Retail Stores

For most retailers the December holidays are the busiest time of the year. For golf equipment retailers, the weeks leading up to Father's Day is when cash registers ring the most. In fact, Golfsmith traditionally experiences the same high sales volumes in June that mainstream retailers experience during the year-end sales rush. For Golfsmith, it is Christmas time in June.

Disney Store added magic to Canada last month by opening two innovative shopping experiences in Mississauga, Ontario and Burnaby, British Columbia. The Canadian locations feature interactive areas incorporating state-of-the-art technology.

TOMS Shoes announced a new product category — sunglasses. But the glasses won't be distributed in the same way that TOMS distributes its footwear. Instead, the company will work with the Seva Foundation on sight restoration initiatives in Nepal, Tibet and Cambodia.

No more fiberboard. No more steel shelves or warehouse design. The Old Navy chain of budget-yet-spunky clothing stores is abandoning its old surplus feel and going with a new look.

Wal-Mart said it would introduce a small-store format, called Wal-Mart Express, aimed at rural and urban areas without nearby grocery stores. The first prototype store, set to open this week, stands 15 feet to 20 feet tall and has 45 parking places — a big change from the typical Wal-Mart superstore with high ceilings and vast parking spots.

In addition to co-opting Warby Parker's business idea, Bluefly's just-launched e-commerce site Eyefly also stole Warby Parker's product shots. It seemed pretty outrageous — not just the big company ripping of the little guy, but to add insult to injury, Bluefly was doing something mean to a do-good organization (for every pair of glasses they sell, Warby Parker donates one pair of glasses to someone in need).

Macy's has announced a number of initiatives in support of LGBT pride month this June. Macy's "Pride and Joy" campaign will feature a multitude of in-store fashion events, commemorative advertising and window displays, pride merchandise in select stores, gift registry booths for couples in key cities, celebrity appearances, as well as sponsorship and employee participation in pride parades across the country.

It's a happy day for Neil Young fans across the world as news broke of the acclaimed artist's new e-commerce store launch. The online store features a strong, functional e-commerce solution where visitors are immersed in an interactive world where they get to explore a western style store with loads of intriguing merchandise. 

Shoppers appeared to be more cautious last month in spending for clothing and other items as rising gas and food prices took up a bigger chunk of their disposable income, raising some concern about a possible slowdown in sales over the summer.

Miami Heat superstar LeBron James is partially bankrolling a planned luxury lifestyle concept store called "Unknwn" that's slated to open in Miami this fall.