Retail Stores

For years, many assumed that malls were nearing the end of their relevance. New consumer research points in the opposite direction. The American mall is adjusting to new expectations and attracting shoppers who want experiences that online retail cannot provide. Accruent’s 2025 Retail Survey found that 70 percent of consumers want to see more traditional…

Meet the Gen Z shopper: phone in hand, switching between TikTok and Instagram while moving through the world around them. Their attention shifts quickly, shaped by a constant feed of tailored content and instant recommendations. They value authenticity and newness, and they decide within seconds whether something feels worth their time. For retailers, this poses…

Outdoor apparel chain Eddie Bauer's nearly 200 stores in the United States and Canada may soon be on the chopping block. An entity of retail holding company Catalyst Brands, which owns the license rights to operate Eddie Bauer stores across North America, is prepping a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, sources familiar with the situation told Business…

Sustainable footwear brand Allbirds announced Wednesday it would be shuttering all full-price U.S. stores by the end of February in an effort to focus more on e-commerce and partnerships as part of its multiyear turnaround strategy. It will keep its two U.S. outlet stores and its two full-price London stores open. San Francisco-based Allbirds said…

Amazon.com is closing its branded brick-and-mortar grocery stores, with the company consolidating its physical strategy under the Whole Foods name, reports CNN Business. The closures, which affect its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations, were announced Tuesday and amount to about 70 stores across the United States. In a blog post, Amazon said while it…

Retailers spent the past few years modernizing e-commerce and loyalty programs. 2026 is the year in-store experiences get the same treatment. Two shifts will reshape in-store media: artificial intelligence-powered dynamic content informed by real-time signals, and talent driving innovation with curiosity instead of convention. Together, these forces will close operational gaps between marketing and merchandising,…

Aldi plans to open more than 180 stores in the U.S. this year, including on the traditional turf of rival supermarkets and big-box stores. The German grocer’s latest growth plans follow an already aggressive expansion over the past decade. Aldi, which is known for its low prices, small stores and emphasis on private brands, has…

For years, headlines foretold the demise of brick-and-mortar retail. As e-commerce boomed and digital convenience reshaped consumer behavior, many predicted physical stores would fade into irrelevance. However, today's flagship locations tell a different story. Shoppers, especially digital natives like Gen Z, are showing up in person for immersive brand experiences, hands-on product demos, and personalized…

Barnes & Noble is opening more stores for readers to shop at in the new year. After nearly two decades of "declining store numbers," the bookseller has plans to open 60 new locations across the country in 2026, in addition to the dozens opened this year. While the details are still "being worked out" as…

In episode 497 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Rene Federico, head of marketing for the U.S. at Primark, a global  fashion retailer founded and based in Dublin, Ireland. Listen in as Federico discusses Primark's growth in the U.S., focusing on marketing strategies to support this expansion (2:25). She details her role at…