Retail Stores

Why Amazon Go is a ‘No-Go’ for Most Retailers
March 14, 2018 at 10:56 am

As Nick Wingfield, technology correspondent for The New York Times described in his vivid, first-hand account of shopping at the Amazon Go store, it’s hard not to get excited about the future of retailing. And while the retail industry can use all the good press it can get, I’m not sure this is it. It was…

Report: Claire's Stores Preparing for Bankruptcy
March 12, 2018 at 12:43 pm

Fashion accessories retail chain Claire's Stores is preparing to file for bankruptcy in the coming weeks, people with knowledge of the plans told Bloomberg last week. The company is reportedly closing in on a deal where control would pass from Apollo Global Management LLC, which owns Claire's, to lenders including Elliott Capital Management and Monarch…

Toys"R"Us Preparing to Close All US Stores?
March 9, 2018 at 12:12 pm

Toys"R"Us Inc. is making preparations for a liquidation of its bankrupt U.S. operations after so far failing to find a buyer or reach a debt restructuring deal with lenders, according to people familiar with the matter. While the situation is still fluid, a shutdown of the U.S. division has become increasingly likely in recent days, said…

Abercrombie & Fitch to Close 60 Stores in 2018
March 8, 2018 at 1:14 pm

Abercrombie & Fitch announced Wednesday it will be closing 60 stores later this year. The teen apparel retailer, which also owns the brand Hollister, has been reconfiguring its store fleet in malls as more shoppers opt to buy clothes online. Last year, it closed nearly 40 stores, having previously planned to shutter 60 locations. In 2016,…

Report: Foot Locker to Shutter More Than 100 Stores
March 5, 2018 at 1:08 pm

Foot Locker is the latest retailer to reduce its store count in an effort to cut costs, according to a March 2 Business Insider report. More specifically, the retailer plans to close approximately 110 stores this year, mostly those that are considered underperforming locations. This latest round of store closures augments the 147 stores that Foot Locker closed…

Kohl's Partners With Aldi to Sublet Space in Downsized Stores
March 2, 2018 at 1:12 pm

Kohl's said Thursday it would bring discount grocer Aldi into as many as 10 of its stores later this year in a pilot test. The department store chain aims to scale down its real estate footprint and leverage space for other brands, including Aldi. It was reported in January that Kohl's was thinking about not…

Best Buy to Close All Mobile Phone Stores
March 1, 2018 at 2:21 pm

Best Buy is planning to close all of its roughly 250 smaller-format mobile phone stores by the end of May, according to a report in the a StarTribune. The stores, most of which are in shopping malls and much smaller than Best Buy’s big-box locations — have become less profitable for the company. Best Buy…

Walmart to Raise Age Restriction to 21 for Gun Purchases
March 1, 2018 at 11:53 am

Walmart said yesterday that it's raising its age restriction to 21 for firearm and ammunition purchases. In  a statement published on its website yesterday, the retailer said it made the decision in light of recent events and will try to implement this change "as quickly as possible." Walmart also pointed out that in 2015 it ended sales of certain sporting rifles…

AI-Enabled Personalization Will Change the Narrative of Stores in Decline
February 28, 2018 at 11:12 am

Retail personalization has long been the domain of the e-commerce retailers that redefined the concept of local retailing by bringing it to a geographically unrestricted audience at scale, leaving traditional retailers scrambling to combat their new, impersonal identity. And as retail stalwarts shuttered their doors and malls became modern American ghost towns, the narrative that…