Retail Stores

Back-to-school shopping helped many large retailers see a foot traffic spike, according to a new report from Placer.ai. The report, School Season Sparks Retail Growth, shows that weekly visits to major back-to-school retail categories, including superstores, department stores, and other apparel retailers, enjoyed strong year-over-year (YoY) visit boosts through July and August 2024. During the…

Last month, S&P Global Intelligence reported a “historic surge” in bankruptcies, with businesses closing at the fastest pace since 2020. Few were affected by this surge more than retail small businesses. While American consumers will eventually move on to new favored establishments, that isn’t an option for local store owners, many of whom skipped holidays,…

For many retailers, including Big Lots, store closures and restructuring are not just unfortunate outcomes but necessary strategies to maintain profitability and relevance. Store closures are often part of a broader strategy to realign resources and focus on more profitable locations. Retailers can identify underperforming locations and strategically close them to optimize their footprint by…

No person should fear for their physical or psychological wellbeing at work. In the retail industry, however, this has become commonplace. Recent data shows that 88 percent of retailers have identified more aggressive and violent shoplifters compared to one year ago. In addition, in 2023, as many as 13 percent of small business owners in…

The niche Halloween store Spirit Halloween announced Tuesday it was opening 1,525 stores, the most in its history, this fall across North America. Already the nation's largest Halloween retailer, the 41-year-old seasonal company said it would hire thousands of associates to man the stores in the coming weeks. Over 1,100 locations are already open. "The…

e.l.f. Beauty reported a 50 percent gain in net sales in the first fiscal quarter of 2024 and increased its full year forecast as a result. The company reported a net sales of $324.5 million, saying the increase — from $216.3 million a year ago — was a result of both its brick-and-mortar and e-commerce…

Discount retail chain Big Lots may close up to 315 stores under new credit and loan terms, according to an 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. In a public SEC filing in June, the Ohio-based retailer, which has locations in 48 states, said it planned to close 35 to 40…

As of early July, more than half (55 percent) of back-to-school and college shoppers had already begun buying items for the upcoming school year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. Total back-to-school spending is expected to reach $38.8 billion, the second-highest figure on…

Primark announced that it will open a new store at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills, Michigan on Sept. 12. The retailer's first store in Michigan, this opening will offer Detroit-area shoppers more than 36,600 square feet of retail selling space with the latest fashion trends and essentials for the whole family, as well as…

Conn's HomePlus, the Texas-based home goods, furniture and electronics retailer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday and is closing 73 of its 170 stores, multiple news outlets reported. The closures and bankruptcy filings come after a year of lost profits for Conn's — the company ended 2023 with a year-over-year net loss of nearly…