Retail Stores

Now that a full week has gone by since the National Retail Federation's Big Show in New York City, I've finally caught up and found the time to put together a post on what I took away from the show. Here are my thoughts (in no particular order):

LIDS Sports Group, the Indianapolis-based operator of the North American LIDS retail chain, in collaboration with the National Football League, announced its plans for this year's NFL Experience shop. In an innovative spin on the traditional concept for this venue, the retailer has switched gears to focus on creating a fan destination for Super Bowl-goers to include the industry's latest offerings in product customization and entertainment features.  

Best Buy has partnered with Listia, a web and mobile marketplace where customers can trade used items for new ones. According to the agreement terms, Listia will enable customers to trade their used items for new Best Buy products via its Rewards Store.

You won't be alone if you have the winter blues this upcoming Monday. Coined "Blue Monday," Jan. 21 is considered to be the most depressing day of the year, and many people will be seeking mood boosters as a result. A new CouponCabin.com survey finds that one of those attitude adjusters is shopping, as more than one-third (36 percent) of U.S. adults said winter is the season they'd most likely shop in pursuit of retail therapy. 

The differences in organizational structure — including how employees are compensated — between retail companies were discussed by a panel at the National Retail Federation's Big Show in New York City this week. The panel included Brad Brown, senior vice president of e-commerce and direct sales at Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI); Ivy Chin, senior vice president of e-commerce at Belk; Jeffrey Liss, senior vice president and general manager, e-commerce and CRM at Charming Shoppes; and Jim Okamura, managing partner, Okamura Consulting.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), December retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) increased 0.8 percent seasonally adjusted from November, and 2.1 percent unadjusted year-over-year. Total holiday retail sales increased 3 percent, below NRF's projected forecast of 4.1 percent, to $579.8 billion. Additionally, nonstore holiday sales grew 11.1 percent. In October, Shop.org forecasted a 12 percent growth in online sales in November and December.

Amazon.com Founder Jeff Bezos took home the National Retail Federation's prestigious Gold Medal Award yesterday, marking the first time an online retailer has received the award. Amazon has probably been the single most disruptive force in retail in the past years, and is therefore not exactly beloved by the traditional brick-and-mortar industry. So as NRF's membership base is comprised mainly of brick-and-mortar retailers, acknowledgement from the organization is a bit of a big deal for e-commerce.

Who came out on top this past holiday season? Shoppers like you and me, hands down. Retailers were savvier than ever about using technology to stay in the game. Stores shuffled prices online hourly during sales days, battling to offer the lowest prices. Malls dished up apps that helped folks locate items on their lists and prices in stores, along with parking spots and bathrooms. Merchants showered us with advice through tweets, videos, and top 10 lists. Yet, there's no secret why merchants are getting smarter. They have to. Today's 20/20 digital consumer is dictating the terms of the shopping experience.

Target's holiday gift to you — price-matching with major online retailers — has been reactivated and extended indefinitely. Does that make Target the hands-down choice if you're determined to get the best deal? Not necessarily. Let's take a look at the new policy.

A same-sex couple are featured prominently in Crate & Barrel's January Inspiration 2013 catalog. The caption alongside the photograph, which appears in a section titled "Us & Always" and depicts two men at a dining room table eating pasta and sipping wine, reads "Spend a Saturday night at home, cooking together, dining together. Music, candlelight, and a good bottle of wine, and you can have the table as long as you like."