Report: Half of All Retail Jobs Could Be Lost to Automation in 10 Years
May 23, 2017 at 1:28 pm

Between 6 million and 7.5 million retail industry jobs are vulnerable to automation within 10 years, according to a report by Cornerstone Capital Group released this week. The report concluded that the jobs of 47 percent of the 16 million Americans currently working in retail could be made redundant by highly automated e-commerce and other innovations.…

Michigan Wal-Mart Stores Getting Upgrades
May 23, 2017 at 10:48 am

As part of a multimillion-dollar plan to update the chain's U.S. store portfolio, 12 Wal-Mart stores in Michigan will get new looks in 2017. The remodeled stores are capitalizing on building connections for consumers, taking them from traditional in-store shopping to online sales at Wal-Mart's e-commerce site, and finding in-between steps to blend the two. Wal-Mart…

Forever 21 Launching Beauty Store Concept
May 22, 2017 at 12:46 pm

Forever 21's own beauty boutique, Riley Rose, is being rolled out at 13 GGP regional shopping center locations, creating an innovative brick-and-mortar concept, the two companies announced on Friday. Ten Riley Rose stores will open before the end of this year, and three will open in 2018, according to Forever 21 and its real estate landlord.…

Apple Launches Website for Today at Apple Initiative
May 18, 2017 at 10:44 am

“Today at Apple,” Apple’s initiative announced last month that offers an expanded set of educational sessions and more at its brick-and-mortar stores, launched its dedicated website this week. The site enables customers to view the available courses and sign up for classes. Currently, consumers can sign up for more than 4,000 education sessions per day…

DEBUT's Newest Collection Focuses on Philanthropy
May 18, 2017 at 10:13 am

As we've seen lately in the retail industry, companies need to work harder to get shoppers into their stores. Some retailers offer experiences, others sales and discounts. DEBUT, a newly opened store at the Minneapolis-based Mall of America (MOA), offers a revolving collection of products to entice shoppers to walk through its door. “The goal…

Wal-Mart Facing Lawsuits From Former Employees
May 16, 2017 at 10:50 am

Wal-Mart is being sued for both allegedly denying health benefits to same-sex spouses of employees as well as rejecting pregnant employees’ requests to limit heavy lifting, climbing on ladders, and other potentially dangerous tasks. In the former suit, an employee in Massachusetts (where same-sex marriage has been legally recognized since 2004) attempted to add her…

J.C. Penney's Turnaround Hits Stumbling Block With Q1 Sales Miss
May 15, 2017 at 9:47 am

J.C. Penney's stock price closed at a historic low on Friday after it missed its first quarter forecast and said customer traffic was below a year ago. While the department store chain said it can still pull off recently lowered full-year targets for flat sales and improvements in margins, investors pummeled the stock. Penney's stock price closed below $5 a…

Macy's to Aggressively Push Off-Price Strategy
May 12, 2017 at 9:34 am

Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette, who succeeded Terry Lundgren just last month, announced plans to grow the department store chain's off-price brand, Macy’s Backstage. "We're hoping that by the end of this year, we have a scaleable [off-price] model to aggressively roll out in the future," Gennette said during the company’s earnings call on Thursday. Macy’s has 26…

Retailers' Guide to Navigating Rising Healthcare Costs
May 12, 2017 at 8:13 am

Healthcare costs are on the rise. This has a particularly big impact on the retail industry, as it's comprised primarily of an hourly workforce with limited options when it comes to obtaining affordable healthcare coverage. This presents retail HR executives with an obstacle to cultivating and retaining a healthy, productive group of employees. While employee…