Gap

For some retailers, the grass is greener on the other side … of the pond, that is. Emaciated traffic and extreme price competition have left the industry in a slugfest just to achieve positive domestic same-store sales. As a result, many retailers have been looking to plant their flags overseas, scouring Europe and emerging markets in search of growth. While the strategy has proven successful for some U.S. firms going abroad — as well as international companies gaining entry in the United States — some within the industry say the globalization of retail has brought with it a new challenge.

In a surprising move, Gap informed its employees on Wednesday that it would set $9 as the minimum hourly rate for its U.S. workforce this year and then establish a minimum of $10 next year. Gap said this move would ultimately raise pay for 65,000 of its 90,000 American employees, including those at Banana Republic, Old Navy and other stores. Gap is making this move as many states consider raising their minimum wage, and as Republicans and Democrats debate a bill that includes a proposed increase in the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2016. 

Revenue growth may have slowed last year at Apple's retail stores, but the division remains one of the world's strongest and a key strategic focus of the tech giant's future. With revenue exceeding $20 billion for the fiscal year ended Sept. 28, Apple's brick-and-mortar unit exceeded the total annual revenue at big-name retailers such as Nordstrom, Gap and AutoNation. The stores are practically hallowed ground for entrepreneurs who supply accoutrements for Apple's "iOSphere." They say the cache and cash flow at Apple's retail outlets combine to make it a unique and unrivaled platform for introducing their products.

Can a shopper with a specific item in mind find it on your mobile site? In other words, what's the "findability" of your mobile site? Given the increase of mobile traffic and the revenue impact of mobile and mobile-influenced sales, the concept of findability is critical.

Apparel makers including Gap, H&M and Inditex urged Cambodia's government, its garment industry and unions to hold talks after a strike over workers’ pay led to deadly clashes. The government, the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia and labor unions should engage in negotiations and support a new wage-review mechanism to avoid future violence, the retailers said in an open letter yesterday. Adidas, Puma, Levi Strauss & Co., and Columbia Sportswear also signed the letter. At least three people were killed when police used live ammunition to crush a protest by striking garment workers in Phnom Penh, the Cambodia Daily reported. 

Retailers face an intensely competitive marketplace with unprecedented challenges and opportunities. With the emergence of a greater variety of retail channels, an abundance of product options and easy online price comparisons, consumers now demand greater service and lower prices. The ability to ensure that the right product is available at the right place and at the right time is absolutely critical, and merchants that can act more quickly tend to come out on top. 

Holiday shopping has certainly changed since the rise of e-commerce and world domination of the internet-connected device. Retail has gone thoroughly multichannel, with shoppers researching, browsing and buying in increasingly diverse ways. Yet the heart and soul of holiday shopping — as well as retail commerce year-round — is still the brick-and-mortar store. In fact, Gartner reports that, even allowing for the increase in revenue from e-commerce, retailers should expect 85 percent of their revenues to come from physical stores through 2016.

lululemon athletica's NorthPark boutique in Dallas is in some hot water of the foot-in-mouth variety after posting a sign on its store window that stated, "We do partners yoga. Not partners card." The missive was a response to an annual charity initiative run by The Family Place, a nonprofit that works to protect and shelter victims of domestic violence. Locals can buy its "Partners Card," which offers discounts at participating local retailers, for $70 — money that goes to fund the charity.

Retailers are battling Amazon.com this holiday season by turning storefronts into mini distribution hubs. USA Today reports that companies such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Gap are offering "ship from store" services. The tactic speeds delivery with shorter delivery routes and saves retailers money. "This is the most important thing that will change physical retailers…

Americans will be hankering to live more like the Jetsons, snatching up everyday consumer products that talk back and tell users what they need to know (or what they think they need to know). At the same time, retailers will operate more and more like Big Brother, sending shoppers more targeted emails that reflect stores’ increasingly sophisticated monitoring of buying patterns and behavior. Those are two of the five major digital trends that will drive the holiday shopping experience this year, said Kyle Lacy, senior manager of content marketing and research for ExactTarget, a provider of digital marketing software solutions.