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Walmart is investing more than $9 billion over a two-year period to upgrade and modernize some U.S. stores with improved layouts, expanded product selections and new tech additions. On Friday, 117 stores in 30 states will be re-launched showcasing the enhancements, representing investments of more than $500 million, Walmart said in a statement. In total,…

Just about any retailer or brand marketer is going to like the idea of using technology to better understand how consumers shop a store. But what they don’t tend to like is any possibility that the technology being used will upset and even alienate those shoppers. Stories regularly find their way into mainstream media about…

As store shelves fill with fall favorites, it’s hard to ignore the beginning of the U.S. winter holiday shopping season — and the uptick in American spending that typically goes with it. The frenzy from late September through the new year is a well-established critical time for retailers, which count on the “Golden Quarter” for a…

Consumers showed surprising strength in September, boosting retail sales well above expectations despite high interest rates and worries over a weakening economy. Retail sales rose 0.7 percent on the month, well above the 0.3 percent Dow Jones estimate, according to the advance report the Commerce Department released Tuesday. Excluding autos, sales were up 0.6 percent, also well…

Macy's announced on Tuesday that it will open up to 30 smaller stores in strip malls over the next two years, as the retailer chases customers out of shopping malls and into bustling suburbs. The expansion marks an inflection point for the department store operator, which has looked for ways to refresh its legacy brand, cope with…

Consumer desire for convenience, speed and the resultant increase in online shopping has dramatically altered the retail landscape. With greatly diminished foot traffic in stores and retail spending now strapped by inflationary pressure on consumer pocketbooks, we've seen record numbers of retail bankruptcies, restructurings, and associated store closures in 2023. When a retail operator goes…

Toys R Us is plotting a bold comeback in the U.S., as it plans to expand its brick-and-mortar presence with as many as 24 new flagship stores and a separate rollout at airports and on cruise ships starting this holiday season. The toy retailer’s parent company, WHP Global, announced what it called the “Air, Land and…

Rite Aid is negotiating terms of a bankruptcy plan that could see a significant number of its more than 2,100 drugstores permanently close, according to a report. People familiar with the company's talks with creditors told The Wall Street Journal that Rite Aid has proposed to close as many as 500 stores in bankruptcy, and either sell…

As we transition from Back to School to Black Friday and full-scale holiday shopping, foot traffic in stores continues to rise. Shopping-related destinations started the year off with a 20 percent increase in foot traffic compared to the year before and the lift is expected to be seen into the holiday season ahead. On the other hand,…

If you were to sit and watch a video of your customers browsing your store, you would undoubtedly see a mix of those who know exactly what they want and can intuitively find it, combined with a sea of shoppers baffled by the array of products offered. Shopping is meant to be a comfortable and…

Since great store design starts with customer experience, I’ll start there. I went into a popular electronics store for an Apple Watch. There were only two to see. Both were tethered to a “wrist loop” so you could “try them on” by slipping your wrist through the plastic loop that held the watch. So, I…

In the ever-evolving landscape of retail, one trend has resurfaced with undeniable force: the return of brick-and-mortar stores. In fact, this trend presents a unique opportunity for retailers to thrive in an increasingly digital world. The fusion of physical and online shopping experiences isn't just a renaissance for traditional retail; it's a dynamic and unprecedented…

Employees are an essential component in any brick-and-mortar store and play an important part in creating a positive customer experience. To stay competitive against online retailers such as Amazon.com, physical stores need to invest in their employees and ensure their satisfaction is at its peak. Given the present job market, this has escalated in importance.…

The U.S. Census Bureau announced that overall retail sales in July were up 0.7 percent from June and up 3.2 percent year-over-year (YoY), reports CNBC. The advanced retail sales report showed a seasonally adjusted increase of 0.7 percent for the month, better than the 0.4 percent Dow Jones estimate. Excluding autos, sales rose a robust 1 percent, also against a 0.4 percent…

Eighty percent of back-to-school shoppers are planning to buy their supplies at mass retailers (e.g., Walmart, Target, etc.), while 20 percent plan to shop at dollar stores, and 15 percent plan to shop at club stores. These are a just a few of the findings from data and tech company Numerator's 2023 Back-to-School Preview, which includes data…

Keeping up with the fast pace of retail is a never-ending cycle between maintaining brand promise, fostering employee productivity, and improving the customer experience. These three factors are all dependent on the other: employee productivity is key to meeting consumer demand, and meeting consumer demand is vital to increasing revenue and protecting the brand. Given…

Any retail expert worth their salt knows that personalization is the one true key to profitability. This is only becoming more important as the market grows saturated and customer expectations keep getting more demanding. But how will artificial intelligence technology change the ever-evolving retail landscape? Personalization is all about providing engaging customer experiences, which is…

A lot has changed since the pandemic, yet one debate continues to divide retail experts and it involves the uncertain future of brick-and-mortar stores. Pessimists argue that the return on investment is too low, and that the migration to e-commerce is only just beginning. Others believe that in-store shopping serves an experiential purpose, which cannot…

Reuters reports U.S. retail sales rose less than expected in June, increasing 0.2 percent month-over-month, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. Data for May was revised higher to show sales gaining 0.5 percent instead of 0.3 percent as previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales gaining 0.5 percent. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services,…

Shopping for back-to-school essentials, such as clothes, shoes and electronics, will be a bigger struggle for families this year who are trying to manage their household budgets with less disposable incomes because of inflation. Back-to-school spending by parents with children in grades K-12 is expected to decrease 10 percent this year over last year to…