Brick-and-Mortar

The biggest source of cost overruns and timeline failures in multi-site retail expansion is not any single phase. It's what happens in the handoffs between them: information gets lost, assumptions go unchecked, and costs that nobody planned for start accumulating. Retail expansion looks manageable from the executive level. Markets get identified, leases get signed, and…

Menswear company Tailored Brands Inc. filed publicly for an initial public offering, the latest step in its return to the public market. The holding company for brands including Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank had net income of $44.9 million in the three months ended May 2 on revenue of $681.8 million, compared with net…

In episode 511, Total Retail Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Alex Faherty, co-founder and CEO of Faherty, a certified B Corp™ premium lifestyle apparel brand known for its quality craftsmanship and surf-inspired coastal style. Alex launched the brand in 2013 with his twin brother, Mike, bringing their childhood dream to life (1:00). He shares how Faherty…

Retailers are investing heavily in artificial intelligence to enhance customer experiences and streamline operations. Industry estimates placed the global AI-in-retail market at roughly $11.6 billion in 2024, with continued rapid growth expected through 2030. With these investments, much of the industry's attention has focused on automation and customer-facing technology. Yet despite advances in automation, customers…

Halfway through 2026, retail organizations are facing a familiar but intensified reality: customer expectations continue to rise while frontline employees are being asked to do more with less certainty, tighter labor models, and constant operational change. Hiring challenges, retention concerns, and manager burnout have pressured retail organizations for years. However, leading organizations are responding differently.…

Dick's Sporting Goods announced a partnership to expand Lids shops to 100 Dick’s stores nationwide, the company said in a press release on Monday. The collaboration is currently available in 46 stores across states such as California, Colorado, New York, and Texas. It’s expected to reach 100 stores by late summer 2026. “Our athletes are increasingly…

“How’s the shopping center business going?” It’s a question I hear often as I travel across the country. And more often than not, people outside of our industry expect a very specific answer shaped by years of headlines about store closures and the rise of e-commerce. But that narrative is very different from what we're…

In episode 507 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Charlie Beer, chief operating officer at Naturepedic, the leading certified organic mattress and bedding company. Naturepedic was started over 20 years ago when the founder rejected conventional crib mattresses containing industrial foam and chemicals, leading to better products like organic cotton (0:55). Since then,…

The opening months of 2026 have seen several well-known retailers, including Eddie Bauer, Macy’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue, announce plans to close portions of their brick-and-mortar portfolios. While headlines may frame these moves as a shift toward online-first operations, the reality is far more strategic (and optimistic) in many cases. Retailers are thoughtfully reshaping their…

Retail has always been a human-centered business. Every sale, return, upsell and resolution depends on an employee’s ability to read emotion, respond appropriately, and guide a customer through an experience that feels both personal and efficient. As customer expectations rise, competitive advantage in retail is no longer defined by operational efficiency alone, but by how…