Retail Stores

It’s been long established that music has the power to stir emotion and influence consumer behavior. In 1973, business professor Philip Kotler first addressed the science of sound in retail when he coined the term “atmospherics” for the practice of designing store environments to project a specific image and induce certain behaviors. In an article…

Despite high inflation and rising interest rates, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said last week it expects healthy holiday sales thanks to things such as job growth, salary increases, and higher savings rates. More specifically, NRF forecasts that holiday sales will rise between 6 percent and 8 percent this year compared to 2021, reaching between $942.6 billion…

Target has more than tripled the number of Apple at Target shop-in-shops this year, now reaching more than 150 locations, the retailer announced Wednesday. The expanded collaboration gives more consumers a one-stop-shop for Apple products and accessories just in time for the holidays. Members of Target Circle, the retailer's loyalty program, now have access to a…

Warby Parker, one of the first retail startups to use a direct-to-consumer business model, is planning to open hundreds of brick-and-mortar stores with eye exam spaces over the next few years due to customer demand for physical destinations that offer eye examinations, according to co-CEO David Gilboa, in a report on CNBC.com. By the end of 2022, the…

Circle K, a Canada-based convenience store and gas station operator, announced it was partnering with Green Thumb, a leading national cannabis consumer packaged goods company, to sell its products at a handful of Circle K locations next year. About 10 "RISE Express"-branded dispensaries will open adjacent to Circle K stores in various Florida locations, Green…

Ikea U.S. has announced the opening of two new planning studios in the Los Angeles area to increase consumer access to the retailer in the city. In this video interview, Ikea Los Angeles Area Manager Gustavo Tinajero discusses why the home furnishings retailer introduced the new store format, why L.A. is a good fit for the stores, and…

There are few in retail circles who would argue that the role of the store is the same as it ever was. With the rate of change accelerating like never before, consumers are throwing new challenges at retailers faster than they can implement solutions. It’s no wonder that many retailers seem to be in a…

We’ve all witnessed the pandemic’s devastating effects on retail shopping and the significant downturn in customer foot traffic in-store, but experts now point to a major shift in customer behavior. Recent figures, including the consumer stats we’re always monitoring at TrueSource, show that customers are returning to brick-and-mortar locations — some experts even forecast a record sales…

Brick-and-mortar retailers must never lose sight of what the average customer wants. Keeping tabs on shoppers’ most pressing needs is, more than anything else, the recipe for success. Based on Raydiant’s State of Consumer Behavior 2022 report, there are three factors that consumers today most expect from in-store experiences: value, quality products, and convenience. Within…

Bed Bath & Beyond CEO Sue Gove said on a call with investors Wednesday that "in order to accelerate our turnaround," the troubled retailer has secured $500 million in financing, will close select stores, and institute layoffs among its corporate and supply chain staff. In her strategic update to investors Wednesday, Gove said she expects…