Retail Stores

With e-commerce now a normal part of everyday life, the number and frequency of in-person interactions is decreasing, and sometimes disappearing altogether. However, even as online shopping pervades, brands are finding important value connecting with customers face-to-face, whether through local pop-up shops, brand-sponsored community events or new brick-and-mortar locations. In-person experiences are often the best…

It was announced this week that Gymboree is looking to close a sizable percentage of its stores as part of restructuring under bankruptcy court protection. MarketWatch reports the children's clothing retailer has reached out to firms known for liquidating companies’ inventories and other assets to help with the closure of up to 350 stores. Discussions around…

Shoppers plan to spend more on mom this Mother's Day than they have in the past 14 years. According to an annual survey of 7,406 consumers by the National Retail Federation (NRF), spending for Mother’s Day will be higher than in any other year in the survey’s 14-year history, with experiential gifts like spa days and restaurant…

Kit and Ace, started by lululemon founder Chip Wilson, is laying off staff in its headquarters and closing stores in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. In a statement, Wilson said the company is shifting focus to its Canadian locations and global e-commerce platform. It isn’t clear how many staff members have been laid off, however.…

“You know, I think that anything you do at Apple … you feel a tremendous onus. You want to carry on the legacy of what it meant. The main objective … our soul is our people. And our job is to enrich their lives, change the world. And so I think that’s the bigger pressure…

J.C. Penney will launch Sephora beauty shops in 70 stores as it expands 32 existing locations, bringing Sephora to 650 of its 1,000-plus stores by the end of 2017. The beauty push comes as J.C. Penney de-emphasizes apparel, a weak link for merchants these days, save for off-price chains and Amazon.com, which have been gobbling up…

Today's retail landscape begs for more than just affordably priced products and lightening-fast shipping. The modern customer requires more in-depth forethought from brands to win his or her business. For brick-and-mortar retailers especially, the battle to stay competitive with their digital counterparts comes along with the demand to deliver or exceed customer expectations — i.e., to…

Fashion retailer Bebe is planning to close all of its 175 stores by May 9, according to a regulatory brief filed by the company on Friday. The retail chain had previously said it was committed to closing 21 locations, which represented roughly 12 percent of its total outlets. This news came as Bebe explained it was in the…

British fashion chain Jimmy Choo said Monday that it had put itself up for sale, saying it would consider "various strategic options," including a sale of the company. Jimmy Choo's largest shareholder, JAB Luxury, which owns 66.7 percent of the company's shares, said it "is supportive of this process." The seller of high-end shoes, handbags…

Three years after abolishing tobacco sales, CVS Health, the nation’s largest drugstore chain, said earlier this week it plans to accelerate a store renovation project that devotes more floor space to nutritious food and health products. CVS Health executives said that at several hundred stores they would reorient 100 feet of aisle space toward products such…