Retail Stores

The National Retail Federation (NRF) yesterday forecasted that holiday sales during November and December will increase between 3.6 percent and 5.2 percent over 2019 to between $755.3 billion and $766.7 billion. The numbers, which exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants, compare with a 4 percent increase to $729.1 billion last year and an average holiday…

Launching new in-demand products across a national retail chain during a global pandemic isn't an easy task. In this video, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan talks with Lane Mansell, vice president and general manager, Rocky Mountain region at AT&T Mobility, about how the company's retail arm is bracing for one of its largest product releases, the launch of the…

The death of the mall, the rise of e-commerce, the increased focus on fitness, family gatherings, a better way to work, and the creation of new traditions have been at the forefront of "upcoming" trends being bantered for the past couple of years. Conveniently enough, the pandemic has condensed a decade of possibility into what…

Guitar Center said last week that it expects to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after negotiating a debt-cutting deal with key investors and lenders. The country’s largest music instrument seller plans to emerge from protection before year’s-end with nearly $800 million less debt. By filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Guitar Center would be able to continue…

Holiday shopping in the COVID era will be unlike anything modern retailers and consumers have experienced. With deals beginning in October and extending through December, U.S. retailers are downplaying the importance of Black Friday. Instead, they're focusing on making every day of the 2020 holiday season count. When it comes to the impact of COVID-19,…

Target and Ulta Beauty announced a deal Tuesday to open makeup and skincare shops inside of hundreds of Target stores across the country. Target CEO Brian Cornell said starting in the second half of next year, shoppers will find a smaller version of an Ulta store in more than 100 of Target’s stores and on…

Pet Valu, the specialty retailer of pet food and supplies, said Wednesday that it will wind down operations at its Pennsylvania headquarters and close all of its 358 stores and warehouses across the U.S. It said closing sales will begin in the next few days. Jamie Gould, Pet Valu’s recently appointed chief restructuring officer, said…

Walmart has cut ties with Bossa Nova Robotics, which made robots that scanned shelves for inventory, reports CNBC. The retailer has come up with other simple and cost-effective ways to manage the products on its shelves with its human workers rather than robots. A Walmart spokesperson noted that about 500 robots were in the company's…

Like many things in 2020, the holiday shopping season will be unlike any in recent memory. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned many of our social norms upside down and accelerated emerging trends, exacerbating weaknesses already evident in retail. With the bar now higher than ever before, retailers need a seamlessly integrated omnichannel offering just to…

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Joe Keenan and Kristina Stidham discuss 2020 Halloween shopping trends as we approach the holiday. The National Retail Federation (NRF) conducted its annual Halloween survey on consumer perspectives for the holiday, and the data points to one key theme: despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Halloween 2020 is still…