Retail Stores

Apple Workers at Maryland Store Vote to Unionize
June 20, 2022 at 5:20 pm

Employees at a Baltimore-area Apple store have voted to unionize, making it the first of Apple's 270-plus stores in the U.S. to join a union. In the election, 65 employees at Apple’s store in Towson, Md., voted in favor of being represented by the union, known as the Apple Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (CORE),…

Retail Sales Dip in May Thanks to Inflation, Higher Prices
June 15, 2022 at 5:03 pm

Retail sales were down in May compared to the month before, suggesting continuing inflation and higher prices for essentials has been a growing concern to the American consumer. It's the first drop in retail sales in five months. The U.S. Census Bureau, in its monthly estimates report released Wednesday, said U.S. retail and food services…

Simon Property Group Creates 'National Outlet Shopping Day'
June 14, 2022 at 4:56 pm

David Simon, CEO of Simon Property Group, the biggest shopping mall owner in the country, wants to create a new type of annual shopping extravaganza, reports CNBC. The event, dubbed “National Outlet Shopping Day,” is meant for people seeking out deep discounts and is being created as consumers are increasingly feeling the pinch of inflation just about everywhere they go.…

Where Are Shoppers Looking for Information in Stores?
June 7, 2022 at 8:27 pm

Reaching your target consumers is a challenge. Shifting consumer behavioral patterns and new shopping channels have complicated how marketers and brands approach shoppers. And while e-commerce has taken a big bite out of in-store sales and partnered with the pandemic to fuel headlines about a “retail apocalypse,” shoppers still walk, in vast numbers, into physical…

Zipline's CEO on How to Power Store Performance and Innovation
June 1, 2022 at 12:12 pm

In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Melissa Wong, CEO and co-founder of Zipline, the platform enabling best-in-class communication strategies throughout retail organizations. Wong discusses why her background in the retail industry led her to start a technology company (0:54) and why Zipline recently partnered with Total Retail to produce…

Conn's, Belk Partner to Launch Store-Within-a-Store Concept
June 1, 2022 at 11:45 am

The department store Belk is collaborating with the home goods and furniture retailer Conn's HomePlus to launch a store-within-a-store concept later this year. The new store format, which will launch under a new brand name soon to be announced, will give Belk customers access to Conn's home product categories, including furniture, home electronics and appliances, and…

Developing a Perfect Store Strategy in 2022
May 26, 2022 at 2:29 pm

In 2022, the perfect store is rooted in constant evolution — a system that maybe isn’t perfect in every moment, but is agile always, malleable when needed, and capable of critical self-reflection. These innate characteristics of the modern perfect store are supported by, and in return support, the adoption of a few important technologies and…

Amazon Opens its First Physical High-Tech Apparel Store
May 25, 2022 at 2:41 pm

Amazon.com opened its first brick-and-mortal apparel store on Wednesday, leveraging technology to set itself apart as it tries to grow its physical presence. Called Amazon Style, the new store, located in California, features machine learning technology to help customers find clothes and personalize recommendations as well as interactive dressing rooms. The store stocks men's and…

Compassionate Retail is the Differentiator Your Organization is Looking For
May 24, 2022 at 12:07 pm

It turns out the American consumer of 2022 isn’t all that complicated, at least according to Raydiant’s State of Consumer Behavior 2022 report. Shoppers today want bang for their buck, they expect a positive all-around experience when they enter your stores, and have just a few other requests that most retailers can easily honor —…

Consumer Trends That Every Brick-and-Mortar Brand Must Respond To
May 18, 2022 at 5:56 pm

The shopper should set the agenda for your brand — always. Those brands that fall out of touch with consumer tastes become disconnected from those with the sole power to keep you profitable and relevant. This is why Raydiant produced the State of Consumer Behavior 2022 report. By serving up actionable insights into what the…