Retail Stores

It's a familiar and widely acknowledged fact that large retail chains, shopping centers and casinos design their floor layouts to intentionally try and guide consumers along a somewhat confusing path in order to keep them away from the exit and get them to see as much of their merchandise as possible

The definition of a grocery store has dramatically changed in recent years, especially with large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target now a part of the mix.

Football fans have had the date circled for months now, and with Super Bowl Sunday fast approaching, more people than ever will celebrate the big game. According to a new survey by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, conducted by BIGresearch, the average consumer is expected to spend $59.33 on game-related merchandise, apparel and snacks, up from $52.63 last year. Total Super Bowl spending is expected to reach $10.1 billion.

Using a multi-store e-commerce strategy can significantly increase customer acquisition, loyalty and conversion rates. Leading online retailers are currently benefiting from an effective multi-store ecommerce strategy, now is the time to learn how.

Apple's brick-and-mortar stores continue to show astounding growth. Retail revenue nearly doubled in last year's fourth quarter compared to the same period the previous year, and the number of store visitors climbed 49 percent to 75.7 million.

With more big-box retailers and department store chains such as Sears launching commerce-enabled applications for Apple's iPad and other tablets, merchants must position their offerings to differentiate from competitors.

Wounded by a slump that continues to batter department stores despite a recent surge in sales at other retailers, many large U.S. chains are putting stores within their stores. All are drawn to the idea that partnering with specialized retailers and manufacturers can help them fill holes in their product offerings and help them profit from hot trends more quickly.

Rue LaLa CEO Ben Fischman discusses the future of retail from the National Retail Federation's BIG Show in New York City.

Sears, along with Bruno Schiavi's Jupi International, have teamed up with Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian to launch the Kardashian Kollection in 400 Sears stores nationwide in August.

Results of the e-tailing group's 13th Annual Mystery Shopping Study recognized nine merchants out of the 100 benchmarked for excelling at online customer service.