Retail Stores

Automation — long a force in agriculture and manufacturing — is accelerating in the retail sector, a trend that could hamper efforts to bring down the nation's stubbornly high jobless rate.

For many, it's already too late to change direction on a rudderless ship that has been left in the wake of the rapid decline in hard copy book sales. Barnes & Noble on the other hand, is using a change in strategy to help weather the storm.

Staples said its fourth-quarter net income rose 18 percent on lower operating expenses, but winter storms kept results under analyst expectations. The chain offered first-quarter guidance slightly below expectations.

Discount retailer Loehmann's said it's emerged from bankruptcy protection, which it sought in November after its Dubai government-linked owner failed to reach a debt-extension deal with creditors. 

Customer engagement can be broadly defined as when a targeted consumer focuses their complete attention on a particular brand’s message in an uncluttered environment. Then, this attention is accounted for and recorded. True engagement is a long-term play that encourages repeat customer value through purchasing actions and the generation of word-of-mouth interest.

Fresh off a big win at the Oscars, Liberty Media booked higher revenues in its QVC and Starz businesses during the fourth-quarter, led by stronger e-commerce sales and improved across-the-board demand.

Retail giants, non-governmental organizations, academic experts, and the Environmental Protection Agency are banding together to reduce the social and environmental impacts of apparel and footwear products sold worldwide. 

PetSmart's fourth-quarter net income rose 20 percent, helped by more customer transactions and a strong holiday season. The pet-supply chain's net income rose to $90.3 million, or 77 cents per share, from $75 million, or 61 cents per share, in the same period last year.

The top February same-store sales gains should come from warehouse club operator Costco and Saks, with estimated increases of 7.3 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively. 

As use of digital signage increases, the price of equipment comes down, consumers become more mobile savvy, and digital and mobile begin to integrate through proximity technology, it becomes increasingly important for retailers to consider these new forms of communication.