Stay in Touch
As big-box retailers are facing increased pressure to keep their employee headcounts stable, some store workers are frustrated as they feel like they are expected do more with less. On Monday, a workers advocacy group called Target Workers Unite released what it says are the results of an employee survey that shows the majority of them feel like their stores are understaffed, but also don't feel like they are receiving enough hours from Target to make an adequate living.
Mall owners are looking to bail out some of their tenants as more struggling brick-and-mortar retailers declare bankruptcy. On Monday fast fashion retailer Forever 21 announced that it had struck a deal to sell its retail business to a group of acquirers that included Simon Property Group, Brookfield Property Partners, and Authentic Brands Groups, for $81 million
The race to go cashierless has another entrant. This month 7-Eleven became the latest chain to test cashierless stores at its Irving, Texas headquarters as part of a pilot program. The 700-square-foot store, which opened on Feb. 5, is currently available to employees only via an app, allowing them to check in, shop and exit the store. The 7-Eleven launch is part of a wave of existing retailers trying to offer shoppers a more frictionless checkout process, which includes foregoing long line waits. A company spokesperson did not comment on how the initial testing has gone thus far.
Now that Walmart offers grocery pickup in over 60% of its U.S. stores, it has started to ramp up advertising encouraging customers to try out the service. On Sunday, Walmart will run its first-ever Super Bowl ad promoting online grocery pickup; the company also ran a national TV campaign promoting grocery pickup that kicked off during the Golden Globes in January 2019.
For years, Victoria's Secret's Pink business -- a line of intimates and loungewear aimed at college-age women -- was the company's shining star. Then, in 2018, Pink reported a sales decline for the first time 16 years. In the past year, L Brands hasn't broken out sales growth for Pink, only saying generally that certain units of Pink, like intimates, are seeing "strong unit growth results." At the very least, any growth at Pink isn't enough to offset sales declines at Victoria's Secret.
The retailer will now close 100 of its 650 stores in the next two years. It's a piece of its wider strategy to bring Express back into profitability, a plan the retail is calling the "Expressway Forward" plan. It involves a shifted focus to more streamlined merchandise offerings and investing in online sales.
Independent grocery chains face a growing list of threats. The grocery space is more crowded than ever before, as Amazon prepares to launch a new grocery chain this year, as well as the expansion of discounters Aldi and Lidl into the U.S. Not everyone can keep up, as evidenced by New York City grocer Fairway filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week.
For the last five years blockchain has been hyped as the next technological paradigm. Despite many believing that it could radically change retailers' supply chain, blockchain-based applications have yet to hit the mainstream. Now that the craze has settled, some use-cases may end up quietly being adopted.
Augmented reality right now is big among two categories: beauty or furniture. It has yet to take off among apparel retailers, which is the next step in order for AR to become more mainstream.
A year ago, when Gap announced plans to spin off Old Navy, the brand had reported nearly two straight years of revenue growth. Old Navy had brought in $8 billion in revenue in 2018, while the rest of Gap's portfolio -- which includes Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, Intermix, Hill City and Janie and Jack -- brought in $9 billion in sales total over the same time period. The idea was the spin off would give Old Navy room to grow.
Payless ShoeSource has come out of its latest bankruptcy proceedings with big plans to relaunch in the U.S. It's provided scant details about what that would look like. But with all of its U.S. locations closed, a large brand and business overhaul will be necessary to keep the retailer alive.
A new type of restaurant is becoming popular, and you can't sit down in it. Called "ghost kitchens," these delivery only establishments are catching entrepreneurs' eyes and investors' capital.
Once heralded as an integral part of the store of the future, RFID tags have never gotten widespread adoption as the cost of deployment and tech hurdles have remain stubbornly high.
Starbucks is investing in new technology to make ordering and pickup faster. But, the company maintains that it's not trying to eliminate the need for human help. At a recent retail event, the coffee giant's president and CEO, Kevin Johnson, explained why.
Robotics has been considered a disruptor for years now. But we haven't quite seen how the automated technology will transform the retail industry. While a number of well-funded robotics startups crash and burn, a few others operating in the background have shown a growing demand for retail robotics.
As brands navigate the waters of in-house marketing, they're developing new strategies and tactics to develop data, skillsets and efficiencies for a competitive advantage.
As direct-to-consumer startups feel greater pressure to rely less on digital channels like Facebook and Google, other, they're considering investing more in traditional media advertising. That includes out of home advertising (OOH), like billboards, digital bus stops and painted murals.
Read MoreAt the Modern Retail Summit, we’ll bring together hundreds of senior retail marketers to discuss the challenges they’re facing and the solutions they’re seeking in the era of smarter retail.
Buy Passes
