When retailers talk about meeting the needs of today's consumers, speed is frequently cited as a differentiating factor. From speed to market with new inventory to quick checkout to expedited delivery, it seems all retailers want to do everything fast. That's why it's a little surprising to hear John Hazen, senior vice president, direct to…
On April 4, the governors of California and New York voted to approve new legislation that will increase the states’ minimum wages over the next six years. Both states will gradually raise the minimum wage rates to $15 an hour by 2022. The minimum wage in New York is currently $9.00, equating to just under…
You used to go Staples for office supplies. Now you can just call it your office. On Monday, the megastore that's long specialized in paper and printer ink is set to announce a partnership with Workbar Inc., the Boston shared-workspace company. The relationship will establish co-working spaces inside three Staples stores, in Norwood, Brighton, and Danvers,…
Entrepreneurs like Jane Mosbacher Morris are helping revitalize pop-up stores, a decades-old retail concept. More party than hard sell, this new breed of pop-ups is becoming increasingly innovative and fun — far more than the seasonal pop-ups that once prevailed. And they're also increasingly profitable, experts say, since consumers crave these new experiences. Using pop-ups does, of…
Every retailer hopes to earn not just wallet share, but also the loyalty of its customers. A delighted and loyal customer will keep coming back, spend more money while there, and go one step further by recommending their favorite retailer to friends and family. Recently, Market Force Information announced the results of its annual fashion…
Kohl's Corp.'s new Off/Aisle store has a polished concrete floor, sleek lighting fixtures and a way of pricing merchandise that's very different from the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based retailer's traditional department stores. No coupons or special discounts here. At Off/Aisle, everything has a "spot" price. Items with an orange circle on the tag are $4; items with…
The battle between online retailers and traditional brick-and-mortar stores is entering a new and exciting phase. Less than a decade ago, experts predicted the demise of the big-box store because e-commerce enabled people to shop for larger inventories from the comfort of their homes and get items delivered in a relatively short time. These experts…
When Sports Authority filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy recently, some of the headlines blamed the retailer's woes on the shift to online shopping. While that's a convenient excuse — and no doubt has some validity — retailers both local and national have shown that online shopping isn't necessarily the be-all, end-all. Consider Big Lots.
It looks like retailers around the world will be stepping up their investment in The Internet of Things over the next few years. The deployment of sensing technology, like beacons, those small radio-transmitting devices we’ve been writing about here since they were introduced, is on a big rise, according to a new study looking at the…
J.C. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison started day three of its annual store managers meeting on Wednesday talking about BS (business simplification). Just in case Penney store managers had any doubts about what they heard the day before, there was a bright red BS stamp covering old rules and titles of cumbersome reports on a screen behind…
