Retail Stores

More than 4,500 new stores have opened this year, and while this growth is a testament to retail's resilience, it brings a series of complexities for store leaders to manage. Whether you're overseeing one store or a network of thousands, the role of a store leader has evolved significantly. The average store manager receives 27,000-plus…

November retail sales grew at a faster pace than Wall Street analysts had expected, reflecting continued resilience in the American consumer and indicating that the holiday shopping season in the U.S. is off to a strong start, reports Yahoo Finance. Retail sales rose 0.7 percent in November. Economists had expected a 0.6 percent rise in…

About 197 million Americans shopped over the five days from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday this year, data from the National Retail Federation (NRF) showed on Tuesday. The number of shoppers exceeded the retail trade association's forecast of 183.4 million, but was still lower than the 200 million shoppers in 2023. During the long weekend, consumers…

According to insights from Mastercard SpendingPulse™, U.S. retail sales excluding automotive were up 3.4 percent on Black Friday (Nov. 29) compared to Black Friday 2023. Mastercard SpendingPulse measures in-store and online retail sales, representing all payment types, and is not adjusted for inflation. Other Black Friday data included the following: Online retail sales increased 14.6…

Discount hunters searching for Black Friday deals have officially kicked off the holiday shopping season. Consumers are forecasted to break spending records in 2024, with the average person expected to spend a little over $1,000, up 14 percent from last year, according to data from RetailMeNot. At the Mall of America, the nation's largest retail…

The rapid growth of digital commerce coupled with increasing consumer expectations for omnichannel shopping experiences has forced traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to re-evaluate the role of their physical storefronts in their business models going forward. In this clip from a panel discussion at Total Retail Tech 2024, three technology executives at leading retailers shared their approach…

This video features a panel discussing how three leading retailers are maximizing store performance, including supporting digital channels, in today’s omnichannel retail landscape from Total Retail Tech 2024 in Charlotte, NC. Speakers include Scott Devlin, chief information officer, The Vitamin Shoppe; Matthew Matorin, vice president, store digital products and field training, Signet Jewelers; Jim Forester,…

Advance Auto Parts is closing more than 700 locations to shore up the company’s finances following another dismal earnings report, reports CNN Business. The car parts retailer, which has about 5,000 stores, said Thursday that the closures are part of its “strategic plan to improve business performance.” The reduction will result in closing roughly 500…

Despite e-commerce growth, consumers still prefer in-store shopping across all retail sectors. Vibenomics’ In-Store Data Report, which surveyed 1,000-plus household shoppers, uncovered this and several other trends to help guide retailers in optimizing in-store experiences during the upcoming holiday season. Brick-and-mortar stores provide a space for customers to discover new products and connect with them,…

Sucharita Kodali, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, has kept a watchful eye on the evolution of the retail industry over the last 20 years. In this video interview, Kodali shares the current industry trends she's closely following, her holiday forecast, and what retail executives should be focusing on now. She also reflects on…