Merchandise facility managers are having a hard time catching a break this year, dealing with labor shortages and a dearth of shipping containers and air freight capacity. All of that has caused major inventory backlogs for brick-and-mortar retailers. These ripple effects, of course, stem from the pandemic, which temporarily shut down factories and other production…
Tom Buiocchi
After a challenging 2020, retailers are eyeing the year ahead with quiet optimism. The arrival of coronavirus vaccines means an end could be in sight to the constant closing and reopening that defined the last year, and stores can look forward to a release of pent-up spending when shoppers venture back out. However, nothing should…
As more states begin to lift their stay-at-home orders, brick-and-mortar retail chains face the daunting task of reopening on a massive scale. An estimated 630,000 stores were closed during the pandemic, along with gyms, restaurants and other businesses. For comparison, about 2,100 retail stores were opened in all of 2019. These closed businesses now have…
The retail industry has undergone sweeping changes in the past decade, with brands revamping stores and providing new services and delivery options to meet customers’ rising expectations. Until recently, grocery had been largely untouched by these new forces roiling Main Street. However, grocery is now going through its own transformation as new competitors arrive and…
Sixty-eight retailers have filed for bankruptcy since 2015. Analysts say up to 12,000 stores could close in 2019. Alarmists are calling it the "retail apocalypse." However, at the same time, there’s a modern retail renaissance happening. Incumbents like Dollar Tree, T.J.Maxx, lululemon, Madewell, and Ulta are opening more stores. Digital brands like Away and Casper…
Technology is having a profound effect on the retail industry. Technologies such as the web, cloud, mobile devices and artificial intelligence (AI) are accelerating the evolution and transformation of this long-standing, multitrillion dollar industry. One obvious example is that consumers today have far more options for shopping than ever before, including from the comfort of…
The last few years have seen retail move through some dramatic and unexpected changes, and the fun is far from over. The transforming retail landscape is largely a result of disruptive and unprecedented business decisions (like Amazon acquiring Whole Foods, Walmart acquiring Jet.com), along with maturing technology (Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, etc.). The one…
