tactics

Temu, the popular low-cost online marketplace, is suing fast-fashion brand Shein over using “mafia-style” methods to lower competition, according to a lawsuit filed Dec. 13 in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. The suit was filed by WhaleCo, Temu's U.S.-based parent company, alleging that Shein has intimidated Temu employees and suppliers and…

Investor Group Launches $5.8B Buyout Bid for Macy’s

Two major Macy’s investors, Arkhouse Management and Brigade Capital Management, are in talks to take the famed department store chain private, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Arkhouse Management, a real estate-focused investing firm, and Brigade Capital Management, a global asset manager, submitted a proposal to acquire Macy's for $5.8 billion on…

Report: Amazon, Walmart, Target Win Black Friday

Retail behemoth Amazon.com took the top spot in terms of total retail sales on Black Friday this year, according to a report from data insight company Numerator. Walmart came in second, followed by Target, Best Buy, and Costco. Numerator tracks purchase data and surveys verified buyers to understand shifts in consumer behavior. Over Cyber Weekend…

Report: Black Friday Retail Sales Up Year-Over-Year

According to the most recent Mastercard SpendingPulse report, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment, U.S. retail sales on Black Friday (Nov. 24) were up more than 2.5 percent year-over-year (YoY) excluding automotive, not adjusted for inflation. Key trends included from the Black Friday shopping data include the following: E-commerce sales were strong: E-commerce…

Report: Thanksgiving Week Spending to Increase 13%

Consumer holiday spending during the Thanksgiving week is expected to reach new highs as consumers look to make the most of festive deals, according to Deloitte's recently released 2023 Black Friday Cyber Monday Survey. Key findings from the annual survey include: Black Friday-Cyber Monday shopping is back. Spending during the Thanksgiving week period is expected to be…