Retail Stores

Queue Management Needs an Urgent Overhaul
July 13, 2023 at 2:57 pm

Brick-and-mortar retail has seen a huge rebound as consumers defied expectations and quickly returned to pre-pandemic shopping patterns. After a long period of isolation, shoppers flocked back to physical stores to reconnect with the brands and products they love. In 2022, major U.S. retailers announced plans to open nearly 8,000 stores, almost five times the…

Christmas Tree Shops to Liquidate All of its Stores
July 5, 2023 at 3:22 pm

Christmas Tree Shops plans to liquidate all of its stores. The retail chain, known for selling home goods like bedding sets, dinnerware and party decorations at a discount, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May. At the time, the company hoped to close only 10 stores considered to be underperforming and come out of its bankruptcy a…

Retail Resurgence: Why Brick-and-Mortar is Central to the Omnichannel Equation
June 26, 2023 at 2:29 pm

For many, the 2008 recession marked legacy retail's first nail in the coffin. The Great Recession led to the collapse of countless storied names, many with decades-long histories. The growing popularity of online shopping and, later, the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated this downward trajectory. And yet, despite this purported death spiral, legacy retail still lives…

NRF: Retail Sales Rose in May Despite Economic Challenges
June 19, 2023 at 1:42 pm

Retail sales rose again in May as consumers continued to spend despite economic challenges, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said last week. NRF’s calculation of retail sales -- which is based on U.S. Census Bureau data but excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants to focus on core retail -- showed overall retail sales in…

4 Brands With Great In-Store Experiences
June 12, 2023 at 12:30 pm

As a brick-and-mortar retailer, you know that creating great in-location experiences is key for drawing in customers and keeping them coming back. But are you implementing experiences that are fun, unique and an extension of your brand? Or do customers see you as simply offering the same types of experiences everyone else is? As you…

Report: Bed Bath & Beyond in Talks to Sell Buybuy Baby
June 6, 2023 at 4:43 pm

Bed Bath & Beyond is in talks to sell its Buybuy Baby chain to retail investment firm Go Global Retail, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Go Global Retail owns children's clothing brand Janie and Jack and womenswear label ModCloth, which it acquired from Walmart. It primarily invests…

Dick's Sporting Goods to Expand House of Sport Format
May 25, 2023 at 11:56 am

After opening its first three DICK'S House of Sport stores in Rochester, New York; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Minnetonka, Minnesota, DICK'S Sporting Goods plans to add more than 12 new locations in the next two years. DICK'S House of Sport is a 100,000-plus square foot store that provides athletes with an assortment of products along with in-store experiences, including…

Why the Future of Successful Retailing Involves Stores Within Stores
May 24, 2023 at 10:56 am

Amid the shock and fear of the pandemic, shoppers stayed indoors, developing digital buying habits and bypassing their old brick-and-mortar haunts. But consumers have gotten a taste for in-person shopping again. This comes as a relief to many brands that know customers return less and impulse buy more when they shop in-store. Despite this silver…

Walmart Reports Strong Q1 Results as Grocery Leads the Way
May 18, 2023 at 1:25 pm

Walmart raised its full-year forecast Thursday, as fiscal first-quarter sales rose nearly 8 percent and its large grocery business helped offset weaker sales of clothing and electronics. The retailer now anticipates consolidated net sales will rise about 3.5 percent in the fiscal year. Nearly 60 percent of Walmart's annual U.S. sales come from groceries. In the quarter,…

Store Expansion, Private Labels Fuel Boot Barn's Sales Growth
May 17, 2023 at 4:28 pm

As part of its annual Fastest-Growing Retailers report, which ranks the top 50 U.S-based, publicly traded companies based on year-over-year (YoY) sales growth, Total Retail profiles the top retailers in the ranking. This year that included a profile of Boot Barn, which increased its YoY sales by nearly 67 percent in its 2022 fiscal year, good for…