Retail Stores

Virtual In-Store Testing: Bridging the Gap Between Concept and Reality
January 8, 2025 at 10:10 am

Despite the rise of e-commerce, in-store shopping remains a vital part of the retail landscape. An analysis of omnichannel shoppers at Kroger stores shows this cohort still makes 83 percent of their visits in-store. Additionally, approximately 75 percent of omnichannel shoppers claim that they prefer to head to a store to purchase fresh produce, bakery…

Party City Closing Stores, Going Out of Business
December 23, 2024 at 7:36 pm

Party City is closing down all of its stores, ending nearly 40 years in business, CNN has learned. CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees Friday in a meeting viewed by CNN that Party City is “winding down” operations immediately and that today will be their last day of employment. Staff were told they will not…

Simplifying Store Management: Making Sense of Complexity and Driving Performance
December 18, 2024 at 10:34 am

More than 4,500 new stores have opened this year, and while this growth is a testament to retail's resilience, it brings a series of complexities for store leaders to manage. Whether you're overseeing one store or a network of thousands, the role of a store leader has evolved significantly. The average store manager receives 27,000-plus…

Retail Sales Rise in November, Aligning With NRF's Holiday Sales Forecast
December 17, 2024 at 4:57 pm

November retail sales grew at a faster pace than Wall Street analysts had expected, reflecting continued resilience in the American consumer and indicating that the holiday shopping season in the U.S. is off to a strong start, reports Yahoo Finance. Retail sales rose 0.7 percent in November. Economists had expected a 0.6 percent rise in…

NRF: Thanksgiving Weekend Shoppers Decline YoY
December 3, 2024 at 6:09 pm

About 197 million Americans shopped over the five days from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday this year, data from the National Retail Federation (NRF) showed on Tuesday. The number of shoppers exceeded the retail trade association's forecast of 183.4 million, but was still lower than the 200 million shoppers in 2023. During the long weekend, consumers…

A Review of Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales Data
December 2, 2024 at 7:00 pm

According to insights from Mastercard SpendingPulse™, U.S. retail sales excluding automotive were up 3.4 percent on Black Friday (Nov. 29) compared to Black Friday 2023. Mastercard SpendingPulse measures in-store and online retail sales, representing all payment types, and is not adjusted for inflation. Other Black Friday data included the following: Online retail sales increased 14.6…

Shoppers Head to Stores for Potential Record Black Friday
November 29, 2024 at 12:52 pm

Discount hunters searching for Black Friday deals have officially kicked off the holiday shopping season. Consumers are forecasted to break spending records in 2024, with the average person expected to spend a little over $1,000, up 14 percent from last year, according to data from RetailMeNot. At the Mall of America, the nation's largest retail…

How 3 Leading Retailers Are Integrating Digital Experiences In-Store
November 25, 2024 at 7:01 pm

The rapid growth of digital commerce coupled with increasing consumer expectations for omnichannel shopping experiences has forced traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to re-evaluate the role of their physical storefronts in their business models going forward. In this clip from a panel discussion at Total Retail Tech 2024, three technology executives at leading retailers shared their approach…

Panel: The Role of Brick-and-Mortar Retail in a Digital World | Total Retail Tech 2024
November 25, 2024 at 4:45 pm

This video features a panel discussing how three leading retailers are maximizing store performance, including supporting digital channels, in today’s omnichannel retail landscape from Total Retail Tech 2024 in Charlotte, NC. Speakers include Scott Devlin, chief information officer, The Vitamin Shoppe; Matthew Matorin, vice president, store digital products and field training, Signet Jewelers; Jim Forester,…

Advance Auto Parts is Closing More Than 700 Stores in 2025
November 19, 2024 at 7:15 pm

Advance Auto Parts is closing more than 700 locations to shore up the company’s finances following another dismal earnings report, reports CNN Business. The car parts retailer, which has about 5,000 stores, said Thursday that the closures are part of its “strategic plan to improve business performance.” The reduction will result in closing roughly 500…