Retail Stores

Macy's, Wayfair Announce Job Cuts
January 22, 2024 at 1:54 pm

Retail layoffs are hitting especially hard recently. Macy’s is laying off about 3.5 percent of its total headcount, which amounts to roughly 2,350 employees, and the iconic department store is closing five locations. Also last week, online furniture seller Wayfair said it is cutting about 1,650 jobs, or 13 percent of its global workforce. The Wall…

4 Growth Tactics Boot Barn Will Employ in 2024
January 16, 2024 at 4:03 pm

In a keynote presentation at the ICR Conference in Orlando, FL earlier this month, Jim Conroy, chief executive officer of Boot Barn, detailed four growth strategies the retailer is focused on in 2024. Boot Barn, the nation's leading lifestyle retailer of western and work-related footwear, apparel and accessories, is one of the fastest-growing companies in the…

How J.McLaughlin is Acting on its Biggest Opportunity: Customer Acquisition
January 15, 2024 at 5:07 pm

In episode 435 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mary Ellen Coyne, CEO, and Kevin McLaughlin, co-founder and creative director of J.McLaughlin, an American lifestyle brand. Listen in as Coyne and McLaughlin provide an overview of the J.McLaughlin brand (0:55), detail the origin of the company (1:55), and identify the customer behaviors they…

Transforming Malls for Financial Success
January 15, 2024 at 12:49 pm

We've heard for some time now that traditional brick-and-mortar malls are facing a decline with the uptick in online shopping. However, some experts claim the “death of malls” has been widely exaggerated. According to Coresight Research’s The State of the American Mall report, more malls opened than closed in the last year, the first time…

Report: Consumers Dissatisfied With Retail Experiences
January 8, 2024 at 5:19 pm

Consumers are generally dissatisfied with their retail experiences, at least according to a global study from the IBM Institute for Business Value called "Revolutionize retail with AI everywhere: Customers won't wait." The report points out that only 9 percent of consumers said they were content with their in-store shopping experiences and 14 percent content with…

November US Retail Sales Beat Expectations
December 14, 2023 at 5:10 pm

U.S. retail sales unexpectedly rose in November as the holiday shopping season got off to a brisk start amid deep discounting, likely keeping the economy on a moderate growth path this quarter and further alleviating fears of a recession, reports Reuters. The Census Bureau said overall retail sales in November were up 0.3 percent from October…

Investor Group Launches $5.8B Buyout Bid for Macy’s
December 11, 2023 at 8:52 pm

Two major Macy’s investors, Arkhouse Management and Brigade Capital Management, are in talks to take the famed department store chain private, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Arkhouse Management, a real estate-focused investing firm, and Brigade Capital Management, a global asset manager, submitted a proposal to acquire Macy's for $5.8 billion on…

How Studs is Reimagining the Ear Piercing Industry
December 11, 2023 at 2:54 pm

In episode 431 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Anna Harman, co-founder and CEO, and Lisa Bubbers, co-founder and chief brand officer, of Studs, a new ear piercing experience that enables consumers to express themselves through "earscaping." Listen in as Harman and Bubbers provide an overview of the company (0:55), their inspiration for…

Report: Amazon, Walmart, Target Win Black Friday
December 4, 2023 at 5:21 pm

Retail behemoth Amazon.com took the top spot in terms of total retail sales on Black Friday this year, according to a report from data insight company Numerator. Walmart came in second, followed by Target, Best Buy, and Costco. Numerator tracks purchase data and surveys verified buyers to understand shifts in consumer behavior. Over Cyber Weekend…

FIGS' CEO and Co-Founder on Why Now is the Time to Open Stores
December 4, 2023 at 12:35 pm

In episode 430 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Trina Spear, CEO and co-founder of FIGS, a direct-to-consumer, modern healthcare apparel and lifestyle brand. Listen in as Spear provides an overview of the FIGS brand (0:40), her inspiration for launching the company (1:40) and why now is the right time to open its…