Retail Stores

After reading his own obituary, American writer Mark Twain is said to have wryly remarked, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” I have a similar thought whenever I read an article about the death of retail stores because, if you look past the sensationalist headlines, the opposite appears to be true. Earlier this…

Sam's Club, the Walmart-owned membership club, is testing its first all-digital store. Inside the club, which will open in mid-October in the Dallas area, customers will have to use a smartphone app called Scan & Go to ring up their purchases as they walk through the aisles. In the area typically reserved for cash registers,…

Dozens of Salt Life retail stores across the country are closing following the company's recent purchase. Hilco Consumer-Retail Group, one of the new owners of the brand, announced Tuesday that it will be closing all 28 retail locations. Liquidation is underway as new ownership plans to restructure the fashion company and lay out a plan for…

The retail landscape is on the brink of one of the most transformative eras in decades. With new emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and consumer behaviors always evolving, the retail industry must not only be able to keep up, but must be able to stay one step ahead as these trends reshape how and where…

In episode 464 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Anne Mezzenga and Chris Walton, co-CEOs of Omni Talk Retail, a fast-growing blog and podcast channel providing news, analysis and commentary on the latest trends and issues in the retail industry. Mezzenga is also a speaker at Total Retail Tech 2024, the summit for…

After successfully launching and operating over 100 retail stores for more than 60 brands across the United States, we, at Leap, have the unique opportunity to witness a significant shift in global retail strategy. More and more international brands are turning their attention to the U.S. market, not just for their e-commerce expansion, but to…

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…